aising chickens without any mother."

"But mine are going to have a mother," Freddie corrected, thinking how
sad little chickens would be without a kind mamma like his own.

"But how can they have a mother where there isn't any for them?"
Flossie asked, with a girl's queer way of reasoning.

"I'll get them one," Freddie protested. "I'll let Snoop be their mamma."

"A cat! the idea! why, he would eat 'em all up," Flossie argued.

"Not if I whipped him once for doing it," the brother insisted. Then
Nan and Bert began to tease him for whipping the kitten after the
chickens had been "all eaten up."

So the merry days went on until at last vacation came!

"Just one more night," Nan told Flossie and Freddie when she prepared
them for bed, to help her very busy mother. Bert assisted his father
with the packing up, for the taking of a whole family to the country
meant lots of clothes, besides some books and just a few toys. Then
there was Bert's tool box--he knew he would need that at Meadow Brook.

The morning came at last, a beautiful bright day, a rare one for
traveling, for a fine shower the evening before had washed and cooled
things off splendidly.

"Now come, children," Mr. Bobbsey told the excited youngsters. "Keep
track of your things. Sam will be ready in a few minutes, and then we
must be off."

Promptly Sam pulled up to the door with the family carriage, and all
hurried to get in.

"Oh, Snoop, Snoop!" cried Freddie. "He's in the library in the box!
Dinah, get him quick, get him!" and Dinah ran back after the little
kitten.

"Here you is, Freddie!" she gasped, out of breath from hurrying. "You
don't go and forget poor Snoopy!" and she climbed in beside Sam.

Then they started.

"Oh, my lan' a-massy!" yelled Dinah presently in distress. "Sam
Johnson, you jest turn dat hoss around quick," and she jerked at the
reins herself. "You heah, Sam? Quick, I tells you. Get back to dat
house. I'se forgot to bring--to bring my lunch basket!"

"Oh, never mind, Dinah," Mrs. Bobbsey interrupted. "We will have lunch
on the train."

"But I couldn't leab dat nice lunch I got ready fo' de chillen in
between, missus," the colored woman urged. "I'll get it quick as a
wink. Now, Sam, you rush in dar quick, and fetch dat red and white
basket dat smells like chicken!"

So the good-natured maid had her way, much to the delight of Bert and
Freddie, who liked nothing so well as one of Dinah's homemade lunches.

The rail