THE LAST OF THE GHOST--GOOD-NIGHT
The rescue of the kitten was the main subject of conversation that
evening in the Bobbsey household.
"I never dreamed he would go up with the kite," said Flossie. "After
this we'll have to keep him in the house when Bert and Freddie do their
kite-flying."
Bert had seen Danny Rugg throw the stone at the kitten and was very
angry over it. He had also seen Danny talk to Nan.
"I think he's an awful boy," declared Nan. "And Mr. Roscoe thinks he is
bad, too."
"He had better stop throwing things or he'll get himself into trouble
before long," said Bert.
"It's queer Mr. Ringley never heard about the window," whispered his
twin sister.
"So it is. But it may come out yet," replied the brother.
That evening the Bobbseys had their first strawberry shortcake of the
season. It was a beautiful cake--one of Dinah's best--and the
strawberries were large and luscious.
"Want another piece," said Freddie, smacking his lips. "It's so good,
mamma!"
"Freddie, I think you have had enough," said Mrs. Bobbsey.
"Oh, mamma, just a little piece more!" pleaded Freddie, and received the
piece, much to his satisfaction.
"Strawberries is beautiful," he declared. "I'm going to raise a whole
lot on the farm this summer."
"Oh, mamma, are we going to Uncle Dan's farm this summer?" burst out Nan
eagerly.
"Perhaps, Nan," was the reply. "I expect a letter very shortly."
"Meadow Brook is a dandy place," said Bert. "Such a fine swimming hole
in the brook!"
"Oh, I love the flowers, and the chickens and cows!" said Flossie.
"I like the rides on the loads of hay," said Nan.
The children talked the subject over until it was time to go to bed.
Their Uncle Dan and Aunt Sarah lived at Meadow Brook, and so did their
cousin Harry, a boy a little older than Bert, and one who was full of
fun and very good-natured in the bargain.
Bert went to bed with his head full of plans for the summer. What
glorious times they could have after school closed if they went to their
uncle's farm!
It was a full hour before Bert got to sleep. The room was quite bright,
for the moon was shining in the corner window. The moon made him think
of the ghost he had once seen and he gave a little shudder. He never
wanted to see that ghost again.
Bert had been asleep less than an hour when he awoke with a start. He
felt sure somebody had touched him on the foot. He opened his eyes at
once and looked toward the end of his bed.
_The ghost was standing there!_
At first Bert could scarcely believe that he saw aright. But it was true
and he promptly dove under the covers.
Then he thought of Danny Rugg's cry, "Afraid of a ghost!" and he felt
that he ought to have more courage.
"I'm going to see what that is," he said to himself, and shoved back the
covers once more.
The figure in white had moved toward the corner of the room. It made no
noise and Bert wondered how it would turn next.
"Wonder what will happen if I grab it, or yell?" he asked himself.
With equal silence Bert crawled out of bed. Close at hand stood his
base-ball bat, which he had used a few days before. It made a formidable
club, and he took hold of it with a good deal of satisfaction.
"Want another piece of strawberry shortcake," came to his ears. "Please
give me another piece of strawberry shortcake."
Bert could hardly believe his ears. It was the ghost that was speaking!
It wanted strawberry shortcake!
"Freddie!" he almost shouted. "Freddie, is it you?"
The ghost did not answer, but turned towards the door leading into the
hallway. Bert ran after the figure in white and caught it by the arm.
The ghost was really Freddie, and he was walking in his sleep, with his
eyes tightly closed.
"Well, I declare!" murmured Bert. "Why didn't we think of this before?"
"Please let me have another piece of strawberry shortcake, mamma,"
pleaded the sleep-walker. "Just a tiny little piece."
Bert had heard that it was a bad thing to awaken a sleep-walker too
suddenly, so he took Freddie's arm very gently and walked the little
fellow back to his bedroom and placed him on his bed. Then he shook him
very gently.
"Oh!" cried Freddie. "Oh! Wha--what do you want? Let me sleep! It isn't
time to get up yet."
"Freddie, I want you to wake up," said Bert.
"Who is talking?" came from across the hallway, in Mr. Bobbsey's voice.
"I'm talking, papa," answered Bert. He ran to the doorway of his
parents' bedchamber. "I've just found out who the ghost is," he
continued.
"The ghost?" Mr. Bobbsey leaped up. "Where is it?"
"In bed now. It was Freddie, walking in his sleep. He was asking for
another piece of strawberry shortcake."
By this time the whole household was wide awake.
