would rather they didn't use it," said Mrs.
Bobbsey. "One never knows who has last handled a public cup."

"But I want a drink," insisted Flossie, a bit fretfully, for she was
tired from the long journey.

"I know it, dear," said her mamma gently, "and I'm getting out the
silver cup for you. Only you must be very careful of it, and not drop
it, for it is solid silver and will dent, or mar, easily." She was
searching in her bag, and presently took out a very valuable drinking
cup, gold lined and with much engraving on it. The cup had been
presented to Flossie and Freddie on their first birthday, and bore each
of their names. They were very proud of it.

"Now be careful," warned Mrs. Bobbsey, as she held out the cup. "Hold
on to the seats as you walk along."

"I'll carry the cup," said Freddie. "I'm the biggest."

"You are not!" declared his sister quickly. "I'm just as big."

"Well, anyhow, I'm a boy," went on Freddie, and Flossie could not deny
this. "And boys always carries things," her brother went on. "I'll
carry the cup."

"Very well, but be careful of it," said his mother with a smile, as she
handed it to him. The two children went down the aisle of the car.
They stopped for a moment at the seat where Dinah was.

"Is Snoop all right?" asked Freddie, peering into a box that was made
of slats, with spaces between them for air.

"'Deed an' he am, honey," said Dinah with a smile, laughing so that she
shook all over her big, fleshy body.

"I 'specs he's lonesome; aren't you, Snoop?" asked Flossie, poking her
finger in one of the cracks, to caress, as well as she could, a fat,
black cat. The cat, like Dinah the cook, went with the Bobbseys on all
their summer outings.

"Well, maybe he am lonesome," admitted Dinah, with another laugh, "but
he's been real good. He hadn't yowled once--not once!"

"He'll soon be out of his cage; won't you, Snoop?" said Freddie, and
then he and his sister went on to the water cooler. Near it they saw
something else to look at. This was the sight of a very, very fat lady
who occupied nearly all of one seat in the end of the car. She was so
large that only a very little baby could have found room beside her.

"Look--look at her," whispered Flossie to Freddie, as they paused. The
fat woman's back was toward them, and she seemed to be much interested
in looking out of the window.

"She is fat," admitted Freddie. "Did you ever see one so big before?"

"Only in a