or Cousin Tom had been only recently
married to a very pretty girl, named Ruth Robinson. Cousin Tom and his
bride had stopped to pay a visit to Daddy and Mother Bunker when the
young couple were on their honeymoon trip, and then Cousin Tom and his
wife had said that as soon as they were settled in their new seashore
home the Bunkers must come to see them.

"And now we are going," said Mother Bunker, on the morning of the day
they were to leave Aunt Jo's. The last trunk had been locked and sent
away, and the family of travelers was soon to take the train from Boston
to Fall River. There they would get on a boat that would take them to
New York, and from New York they could go on another boat to Atlantic
Highlands, in New Jersey. Then they would take a train down the coast to
Seaview.

"Well, I certainly shall miss you!" said Aunt Jo, as she kissed the big
and little Bunkers good-bye. "And I hope, children, that you find lots
of treasure in the sand."

"We'll dig deep for it," said Laddie. "Did you hear my riddle, Aunt Jo,
about what's so big you can't put it in anything?"

"Yes, dear, I heard it."

"The answer is a _big_ hole," went on Laddie, lest his aunt might have
forgotten.

"I remember," she said with a laugh.

The trip to Fall River was not a very long one, and the six little
Bunkers, who looked out of the windows at the sights they saw, hardly
realized it when they were told it was time to get off the train.

"Where do we go now?" asked Rose, as she helped her mother by carrying a
package in one hand and holding to Margy with the other. Rose was a real
"mother's helper" that day.

"We go on the boat now," said Daddy Bunker. "And I want you children to
be very careful. We are going to ride on the boat all night, and we
shall be in New York in the morning."

"Shall we sleep on the boat?" asked Laddie.

"Yes, we'll have cute little beds to sleep in," said Mother Bunker.

A half hour later they were on one of the big Fall River boats that
make nightly trips between New York and the Massachusetts city. The
Bunkers were shown to their state-rooms. They had three large
apartments, with several bunks, or beds, in each one, so there would be
plenty of room.

They had their supper on the boat, and then they went out on deck in the
evening. There were many sights new and strange to the children, and
they looked eagerly at each one. Then it grew dark, and it was decided
that the time had come for little folk