children clapped their hands in joy. Once, some years before, they
had gone to their grandfather's farm in the country, and they remembered
what fun they had had. Now they were older, and they were sure they
would have many more good times.

"Well, well!" cried Daddy Brown, as he saw his wife and the two children
come into his office on the dock. "What brings you all down here? Do you
want some fish, or is Bunny looking for another big lobster claw, so he
can put it on his nose and play Mr. Punch?"

"No, I don't want any lobster claws now, Papa," Bunny said. "But can we
go to grandpa's farm in the country?"

Mr. Brown looked at his wife.

"What has happened now?" he asked. He was almost sure that something had
happened, because Bunny and Sue looked so excited.

"Oh!" cried the little girl, "Bunny went to a fire, and he was upset,
and Splash spilled the water all over Uncle Tad, and we got a letter,
and----"

Sue had to stop. She had talked so fast she was all out of breath.

Mr. Brown laughed.

"What is it all about?" he asked his wife.

Mrs. Brown told him how Bunny had been playing fire engine in his
express wagon, with the dog, and about the upset, when the water was
spilled on Uncle Tad.

"But what we came to see you about, Daddy," she went on, "is this letter
from father." Grandpa Brown was Mr. Brown's father, you see, and Mr.
Brown and his wife always spoke of the children's grandpa as "father."

"Father wants us to bring the children, and spend the Summer on the
farm," went on Mrs. Brown. "I think it would be nice, if we could go."

"Oh, let us, Daddy!" cried Bunny and Sue.

Mr. Brown looked thoughtful.

"Well," he said slowly, "I suppose we could go. I could have the
business here looked after all right, and I guess I need a little rest
myself. Yes, I think we'll go," he said. "It will take me about a week
to get ready. You may write to father that we'll come," he said to Mrs.
Brown. "Was there anything else in his letter?"

"Well, yes," and Mrs. Brown spoke slowly. "It's some bad news----"

"Bad news!" Bunny interrupted. "Can't we go to the farm?"

"It isn't that," Mrs. Brown said quickly. "It's about grandpa's horses.
It seems," she said to her husband, while Bunny and Sue listened with
all their might, "that there was some Gypsies camping near the farm."

"Did the Gypsies--did they take grandpa away?" asked Sue, for she had
often heard of Gypsies taking persons off with them. But, really