y other news from Lakeport?" Mrs. Bobbsey asked her husband at
the restaurant dinner table, while the children were busy talking among
themselves.

"No, not much. Everything is all right, I believe. I have some news for
you, though, Bert," he went on, as his older son glanced across the table.

"What is it?" Bert questioned. "Did Tommy Todd go through the ice in the
_Bird?_"

"No, but it has to do with the ice-boat. He went in a race in her on Lake
Metoka, and, what is better, he won."

"Hurray for Tommy Todd!" cried Bert, so loudly that persons at other
tables in the store dining room looked over and smiled, at which Bert's
ears became very red.

"Did you hear anything of my friends?" asked Nan.

"No, my dear," answered her father. "And the reason I happened to have
news for Bert was because Tommy's father wrote to me about some business
matters, and Tommy slipped in a little note himself. Here it is, Bert."

It was just a little letter telling about the ice-boat, and Tommy
expressed the wish that Bert would soon come home to help sail it in other
races.

"I'd like to be back in Lakeport," said Bert, "but we're having such a
good time here in New York I don't want to leave. Guess I'll write and
tell Tommy so."

After dinner Mr. Whipple showed the Bobbseys and Laddie about the big
store, and each of the children was allowed to pick out a simple gift to
take away. Nan took a pretty ribbon; Bert a book he had long wanted;
Flossie a piece of silk to make a dress for her doll, and Freddie saw in
the toy department a little hose cart which, he said, was just what he
wanted to go with his engine. Mr. Whipple gave it to Freddie, who was very
much pleased. For his present from his uncle, Laddie picked out a little
gun, which shot a cork.

"I can't break any of the hotel windows with this," he said to his aunt.

"Did you ever break any windows?" asked Flossie, rather surprised.

"Once. I had a little wooden cannon that shot wooden balls. I shot one
right through the window of our parlor, and the next ball hit George, the
elevator boy, who was coming in with a telegram."

"And after that I had to take the cannon away from him," said Mrs.
Whipple, with a smile. "But I think the cork pop-gun will be all right."

Never had the Bobbsey twins had as much fun as they did the day of their
visit to Mr. Whipple's store. They were sorry when the late afternoon gave
the signal for starting back home.

"But we'll have fun