The Bobbsey Twins in a Great City Read online

  Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Emmy and the PG Online DistributedProofreading Team

  [Transcriber's note: An illustration was included in the original textthat did not belong in the story. It appeared in the first chapter afterthe paragraph ending "But they are pretty good skaters for such smallchildren." The omitted text reads AT SEVEN O'CLOCK A SUPPERWAS SERVED.--P. 129.]]

  The Bobbsey Twinsin a Great City

  BY

  LAURA LEE HOPE

  AUTHOR OF "THE BOBBSEY TWINS," "THE BUNNYBROWN SERIES," "THE OUTDOOR GIRLSSERIES," ETC.

  _ILLUSTRATED_

  NEW YORKGROSSET & DUNLAPPUBLISHERS

  THE CHILDREN WERE DELIGHTED WITH THE STORE CAMP.

  _The Bobbsey Twins in a Great City. Frontispiece_--(_Page_ 165)]

  =BOOKS BY LAURA LEE HOPE=

  12mo. Cloth. Illustrated. Price, per volume,

  =THE BOBBSEY TWINS SERIES=

  THE BOBBSEY TWINSTHE BOBBSEY TWINS IN THE COUNTRYTHE BOBBSEY TWINS AT THE SEASHORETHE BOBBSEY TWINS AT SCHOOLTHE BOBBSEY TWINS AT SNOW LODGETHE BOBBSEY TWINS ON A HOUSEBOATTHE BOBBSEY TWINS AT MEADOW BROOKTHE BOBBSEY TWINS AT HOMETHE BOBBSEY TWINS IN A GREAT CITYTHE BOBBSEY TWINS ON BLUEBERRY ISLAND

  =THE BUNNY BROWN SERIES=

  BUNNY BROWN AND HIS SISTER SUEBUNNY BROWN AND HIS SISTER SUE ON GRANDPA'S FARMBUNNY BROWN AND HIS SISTER SUE PLAYING CIRCUSBUNNY BROWN AND HIS SISTER SUE AT AUNT LU'S CITY HOMEBUNNY BROWN AND HIS SISTER SUE AT CAMP REST-A-WHILEBUNNY BROWN AND HIS SISTER SUE IN THE BIG WOODSBUNNY BROWN AND HIS SISTER SUE ON AN AUTO TOUR

  =THE OUTDOOR GIRLS SERIES=

  THE OUTDOOR GIRLS OF DEEPDALETHE OUTDOOR GIRLS AT RAINBOW LAKETHE OUTDOOR GIRLS IN A MOTOR CARTHE OUTDOOR GIRLS IN A WINTER CAMPTHE OUTDOOR GIRLS IN FLORIDATHE OUTDOOR GIRLS AT OCEAN VIEWTHE OUTDOOR GIRLS ON PINE ISLAND

  GROSSET & DUNLAP, PUBLISHERS, NEW YORK.

  COPYRIGHT, 1917, BYGROSSET & DUNLAP.

  THE BOBBSEY TWINS IN A GREAT CITY

  CONTENTS

  CHAPTER PAGE

  I. THE ICE-BOAT 1

  II. BUILDING THE "BIRD" 13

  III. A RUNAWAY 28

  IV. THE OLD WOODCHOPPER 36

  V. GLORIOUS NEWS. 46

  VI. ON TO NEW YORK 59

  VII. ON THE EXPRESS TRAIN 68

  VIII. A LONG RIDE 80

  IX. IN THE STORE 90

  X. LOST UNDERGROUND 104

  XI. FREDDIE AND THE TURTLE 116

  XII. IN THE THEATRE 127

  XIII. THE "RESCUE" OF FREDDIE 137

  XIV. THE STORE CAMP 153

  XV. SAD NEWS 161

  XVI. THE BIG ELEPHANT 170

  XVII. CALLED HOME 181

  XVIII. A QUEER RIDE 191

  XIX. THE GOAT 202

  XX. MR. BOBBSEY COMES BACK 214

  XXI. UNCLE JACK'S REAL NAME 225

  XXII. REUNITED 233

  =THE BOBBSEY TWINS IN A GREAT CITY=

  CHAPTER I

  THE ICE-BOAT

  "Oh, there comes my skate off again! Freddie, have you got any paste inyour pocket?"

  "Paste, Flossie! What good would paste be to fasten on your skate?"

  "I don't know, but it might do _some_ good. I can't make the strap hold iton any more," and a plump little girl shook back her flaxen, curling hair,which had slipped from under her cap and was blowing into her eyes, satdown on a log near the shore of the frozen lake and looked sorrowfully atthe shining skate which had become loosened from her shoe.

  "Come on, Flossie!" called the small, plump boy, just about the size ofhis sister, and with her same kind of light hair and blue eyes. "There goBert, Nan and Tommy Todd 'way ahead of us. We'll never catch up to 'em ifyou sit here. Come on!"

  "I can't help sitting here, Freddie Bobbsey! How am I going to skate ononly one skate?" asked the little girl.

