reddie. "You ought to see Snap jump
over the water."

"Oh, you children!" cried Nan, with a shake of her head. She seemed
like a little mother to them at times, though she was only four years
older.

Mrs. Bobbsey was very sorry to see Flossie so wet and bedraggled, and
said:

"You should have known better than to play with water with a clean
dress on, Flossie. Now I must punish you. You will have to stay in
the house for an hour, and so will Freddie."

Poor little Bobbsey twins! But then it was not a very severe
punishment, and really some was needed. It was hard when two of their
little playmates came and called for them to come out. But Mrs.
Bobbsey insisted on the two remaining in until the hour was at an end.

Then, when they had on dry garments, and could go out, there was no one
with whom to play.

"I'm not going to squirt the hose ever again," said Freddie.

"Neither am I," said his sister. "Never, never!"

Snap didn't say anything. He lay on the porch asleep, being cooled off
after his sport with the water.

"I--I wish we had our cat, Snoop, back," said Flossie. "Then we
wouldn't have played in the water."

"That's so," agreed Freddie. "I wonder where he can be?"

They asked their father that night if any of the railroad men had seen
their pet, but he said none had, and added:

"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 tomorrow, 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