her head, "I didn't. But the gypsies must have
taken her, 'cause she was gone."

"Oh, please some one go after the gypsies, and make a search among them,
at any rate!" cried Mrs. Porter.

"We'll get right after them," said Mr. Bobbsey. "I don't really believe
the gypsies took Helen, but they may have seen her. They can't have gone
on very far. I'll call some policemen and we'll get after them."

"I'll come with you," said Bert. "Maybe we'd better get an automobile."

"It would be a good idea," said his father. "Let me see now. I
think----"

But before Mr. Bobbsey could say what he thought there was the sound of
shouts in the street, and when those in the Porter home rushed to the
windows and doors they were surprised to see, coming up the front walk,
the missing little girl herself!

There was Helen Porter, not carried off by the gypsies at all, but safe
at home; though something had happened, that was sure, for she was
crying.

"Here she is! Here she is!" cried several in the crowd, and Mrs. Porter
rushed out to hug her little girl close in her arms.

CHAPTER III

WORRIED TWINS

"Oh, Helen! how glad I am to have you back!" cried Mrs. Porter. "How did
you get away from the gypsies? Or did they really have you?"

The little girl stopped crying, and all about her the men, women and
children waited anxiously to hear what she would say.

"Did the gypsies take you away?" asked Mr. Bobbsey.

"No, the gypsies didn't get me," said Helen, her voice now and then
broken by sobs. "But they took Mollie!"

"Took Mollie!" cried Mr. Bobbsey. "Do you mean to say they really did
take a little girl away?"

"They--they took Mollie!" half-sobbed Helen, "and I--I tried to get her
back, but I couldn't run fast enough and--and----"

"Well, if they really have Mollie," went on Mr. Bobbsey, "we must get
right after them and----"

"Mollie is the name of Helen's big doll--almost as large as she is,"
explained Mrs. Porter, who was now smiling through her tears. "Mollie
isn't a little girl, though probably there are several in Lakeport named
that. But the Mollie whom Helen means is a doll."

"Oh, I see," said Mr. Bobbsey. "But did the gypsies really take your
doll, Helen?"

"Yes, they did," answered the little girl. "A bad gypsy man took her
away. I was playing with Mollie in Grace Lavine's yard, and Grace and
Mary went into the house to get some cookies. I stayed out in the yard
with my doll, 'cause I wanted her to