  "Put on the other, and come along."

  "I have put it on, lots of times, but it comes off every time I skate alittle bit. That's why I want some paste. Maybe I could paste the strapfast around my shoe."

  "I don't believe you could, Flossie," and this time the small, plump boystopped skating around in a ring--"grinding the bar," as it is called--andglided toward his sister seated on the log. "Anyhow, I haven't any paste.What made you think I had?"

  "Oh, you carry so much stuff in your pockets I thought maybe you'd havepaste."

  "I might if it was summer, Flossie, and I was making kites with Bert. ButI haven't any paste now."

  "Then have you got a postage stamp?"

  "A postage stamp? Of course not! What good would a postage stamp be tofasten your skate strap?"

  "Well, a postage stamp has paste on it, hasn't it? Anyhow, it's sticky,'cause I got some on my tongue once, and I just know if I could onlyfasten down the end of this skate strap, to keep it from flopping up, andcoming out of the buckle, I'd be all right. It's the flopping end thatcomes loose."

  "Well, pooh! a postage stamp wouldn't be any good!" cried Freddie. "If youdid stick it on it wouldn't last more than three strokes. A postage stampwouldn't go far at all!"

  "Some postage stamps do!" exclaimed Flossie. "Mother got one on a letterthe other day and it had stuck itself on half-way round the world--shetold me so. And if a stamp sticks half-way around the world I should thinkit would stick while I skated down to the end of the lake."

  "Huh! That's different!" half grunted Freddie, for, just then, he wasstooping over tightening one of his straps. "Anyhow, I haven't got astamp."

  "Well, maybe you could fix my skate so it wouldn't come off," suggestedFlossie. "I've tried and tried, but I can't, and I don't want to stay hereall alone."

  "Why Flossie Bobbsey! I'm with you!"

  "I know, but Nan and Bert are away down at the other end, with Tommy Todd,and Bert is going to buy hot chocolates. I know he is, 'cause he said so.I don't want to miss them."

  "Me neither! Wait and I'll see if I can't fix your skate, Flossie."

  Freddie was small--he and Flossie were the smaller pair of Bobbseytwins--but he was a sturdy little chap, and living out of doors, andplaying games with his older brother Bert had taught Freddie how to domany things. He put Flossie's skate on her shoe, tightened the strap, andthen made it still tighter by putting some pieces of wood under theleather loop.

  "There!" he exclaimed, as he stood up, having been kneeling in the snow onthe edge of the lake. "I guess that will hold, Flossie. Now come on, andwe'll see how fast we can skate."

  Together the brother and sister started off. This time Flossie's skateseemed to be all right, needing neither paste nor a postage stamp to holdit on, and in a little while the smaller twins had caught up to Bert andNan, their brother and sister, who, with a boy neighbor, named Tommy Todd,had slowed up to wait for them.

  "What kept you?" asked Nan. "Did you try to do some fancy skating,Flossie?"

  "I guess Freddie stopped to see if there wasn't a crack in the ice wherehe could get some water to play fireman," remarked Bert with a smile, forhis small brother was very fond of this game, and his best-liked toy was asmall fire engine, which, when a spring was wound, could squirt realwater.

  "No, I didn't stop at any cracks!" exclaimed Freddie earnestly. "Cracks inthe ice is dangerous--Daddy said so. It was Flossie's skate."

  "That's right--it kept coming off," explained the blue-eyed girl. "ButFreddie fixed it, and he didn't have to use a postage stamp, either. Didy
ou, Freddie?"

  "Nope."

  "Well, I guess they know what it means, but we don't!" laughed Nan, takingher small sister's hand. "Come on, now, you little twins. I We waited foryou, so we could all have hot chocolate together. You didn't get cold, Ihope, stopping to fix your skate, Flossie?"

  "Nope! I'm as warm as butter!"

  "What does she mean by that?" asked Tommy Todd. "I often hear mygrandmother say she's as warm as toast, but _butter_----"

  "Well, when it's Winter, like it is now, you have to warm your butter soyou can spread it on your bread," explained Flossie. "So I'm as warm asbutter now."

  "I wish I was!" cried Bert. "I'm getting a chill standing here waiting foryou two! Come on, now. Skate lively, and we'll soon be there," and hepointed to a little candy and soda-water stand near the lower end of LakeMetoka, on the frozen surface of which the children were skating.

  In the little cabin, which in Winter was built over the stand to make awarm place for skaters, hot chocolate and other drinks could be had, andBert had promised to treat his brother and sisters, as well as TommyTodd.

  "Don't skate too fast," begged Flossie. "My skate _might_ come off again,though Freddie fixed it pretty good."

  "If it comes off again I'll skate and carry you on my back the rest of theway!" cried Bert. "I want something hot to drink. But mind you!" he cried,as he saw a mischievous look on his little sister's face, "don't dare makeyour skate come off on purpose! I don't want to carry you unless I haveto."

