The President
Really it was nothing new for one of the Bobbsey twins to become
lost--especially the younger set, Flossie and Freddie. Some years before,
when they were younger, it had often happened to Nan and Bert, but they
were now old enough, and large enough, to look after themselves pretty
well. But Flossie or Freddie, and sometimes both of them, were often
missing, especially when the family went to some new place where there
were strange objects to see, as was now the case in the Congressional
Library.
"Where do you suppose Flossie could have gone?" asked Mrs. Bobbsey, as
she glanced around the big rotunda in which they stood with some other
visitors who had come to the city of Washington.
"I'll have to ask some of the men who are in charge of this building,"
replied Daddy Bobbsey. "Are you sure you saw Flossie go up those stairs,
Freddie?" he asked the little fireman.
"Well, she maybe went up, or she maybe went down," answered the boy. "I
was lookin' at the pishures on the wall, and Flossie was by me. And
then--well, she wasn't by me," he added, as if that explained it all.
"But I saw a little girl go up the stairs and I thought maybe it was
Flossie."
"But why didn't you tell mother, dear?" asked Mrs. Bobbsey. "If you had
called to me when you saw Flossie going away I could have brought her
back before she got lost. Why didn't you tell me that Flossie was going
away?"
"'Cause," answered Freddie.
"Because why?" his father wanted to know.
"'Cause I thought maybe Flossie wanted to slide down a banister of the
stairs and maybe you wouldn't let her, and I wanted to see if she could
slide down and then I could slide down too!"
"Well, that's a funny excuse!" exclaimed Mr. Bobbsey. "I don't believe
Flossie would slide down any banister here. But she has certainly
wandered away, and we'll have to find her. You stay here with the
children, so I'll know where to find you," Mr. Bobbsey said to his wife.
"I'll go to look for Flossie."
"I want to come!" exclaimed Nan.
"No, you had better stay with mother," her father told her. "But I will
take Bert along. He can take a message for me in case I have to send
one. Come along!" he called to Nan's brother.
"All right, Daddy," answered Bert.
Up the big stone stairs went Daddy Bobbsey and Bert. Mrs. Bobbsey, with
a worried look on her face, remained in the big rotunda with Nan and
Freddie. The two children were worried too.
"Do you s'pose Flossie is hurt?" asked Nan.
"Oh, no, I don't believe so," and Mrs. Bobbsey tried to speak easily.
"She has just gone into some room, or down some long hall, and lost her
way, I think. You see there are so many rooms and halls in this building
that it would be easy for even daddy or me to be lost. But your father
will soon find Flossie and bring her back to us."
"But if they don't find her, Mamma?"
"Oh, they'll be sure to do that, Nan. There is nobody around this
building who would hurt our little Flossie."
"What an awful big building it is," remarked Nan. "And just think of the
thousands and thousands of books! Why, I didn't know there were so many
books in the whole world! Mamma, do you suppose any of the people down
here read all these books?"
"Hardly, Nan. They wouldn't have time enough to do that."
And now we shall see what happens to Mr. Bobbsey and Bert. Flossie's
father decided to try upstairs first, as Freddie seemed to think that
was the way his little sister had gone.
"Of course, he isn't very sure about it," said Mr. Bobbsey to Bert; "but
we may as well start one way as the other. If she isn't upstairs she
must be down. Now we'll look around and ask questions."
They did this, inquiring of every one they met whether a little blue-eyed
and flaxen-haired child had been seen wandering about. Some whom
Mr. Bobbsey questioned were visitors, like himself, and others were men
who worked in the big library. But, for a time, one and all gave the
same answer; they had not seen Flossie.
Along the halls and into the different rooms went Mr. Bobbsey and Bert.
But no Flossie could they find until, at last, they approached a very
large room where a man with very white hair sat at a desk. The door of
this room was open, and there were many books in cases around the walls.
"Excuse me," said Mr. Bobbsey to the elderly gentleman who looked up
with a smile as Flossie's father and Bert entered the room. "Excuse me
for disturbing you; but have you seen anything of a little girl--"
"Did she have blue eyes?" asked the old man.
"Yes!" eagerly answered Mr. Bobbsey.
"And did she have light hair?"
"Oh, yes! Have you seen her?"
Softly the man arose from his desk and tiptoed over to a folding screen.
He moved this to one side, and there, on a leather couch and covered by
an office coat, was Flossie Bobbsey, fast asleep.
"Oh! Oh!" exclaimed Bert.
"Hush!" said the old man softly. "Don't awaken her. When she arouses
I'll tell you how she came in here. It's quite a joke!"
