time ago."

"I guess it was yesterday," said Dot mournfully.

Mother Blossom laughed.

"Poor chickens, you are hungry," she said. "Never mind, I see a nice
little restaurant across the street. Let me find out when the boat
goes, and then we'll have a good, hot lunch."

The Lake Tobago boat, Mother Blossom found out, left in half an hour.
Their train had been late. However, the dock was not far off, and
Mother Blossom was sure they would have time for sandwiches and milk
at least.

All the children were tremendously excited at the thought of going on
a steamer, as not one of them had ever been on a boat. There was no
lake or river near Oak Hill, and the largest body of water the four
little Blossoms had seen was the town reservoir.

"If they have sails, I'm going to roll 'em up and down," Dot
announced, so thrilled at the prospect that she upset her glass of
milk down the front of her frock.

"You'll have to wear it," said Mother Blossom, mopping her as dry as
she could with a napkin. "Perhaps I can put a dry dress on you on the
boat. Now try to eat quietly, dear; we haven't much time."

The shower-bath of milk rather subdued Dot for the moment, and lunch
was finished without further mishap. Then a brief walk through the
pretty little country town brought them to the lake.

"O-oh! Isn't it lovely!" breathed Meg. "Just see how it sparkles in
the sun. Don't you like it, Dot?"

"It's all right," agreed Dot carelessly.

Her quick eyes had spied an old organ grinder and his monkey on the
other side of the dock. She slipped under the rope, where the people
who wanted to take the boat were standing, and ran over to the music.

"We needn't have hurried," said Mother Blossom, coming back to her
little folk. She had been to the office to have the baggage checks
looked after. "The boat is held up for another half hour because of
some engine trouble. Where's Dot?"

Well, where was Dot? Meg had thought her little sister was standing
next to her. The boys were sure she had been just behind them. Where
was Dot?

She stood in the crowd gathered about the organ grinder, a little girl
with shining dark eyes and a milk-splashed frock, watching the clever
bowing and scraping of the small monkey with evident delight. Then a
sudden movement of the people about her startled her. She remembered
that she was supposed to go somewhere with the rest of her family. She
saw people hurrying toward a large automobile with nine or ten