ALL of the Bobbsey twins - Nan, Bert, Flossie and Freddie - looked so serious over the prospect of losing Snap that Mr.Bobbsey had to laugh.He just couldn't help it.
"Well, I don't see anything to make fun over," said Nan, with a little pout.
"Why, you all act as though you had lost your best friend - or were going to.""Well, Snap is one of our best friends, aren't you Snap?" said Freddie."Still, if he belongs to the circus I don't see but what I'll have tosendhim back," went on Mr.Bobbsey, slowly.
At this Flossie burst into tears, and Mrs.Bobbsey, putting her arms about the little girl, said to her husband:
"Are you in earnest Richard? Don't tease the child.""I'm not, Mary.The fat lady wrote just that.I believe the dog we have does belong to the circus.""Then we'll have to give him up I suppose," and Mrs.Bobbsey sighed, for she had grown very much attached to the fine animal.
"Well, we won't have to send him back right away," said Mr.Bobbsey."I will have to get more particulars.But I did not finish the fat lady's letter.""What!Is there more news in it?" asked Nan."Listen," said Mr.Bobbsey, as he went on reading:
"We are sorry about losing our trick dog," the fat lady wrote, "but I picked up a big black cat when I walked out of the train.I brought him to Cuba with me, and I am teaching him tricks.He may be as valuable as our dog was.""A black cat!" cried Nan.
"It's our Snoop!" shouted Freddie, "yes, that's it! The fat lady has our cat as well as our cup.Oh, papa, make her give back our Snoop!"Mr.Bobbsey laughed.
"You see how it is," he said."She has our cat, and we have their dog.We'll have to give up our dog to get our cat."The Bobbsey twins had not thought of this before.They looked strangely at one another.
"Papa!" cried Freddie, jumping up and down in his excitement, "can't we keep both - the circus dog and our cat? Oh, do please, let us.""But maybe Snap would fight Snoop," said Flossie."We wouldn't want that."Freddie thought for a moment.
"I don't believe he would," he said at last.
"Fine!" cried all the Bobbsey twins at once, and they made a rush for Mr.Bobbsey, hugging and kissing him.
The letter was sent to the fat lady, and then came a time of anxious waiting.Never before had the children seemed to care so much for Snap.
One day a letter came, saying that the silver cup had been sent, and also Snoop, the cat.
"But what about Snap, papa? " asked Nan."Does she say the circus will sell him?""No, the man who owns him is away for a few days.When he comes back he will let me know.But, anyhow, you will have your cup and cat back.""But we want Snap, too!" said Flossie.
Several more days passed.They lengthened into a week, and still no news came from where the circus was: All the Bobbsey twins could hope was that their cat and cup were on the way, and that the man who owned Snap would consent to sell him.
The twins did not feel much like having fun.There was a warm spell, and all the snow had melted.
One day an express wagon stopped in front of the Bobbsey house.
It was a Saturday, and there was no school, and, as it happened, allfour of the twins were in.
