office so early, for on most days he did not come until dinner time. And here it was scarcely eleven o’clock yet, and Dinah was only getting ready to cook the dinner.

“Is it bad news?” asked Mrs. Bobbsey of her husband.

“Well, part of it is bad,” he said. “But no one is hurt, or killed or anything like that.”

“Tell us now!” begged Bert. “Tell us the strange news, Daddy!”

“Oh, I couldn’t think of it while you look the way you do,” said Mr. Bobbsey. “First get washed nice and clean, and put on dry clothes. Then you’ll be ready for the news.”

“I’ll hurry,” promised Bert, as he ran toward the house, followed by Snap, the trick dog that had once been in a circus. Snap had come out of the barn, where he stayed a good part of the time. He wanted to see what all the noise was about when Bert had called as he found himself stuck in the mud.

“Are you sure no one is hurt?” asked Mrs. Bobbsey of her husband. “Are Uncle Daniel and Aunt Sarah all right?”

“Oh, yes, of course.”

“And Uncle William and Aunt Emily?”

“Yes, they’re all right, too. My news is about my cousin, Jasper Dent. You don’t know him very well; but I did, when I was a boy,” went on Mr Bobbsey. “There is a little bad news about him. He has been hurt and is now ill in a hospital, but he is getting well.”

“And is the strange news about him?” asked Mrs. Bobbsey, as she walked on, with Flossie, Freddie and Nan following.

“Yes, about Cousin Jasper,” replied Mr. Bobbsey. “But don’t get worried, even if we should have to go on a voyage.”

“On a voyage?” cried Mrs. Bobbsey in surprise.

“Yes,” and Mr. Bobbsey smiled.

“Do you mean in a real ship, like we played our raft was?” asked Freddie.

“Yes, my little fireman!” laughed Mr. Bobbsey, catching the little bare-footed boy up in his arms. Often Freddie was called little “fireman,” for he had a toy fire engine, and he was very fond of squirting water through the hose fastened to it—a real hose that sprinkled real water. Freddie was very fond of playing he was a fireman.

“And will the ship go on the ocean?” asked Flossie.

“Yes, my little fat fairy!” her father replied, as he caught her up and kissed her in turn.

“If your mother thinks we ought to, after I tell the strange news about Cousin Jasper, we may all take a trip on the deep blue sea.”

“Oh, what fun!” cried Freddie.

“I hope we can go soon,” murmured Nan.

“But Bert mustn’t get off the ship to push it; must he, Daddy?” asked Flossie.

“No, indeed!” laughed her father, as he set her down in the grass. “If he does the water will come up more than above his knees. But now please don’t ask me any more questions until I can sit down after dinner and tell you the whole story.”

The children thought the dinner never would be finished, and Bert, who had put on dry clothes, tried to hurry through with his food.

“Bert, my dear, you must not eat so fast,” remonstrated his mother, as she saw him hurrying.

“Bert is eating like a regular steam engine,” came from Flossie.

At this Nan burst out laughing.

“Flossie, did you ever see an engine eat?” she asked.

“Well, I don’t care! You know what I mean,” returned the little girl.

“Course engines eat!” cried Freddie. “Don’t they eat piles of coal?” he went on triumphantly.

“Well, not an auto engine,” said Nan.

“Yes, that eats up gasolene,” said Bert.

But they were all in a hurry to listen to what their father might have to say, and so wasted no further time in argument. And when the rice pudding was brought in Nan said:

“Dinner is over now, Daddy, for this is the dessert, and when you’re in a hurry to go back to the office you don’t wait for that. So can’t we hear the strange news now?”

“Yes, I guess so,” answered her