"You stay here, Bert," said Mr. Bobbsey to his son, "and I'll go and get
your mother, Nan and Freddie. I want them to see how cute Flossie looks.
They'll be glad to know we have found her."
So while Bert sat in a chair in the old man's office Mr. Bobbsey hurried
to tell his wife and the others the good news. And soon Mrs. Bobbsey and
the rest of the children were peeping at Flossie as she lay asleep.
And then, suddenly, as they were all looking down at her, the little
girl opened her eyes. She saw her mother and father; she saw Nan and
Bert and Freddie; and then she looked at the kind old man with the white
hair.
"Did you find a story book for me?" were the first words Flossie said.
"Well, I'm afraid not, my dear," was the old man's answer. "We don't
have story books for little girls up here, though there may be some
downstairs."
"Is that what she came in here for--a story book?" asked Mr. Bobbsey.
"I believe it was," answered the old man, with a smile. "I was busy at
my desk when I heard the patter of little feet and a little girl's voice
asking me for a story book. I looked around, and there stood your little
one. I guessed, at once, that she must have wandered away from some
visitors in the library, so I gave her a cake I happened to have in my
lunch box, and got her to lie down on the sofa, as I saw she was tired.
Then she fell asleep, and I covered her up and put the screen around
her. I knew some one would come for her."
"Thank you, so much!" exclaimed Mrs. Bobbsey. "But, Flossie, how did you
happen to come up here?"
"Oh, I wanted a story book," explained the little girl, as she sat up.
"We have story books in our library, an' there ought to be story books
here. I looked in this room an' I saw a lot of books, so I did ask for
one with a story in it. I like a story about pigs an' bears an'--an'
everything!" finished Flossie.
"Well, I wish I had that kind of story book for you, but I haven't!"
laughed the old man.
"All my books are very dull, indeed, for children, though when you grow
up you may like to read them," and he waved his hand at the many books
in the room.
So Flossie was lost and found again. The old man was one of the
librarians, and he had taken good care of the little girl until her
family came for her. After thanking him, Mr. and Mrs. Bobbsey led their
twins downstairs and Mr. Bobbsey said:
"Well, I think we have seen enough of the library for a time. We had
better go and see the Martins."
"Oh, yes!" cried Bert. "Billy said he'd take me to see the President."
"And I want to go, too!" added Nan.
"We'll see!" half promised her mother.
In an automobile the Bobbsey family rode to where the Martin family
lived. And you can well believe that Billy and Nell were glad to see the
Bobbsey twins once more. Mrs. Martin welcomed Mrs. Bobbsey, and soon
there was a happy reunion. Mr. Martin was at his office, and Mr. Bobbsey
said he would go down there to see him.
"Then couldn't we go out and see the President while mother stays here
and visits with Mrs. Martin?" asked Nan. "Nell and Billy will go with
us."
"I think they might go," said Mrs. Martin. "Billy and Nell know their
way to the White House very well, as they often go. It isn't far from
here."
"Well, I suppose they may go," said Mrs. Bobbsey slowly.
"And I want to go, too!" exclaimed Freddie. "I want to see the dent."
"It isn't a DENT--it's PRESIDENT--the head of the United States!"
explained Bert. "Our teacher told us about him, and she said if ever I
came to Washington I ought to see the President."
"I want to see him too," cried Flossie.
"Let all the children go!" said Mrs. Martin. "I'll send one of my maids
to walk along with them to make sure that they keep together. It is a
nice day, and they may catch a glimpse of the President. He often goes
for a drive from the White House around Washington about this time."
"Well, I suppose it will be a little treat for them," said Mrs. Bobbsey.
"Oh, goodie!" shouted Freddie.
So, a little later, the Bobbsey twins, with Nell and Billy Martin and
one of the Martin maids, were walking toward the White House.
"There it is!" exclaimed Billy to Bert, as they turned the corner and
came within view of the Executive Mansion, as it is often called.
"Oh, it IS white!" cried Nan.
"Just like the pictures!" added Bert.
"It's got a big iron fence around," observed Freddie. "Is that so the
President can't get out?"
"No, I guess it's so no unwanted people can get in," answered Nell.
The children and the maid walked down the street and looked through the
iron fence into the big grounds, green even now though it was early
winter. And in the midst of a great lawn stood the White House--the home
of the President of the United States.
Suddenly two big iron gates were swung open. Several policemen began
walking toward them from the lawn and some from the street outside.
"What's the matter?" asked Bert. "Is there a fire?"
"The President is coming out in his carriage," said Billy. "If we stand
here we can see him! Look! Here comes the President!"