  "All right, Bert. I'll skate as fast as I can," promised Flossie.

  The five started off, Tommy Todd skating beside Flossie to help her if sheshould need it. Tommy was a sort of chum of both pairs of twins, sometimesgoing with the older ones, Nan and Bert, and again with Flossie andFreddie. In fact, he played with these latter more often than with Nan andher twin, for Flossie and Freddie had played a large part in helping Tommyat one time, as I'll explain a little later.

  It was a fine Winter's day, not too cold, and the sun was shining from aclear sky, but not warmly enough to melt the ice. The steel skates of thefive children rang out a merry tune as they clicked over the frozensurface of the lake.

  "Hurrah! Here we are!" cried Bert at last, as he skated on ahead and satdown on a bench in front of the "Chocolate Cabin," as they called theplace. He began taking off his skates.

  "Come on!" he called to the others. "I'll order the chocolate for you andhave it cooling," for there was more trouble with Flossie's skate and Nanhad stopped to help her fix it.

  "Don't order chocolate for me, Bert!" called Nan. "I want malted milk. Thechocolate is too sweet."

  "Guess you're afraid of your complexion, Sis!" laughed Bert, as he wentinside the little wooden house.

  "Oh, Flossie, take both your skates off and walk the rest of the way,"advised Nan, after she had tried, without much success, to fix thetroublesome strap. "We'll get there sooner."

  "All right," agreed Flossie. "It's a bother--this skate. I'm going to geta new pair."

  "Maybe a new strap is all you need," said Tommy. "You can get one inthere," and he nodded toward the little cabin.

  A little later the five children were seated on stools in front of thecounter, sipping the warm drinks which made their cheeks glow withbrighter color and caused a deeper sparkle in their eyes.

  "This is great!" cried Tommy Todd.

  "That's what!" murmured Freddie, his nose deep in his cup.

  "Don't forget about my strap," came from Flossie.

  "Oh, yes," agreed Bert. "We don't want to have to drag you all the wayhome." The man who sold the chocolate and candy in the cabin also hadskate straps for sale and one was soon found that would do for Flossie.

  "Now my skate won't come off!" she cried, as once more they were on theice. "I can skate as good as you, Freddie Bobbsey!"

  "Let's have a race!" proposed Freddie. "Bert and Nan can give Flossie andme a head start, 'cause they're bigger than us. Will you?" he asked hisbrother.

  "Yes, I guess so. A race will get us home quicker, and we're a littlelate."

  "We'll let Flossie and Freddie start ahead of me," suggested Tommy, who,being a little elder than the two smaller twins, was a little betterskater.

  "All right," agreed Bert. "Any way you like. Go ahead, Floss and Fred.Skate on until I tell you to wait. Then I'll give Tommy a starting placeand, when we're all ready, I'll give the word to begin."

  Flossie and Freddie, hand in hand, skated ahead a little way. ButFreddie's skate went over a little piece of wood on the ice and he trippedand fell, pulling Flossie down with him. The two plump twins were in aheap on the ice.

  "Hurt yourself?" asked Bert, as he started toward them, to help them up.

  "No--no--I--I guess not," answered Flossie, who was the first to get up.

  "We're all right," replied Freddie. "The ice was soft right there."

  "I guess it's because they're so fat, that they're soft, like a featherpillow," laughed Tommy. "They're getting fatter every day."

  "That's what they are," agreed Nan with a smile. "But they are pretty goodskaters for such small children."

  "Everybody ready?" asked Bert, when the two small twins had taken theirplaces, and Tommy Todd was between them and Bert and Nan.

  "All right," answered Freddie.

  "I am, too," came from Tommy.

  "Then go!" cried Bert, suddenly.

  The skating race was started. Merrily clicked the runners on the hard ice,leaving long white streaks where the children passed over. Flossie andFreddie were skating as fast and as hard as they could.

  "They are very anxious to win," said Nan, who was skating beside herbrother.

  "Yes, but they can't keep going as fast as that all the way home."

  "You're going to let them win, aren't you?" asked Nan.

  "Sure I am! But they're so sharp we don't dare lag much behind. We mustmake a spurt toward the end, and pretend we did our best to beat them.Tommy Todd may come in ahead of them, though."

  "We can skate up to him and tell him not to," suggested Nan.

  "Good idea!" declared Bert. "We'll do it."

  The older twins skated a little faster to overtake Tommy, who was somedistance behind Flossie and Freddie, when suddenly Nan gave a cry andclutched Bert by the arm.

  "Look!" she exclaimed, pointing with her hand.

  "An ice-boat," remarked Bert. "And going fast, too!"

  "Yes, but see! It's coming right toward Flossie and Freddie, and they'reskating with their heads down, and don't see it! Oh, Bert! Yell at them!Tell them to look out! Yell at the man in the ice-boat!"

  It did indeed seem a time of danger, for a swift ice-boat--one with bigwhite sails and runners, like large skates under it, was skimming over thefrozen lake straight for the smaller twins.