"I'm afraid you'll have to get along without Snoop. He seems to have disappeared. But, anyhow, you have Snap."

"But some one may come along and claim him," said Freddie. "That Danny Rugg says he belongs to Mr. Peterson in Millville, father,"

said Bert.

"Well, I'll call Mr. Peterson up on the telephone to-morrow, and find out," spoke Mr. Bobbsey. "That much will be settled, at any rate."

"Did you hear anything from the circus people about the fat lady?"

asked Mrs. Bobbsey.

"Yes, but no news," was her husband's answer. "The circus has gone to Cuba and Porto Rico for the winter, and I will have to write there. It will be some time before we can expect an answer, though, as I suppose the show will be traveling from place to place and mail down there is not like it is up here. But we may find the fat lady and the cup some day."

"And Snoop, too," put in Nan.

"Yes, Snoop too."

One fact consoled the Bobbseys in their trouble over their lost pet and cup. This was the answer received by Mr. Bobbsey from Mr.

Peterson. That gentleman had lost a valuable dog, but it was a small poodle, and unlike big Snap. So far no one had claimed the trick dog, and it seemed likely that the children could keep him.

They were very glad about this.

"Oh dear!" exclaimed Bert, one afternoon a few days following the fun with the hose, "school begins Monday. Only three more days of vacation!"

"I think you have had a long vacation," returned Mrs. Bobbsey, "and if Freddie and Flossie are going to do such tricks as they did the other day, with the hose, I, for one, shall be glad that you are in school."

"I like school," said Nan, "There are a lot of new girls coming this term, I hear."

"Any new fellows?" asked Bert, more interested.

"I don't know. There is a new teacher in the kindergarten, though, where Flossie and Freddie will go. Nellie Parks has met her, and says she's awfully nice."

"That's good," spoke Flossie. "I like nice teachers."

"Well, I hope you and Freddie will get along well," said Mamma Bobbsey. "You are getting older you know, and you must soon begin to study hard."

"We will," they promised.

The school bell, next Monday morning, called to many rather unwilling children. The long vacation was over and cla.s.s days had begun once more. The four Bobbseys went off together to the building, which was only a few blocks from their home. Mr. Tetlow was the princ.i.p.al, and there were half a dozen lady teachers.

"h.e.l.lo, Nan," greeted Grace Lavine. "May I sit with you this term?"

"Oh, I was going to ask her," said Nellie Parks.

"Well, I was first," spoke Grace, with a pout.

"We'll be in the room where there are three seated desks." said Nan with a smile. "Maybe we three can be together."

"Oh, we'll ask teacher!" cried Nellie. "That will be lovely!"

"I'm going to sit with Freddie," declared Flossie. "We're to be together--mamma said so."

"Of course, dear," agreed Nan. "I'll speak to your teacher about it."

Bert was walking in the rear with Charley Mason, when Danny Rugg came around a corner.

"I know what I'm going to do to you after school, Bert Bobbsey!"

called the bully. "You just wait and see."

"All right--I'll wait," spoke Bert quietly. "I'm not afraid."

By this time they were at the school, and it was nearly time for the last bell to ring. Danny went off to join some of his particular chums, shaking his fist at Bert as he went.

CHAPTER VIII

BERT SEES SOMETHING

Lessons were not very well learned that first day in school, but this is generally the case when the Fall term opens after the Summer vacation.

Just as were the Bobbsey twins, nearly all the other pupils were thinking of what good times they had had in the country, or at the seash.o.r.e, and in consequence little attention was paid to reading, spelling, arithmetic and geography.

But Princ.i.p.al Tetlow and his teachers were prepared for this, and they were sure that, in another day or so, the boys and girls would settle down and do good work. Many of the children were in new rooms and different cla.s.ses, and this did not make them feel so much "at home" as before vacation.

Nan Bobbsey's first duty, after reporting to her new teacher, was to go to the kindergarten room, and ask the teacher there if Flossie and Freddie might sit together.

"You see," Nan explained, "this is really their first real school work. They attended a few times before, but did not stay long."

"I see," spoke the pretty kindergarten instructor with a laugh, "and we must make it as pleasant for them this time as we can, so they will want to stay. Yes, my dear, Flossie and Freddie may sit together, and I'll look after them as much as I can. But, oh, there are such a lot of little tots!" and she looked about the room that seemed overflowing with small boys and girls.

Some were playing and talking, telling of their summer experiences.

Others seemed frightened, and stood against the wall bashfully, little girls holding to the hands of their little brothers.

Nan looked for Freddie and Flossie. She saw her little sister trying to comfort a small girl who was almost ready to cry, while Freddie, like the manly little fellow he was, had charge of a small chap in whose eyes were two large tears, just ready to fall. It was his first day at school.

"Oh, I am sure your little twin brother and sister will get along all right," said the kindergarten teacher, with a smile to Nan, as she saw what Flossie and Freddie were doing. "They are too cute for anything--the little dears!"

"And they are very good," said Nan, "only of course they do--things--sometimes."

"They wouldn't be real children if they didn't," answered the teacher.

This was during a recess that had come after the cla.s.ses were first formed. On her way back to her room, to see if she could arrange to sit with Grace and Nellie at one of the new big desks, Nan saw her brother Bert. He looked a little worried, and Nan asked at once:

"What is the matter, Bert? Haven't you got a nice teacher?"

"Oh, yes, she's fine!" exclaimed Bert. "There's nothing the matter at all."