Part 31 (1/2)

”That's it,” declared Uncle Daniel, ”and each time we scared him off he came back again to finish his meal. But I guess he is through now,” and so saying he took the dead rodent and raising the side window tossed him out.

It was some time before everybody got quieted down again, but finally the rat scare was over and the Bobbseys turned to dreams of the happy summer-time they were enjoying.

When Uncle Dan came up from the postoffice the next morning he brought a note from the fresh-air camp.

”Sandy has to go back!” Nan whispered to Bert. ”His own father in the city has sent for him, but mamma says not to say anything to Sandy or Freddie--they might worry. Aunt Sarah will drive over and bring Sandy, then they can fix it. I'm so sorry he has to go away.”

”So am I,” answered Nan's twin. ”I don't see why they can't let the little fellow alone when he is happy with us.”

”But it's his own father, you know, and something about a rich aunt.

Maybe she is going to adopt Sandy.”

”We ought to adopt him; he's all right with us,” Bert grumbled. ”What did his rich aunt let him cry his eyes out for if she cared anything for him?”

”Maybe she didn't know about him then,” Nan considered. ”I'm sure everybody would have to love Sandy.”

At that Sandy ran along the path with Freddie. He looked like a live b.u.t.tercup, so fresh and bright, his sunny sandy curls blowing in the soft breeze. Mrs. Bobbsey had just called the children to her.

”We are going over to see Mrs. Manily today, Sandy,” she said. ”Won't you be awfully glad to see your own dear Mamma Manily again?”

”Yep,” he faltered, getting a better hold on Freddie's hand, ”but I want to come back here,” he finished.

Poor darling! So many changes of home in his life had made him fear another.

”Oh, I am sure you will come to see us again,” Mrs. Bobbsey declared.

”Maybe you can come to Lakeport when we go home in the fall.”

”No, I'm comin' back here,” he insisted, ”to see Freddie, and auntie, and uncle, and all of them.”

”Well, we must get ready now,” said Mrs. Bobbsey. ”John has gone to bring the wagon.”

Freddie insisted upon going to the camp with Sandy, ”to make sure he would come down again,” he said.

It was only the happiness of seeing Mamma Manily once more that kept Sandy from crying when they told him he was to go on a great big fast train to see his own papa.

”You see,” Mrs. Manily explained to Mrs. Bobbsey, ”a wealthy aunt of Edward's expects to adopt him, so we will have to give him up, I am afraid.”

”I hope you can keep track of him,” answered Mrs. Bobbsey, ”for we are all so attached to him. I think we would have applied to the Aid Society to let him share our home if the other claim had not come first and taken him from us.”

Then Freddie kissed Sandy good-bye. It was not the kind of a caress that girls give, but the two little fellows said good-bye, kissed each other very quickly, then looked down at the ground in a brave effort not to cry.

Mrs. Bobbsey gave Sandy a real mother's love kiss, and he said:

”Oh, I'm comin' beck--to-morrow. I won't stay in the city. I'll just run away and come back.”

So Sandy was gone to another home, and we hope he will grow to be as fine a boy as he has been a loving child.

”How lonely it seems,” said Nan that afternoon. ”Sandy was so jolly.”

Freddie followed John all over the place, and could not find anything worth doing. Even Dinah sniffed a little when she fed the kittens and didn't have ”dat little b.u.t.tercup around to tease dem.”