"Oh, Freddie, was it really you?" cried Nan, going to the little fellow.
"Wasn't walking in my sleep," said Freddie. "Was dreaming 'bout
shortcake, that's all. Want to go to sleep again," and he turned over on
his pillow.
"Let him sleep," said Mrs. Bobbsey. "We'll have to consult the doctor
about this. He will have to have something for his digestion and eat
less before going to bed in the future." And the next day the doctor was
called in and gave Freddie something which broke up the sleep-walking to
a very large extent.
"I am glad you caught Freddie," said Nan, to her twin brother. "If you
hadn't, I should always have believed that we had seen a ghost."
"Glad I don't walk in my sleep," said Flossie. "I might tumble
downstairs and break my nose."
"I shall watch Freddie in the future," said Mrs. Bobbsey, and she did.
When Bert went to school the next day he met Danny Rugg and the tall boy
glared at him very angrily.
"Think you are smart, don't you?" said Danny. "I'm not going to stand
it, Bert Bobbsey."
"Oh, Bert, come along and don't speak to him," whispered Nan, who was
with her twin brother.
"Went and saw Ringley, didn't you?" went on Danny, edging closer.
"Keep away, Danny Rugg," answered Bert. "I want nothing to do with you,
and I haven't been to see Mr. Ringley."
"Yes, you did go and see him," insisted Danny. "Wasn't he to see my
father last night?"
"Did Mr. Ringley come to see your father?" asked Bert curiously.
"Yes, he did. And my father--but never mind that now," broke off the
tall boy. He had been on the point of saying that his father had given
him a severe thrashing. "I'm going to fix you, Bert Bobbsey."
"Don't you dare to strike my brother, Danny Rugg!" put in Nan, stepping
in between them.
How much further the quarrel might have gone, it is impossible to say,
for just then Mr. Tetlow put in an appearance, and Danny sneaked off in
great haste.
When the children came from school they learned that Mrs. Bobbsey had
been down-town, buying some shoes for herself and Flossie.
"Mr. Ringley was telling me about his broken window," said she to her
husband. "He found out that Danny Rugg broke it. Old Mr. Roscoe saw
Danny do it. He didn't know Danny at the time, but he has found out
since who Danny was."
"That Rugg boy is a bad one," answered Mr. Bobbsey. "I suppose Mr.
Ringley made the Ruggs pay for the window."
"Oh, yes, and Mr. Rugg said he was going to correct Danny, too."
The children heard this talk, but said nothing at the time. But later
Nan called Bert out into the garden.
"I see it all," she whispered to her twin brother. "That's why Mr.
Roscoe asked me who Danny was, and that's why he said Danny was such a
bad boy."
"I'm glad in one way that Danny has been found out," answered Bert, "for
that clears me." And he was right, for he never heard of the broken
window again.
The children were still waiting anxiously for a letter from their Uncle
Dan or their Aunt Sarah. At last a letter came and they listened to it
with great delight.
"Oh, what do you think?" cried Nan, dancing up to Bert. "We are to go to
Meadow Brook as soon as vacation begins!"
"Good!" shouted Bert, throwing his cap into the air. "Won't we have the
best times ever was!" And this proved to be a fact. What happened to
the Bobbsey twins at Meadow Brook will be told in another book, which I
shall call, "The Bobbsey Twins in the Country." The country is a lovely
place, especially in the summer time, and all of my young readers can
rest assured that the twins enjoyed themselves at Meadow Brook to the
utmost.
"I'll be so glad to see Cousin Harry again," said Bert.
"And I'll be glad to see Aunt Sarah," piped in Freddie. "She makes such
_beau_tiful pies!"
"Think of the lovely big barn," put in Flossie. "It's just like a--a
palace to play in on wet days!"
"Oh, Flossie, to compare a barn to a palace!" exclaimed Nan. "But it is
a nice place after all," she added, after a moment's thought.
That evening, to celebrate the good news, the twins gave a little party
to half a dozen of their most intimate friends. There were music and
singing, and all sorts of games, and a magic-lantern exhibition by one
of the boys. All enjoyed it greatly and voted the little party a great
success.
"Good-night! Good-night!" said the young folks to each other, when the
party broke up. And here let us say good-night, too, for my little story
has reached its end.
THE END
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Transcriber's Notes:
Punctuation normalized.
Page 36, V added to CHAPTER V.
Page 204, advertisement for The Deep Sea Series, "area" changed
to "are a." (they are a recreation)