The Bobbsey Twins in a Great City

by Laura Lee Hope

  CHAPTER VI

  ON TO NEW YORK

  "Are we going?" cried Flossie, when she heard that the family was about tomake some sort of a journey.

  "And can we take the ice-boat?" Freddie asked eagerly.

  "Yes, of course you're going," said Mrs. Bobbsey.

  "But no ice-boat," added Bert. "There's no chance to sail one in New YorkCity--and if there was we wouldn't have time."

  "Oh, are we going to New York?" cried Flossie.

  "Yes," her father nodded.

  "Then I'm going to take my fire engine!" cried Freddie. "They have firesin New York, don't they, Daddy?"

  "Plenty of them, I think. And they have big engines there to put themout--larger ones than we have in Lakeport. But now let's get quiet so Ican tell Mother and you the news."

  Then, with the smaller twins cuddled up on his lap and Bert and Nan seatednear their mother, Mr. Bobbsey told the news. He was going to start a newbusiness, from which he hoped to make a great deal of money, and he had togo to New York to see about it. The trip would take the best part of a dayfrom Lakeport, and Mr. Bobbsey would have to stay in the big city severalweeks.

  He had long promised his wife that when the time came to go to New York hewould take her and the whole family with him, and that time had now come.

  "When can we start?" Flossie inquired.

  "To-night?" asked Freddie eagerly.

  "Oh, indeed not!" laughed his mother. "It will take at least a week to getready, and perhaps longer. You children have to have some new clothes, andDaddy has to look after his business here. I think we will close thishouse, and Dinah and Sam can visit their friends."

  "What about Snap and Snoop?" asked Flossie.

  "Oh, let's take them!" begged Freddie.

  "It would be no fun going to New York with pet cats and dogs," said Bert."They'd only be in the way or get lost."

  "I wouldn't want either one of 'em to get lost," put in Flossie.

  "Then we'll leave them with Dinah," said Mother Bobbsey, glad that thatpart was over. Every time they went away it was always hard to get theyounger twins to consent to leave Snoop and Snap at Home.

  "It will be great, going to New York!" cried Bert. "I want to see some ofthe flying machines I've read about."

  "And I want to see some of the lovely stylish dresses the girls wear asthey ride on Fifth Avenue," declared Nan. "Mother, do you think I couldhave a _real_ dress from New York?" she asked in a whisper. "Not onethat's _too_ stylish, of course, but so I could say it came from NewYork."

  "I guess so," and Mrs. Bobbsey smiled. "But let's hear what Flossie andFreddie most want to see in New York," and she looked at the two smalltwins.

  Flossie and Freddie thought for a moment, and then the blue-eyed boy,shaking his flaxen curls, cried:

  "I want to see a big fire, and watch the firemen put it out. But I hopenobody gets hurt!"

  "That last part is good, anyhow," said Mr. Bobbsey. "And how about mylittle fat fairy?" and he playfully pinched Flossie's plump leg. "What doyou want to see?"

  Flossie did not answer at once, but when she did she cried:

  "A monkey!"

  "A monkey?" repeated her father.

  "Yes, the monkeys in the park. I read about them, and how they do suchfunny tricks their cages. That's what I want to see--the monkeys in thepark."

  "Oh, so do I!" cried Freddie. "Can I see the monkeys and a fire too?"

  "Well, I guess so," answered his father. "But we will hope no big fireswill occur while we are in New York. As for monkeys, I guess there will beplenty of them in the park."

  The children were so excited, thinking about the trip to the great cityof New York, they could hardly sleep that night, even though they stayedup later than usual.

  And the next day a busy time began. Mrs. Bobbsey had to see to gettingready the clothes for herself and the children. At this Nan helped some,but Flossie and Freddie could not, for they were too small. Bert ran on anumber of errands for his father, before and after school, for thechildren had their lessons to do even while getting ready for the trip.

  Of course they could not go to school in New York very well, but Mr.Bobbsey arranged with the teachers in Lakeport that the twins could makeup, when they came back, any lessons they should miss. And as Nan and Bertwere ahead of their class, and as Flossie and Freddie were only in the"baby" grade, where they did not have hard lessons, as yet, staying fromschool would do not great harm to any of them.

  But at last all was ready for the start. The trunks and valises had beenpacked, the children had said good-bye to their many friends andplaymates, Dinah and Sam had gone away and the dog and cat had been sentto board near the cook's home until the Bobbseys should come back.

  Mr. Bobbsey had left his business with his partner to look after, and Berthad said Tommy Todd could sail the ice-boat as much as he pleased whileBert was in New York.

  "Well, I guess we're ready to start," said Mr. Bobbsey, when the house hadbeen locked and the big automobile that was to take them to the stationwas puffing out in front. "All aboard!"

  "This isn't the train, Daddy!" laughed Nan.

  "No, but we'll soon be there," her father answered, "Come along."

  Into the automobile they piled, parents, twins, baggage and all, and offthey started. On the way to the depot Flossie cried:

  "Oh, there's Uncle Jack!" and the sled of the woodchopper was seen movingslowly down the village street, with a load of logs piled high on it.

  "Poor old man," murmured Mrs. Bobbsey, "Did you see if you could help himin any way?" she asked her husband.

  "Yes, I have arranged it so that Uncle Jack will have plenty of food thisWinter. He can keep warm, for he has a stove and can cut all the wood hewants. I sent our doctor to see him. But Dr. Haydon thinks Uncle Jackshould go to a hospital."

  "Then why don't you send him? He was so good to the children----"

  "I know he was, but he won't go to the hospital. He says he knows it costsmoney and he won't let me spend any on him. But when I come back from NewYork I'll see what I can do. I think he'll be all right for a while, poorold man."

  Uncle Jack, sitting on top of his load of wood, saw the children in theautomobile and waved to them. The Bobbsey twins waved back.

  "We must bring him something from New York," said Freddie.

  "We could get him a little toy chick, and then he wouldn't be lonesome.Maybe he'd like that," added Flossie.

  Little did the two small Bobbsey twins think what they would help to bringback from New York for the poor, old woodchopper.

  The train for New York was on time, and soon the twins, each pair in oneseat, with Father and Mother Bobbsey behind them, were looking out of thecar windows, happy and joyous as they started on their journey.

  They were on their way to the great city of New York.

  I shall not tell you all that happened on the trip. It was not reallymuch, for by this time the twins had traveled so often that a railroadtrain was an old story to them. But they never tired of looking out of thewindows.

  On and on clicked the train, rushing through the snow-covered country, nowpassing some small village, and again hurrying through a city.

  Now and then the car would rattle through some big piece of woods, andthen Flossie and Freddie would remember how they were tossed out of theice-boat, and how they had been so kindly cared for by Uncle Jack in hislonely log cabin.

  It was late in the afternoon when, after a change of cars, the Bobbseyfamily got aboard a Pennsylvania railroad train that took them over theNew Jersey meadows. They crossed two rivers and then Flossie and Freddie,who were eagerly looking out of the windows, suddenly found themselves indarkness.

  "Oh, another tunnel!" cried Freddie.

  "Is it, Daddy?" asked Flossie.

  "Yes, it's a big tunnel under the Hudson River. In a little while you willbe in New York."

  And not long afterward the train came to a stop. The children foundthemselves down in a sort of big hole in the ground, for the Pen
nsylvaniatrains come into the great Thirty-third Street station far below thestreet.

  Up the steps walked the Bobbsey family, red-capped porters carrying theirhand-baggage, and, a little later, Flossie, Freddie and the others stoodunder the roof of the great station in New York. They were in the bigcity, and many things were to happen to them before they saw Lakeportagain.