business in
shipping lumber over the railroad, and many of the men were his
friends. "One of the switchmen near where the wreck was, caught a lot
of cats, that must have been living out in the fields all Summer," went
on the agent, "but they were all sorts of colors. None was pure black,
so I knew they could not be yours. I'm sorry."

"Yes, so are we," replied Nan. "Well, I guess Snoop is lost for good.
He has been away a long time now."

On the way back to Mr. Bobbsey's office, the trolley car got off the
track, on account of so much snow on the rails, and the children spent
some time watching the men get it back, the electricity from the wire
and rails making pretty flashes of blue fire.

"What luck?" asked Mr. Bobbsey, as the three came in his private
office, their faces shining and red with the glow of winter.

"None," said Nan sadly. "Snoop is gone."

"Have you heard from the circus fat lady yet, papa?" asked Flossie.

"Yes, we want our cup back," added her brother.

"No word yet," answered Mr. Bobbsey. "That circus is traveling all
over Cuba, and the letters I sent never seem to catch up to them.
However, I am sending one on ahead now, to a city where they will soon
give a show. The fat lady will find it there waiting for her, and she
may answer then."

And with this the children had to be content. Getting back home,
Flossie and Freddie took out their sleds and went for a coast on a
small hill, not far from their home. This was where the smaller
children had their fun, leaving the larger hill for the bigger girls
and boys.

"Well, after this I think we all need something to cheer us up," said
Papa Bobbsey, who came home from the office early that day.

"Oh, have you got something good?" asked Nan, for she saw a queer
little twinkle in her father's eyes, and she knew that this generally
meant a treat of some kind.

"I have some good news, if you would like to hear it," he said, as he
drew a letter from his pocket.

"Is it to tell that some of our friends are coming to see us?" asked
Bert.

"Well, yes, I think you will call it a visit from a friend--at least
part of it," said Papa Bobbsey. "Now listen. This is a letter from
the fat lady in the circus."

"What!" cried Flossie, "--the one who has our cup?"

"The same," said Mr. Bobbsey with a smile. "And she has more than your
cup. Listen," and he read the letter.

It was too long to put it all in here, but it went on to say how the
f