ed it.

"Well, what is to be done?" asked Mrs. Bobbsey, as her husband hung up
the receiver.

"I think I'll go with the policeman and see what I can find out about
the gypsies," said Mr. Bobbsey. "If they are going to take things that
do not belong to them they may pay a visit to my lumberyard, if they
have not done so already. I think I'll go out to the gypsy camp."

"Oh, let me come!" begged Bert, always ready for an adventure.

"I wouldn't go--not at night, anyhow," remarked Nan.

"Nor I," added Freddie, while Flossie crept up into her mother's lap.

"Oh, I'm not going until morning," said Mr. Bobbsey. "Then I'll take
you, Bert, if you'd like to go. We'll see if we can find Helen's big,
talking doll."

"She must feel bad at losing it," said Nan.

"She does," said Bert. "Though how any one can get to like a doll, with
such stupid eyes as they have, I can't see."

"They're as good as nasty old knives that cut you, and kite strings that
are always getting tangled," said Nan with a laugh.

"Yes, I guess we like different things," agreed her brother. "Well, I'm
glad it wasn't Flossie or Freddie the gypsies took away with them."

"I wouldn't go!" declared Freddie. "And if they took Flossie, I'd get my
fire engine and squirt water on those men with rings in their ears till
they let my sister go!"

"That's my little fat fireman!" laughed Mr. Bobbsey. "But now I think
you're getting sleepy. Your row on the lake made the sandman come
around earlier than usual I guess. Off to bed with you."

Flossie and Freddie went to bed earlier than Nan and Bert, who were
allowed to sit up a little later. There was much talk about the gypsies,
and what they might have taken, and Nan and Bert were getting ready for
bed when a pattering of bare feet was heard on the stairs, and a voice
called:

"Where's Snoop?"

"Why, it's Flossie and Freddie!" cried Mrs. Bobbsey, as she saw the two
small twins. "Why are you out of bed?" she asked.

"Freddie thought maybe the gypsies would take our cat Snoop," explained
Flossie, "so we got up to tell you to bring him in."

"And bring in Snap, our dog," added Freddie. "The gypsies might take
him, 'cause he does tricks and was once in a circus."

"Oh, don't worry about that!" laughed Mr. Bobbsey. "Get back to bed
before you take cold."

"But you won't let the gypsies take them, will you?" asked Flossie
anxiously.

"No, indeed!" promised her mother. "Snoop is safely curled up in his
bask