"And I saw a real fire and I pulled the fire bell on the boat an'—an'—an'—everything!"
"Bress yo' heart, honey lamb! I guess yo' did!" laughed Dinah.
"And I got a little doll and my hat blew, off the steeple!" cried Flossie.
"Lan' sakes! Do tell!" cried Dinah.
"And we found Miss Pompret's dishes!" broke in Nan.
"And we're going to get the hundred dollars reward," added Bert. "'Cept, of course, if they aren't the right ones you can have 'em for souvenirs, Dinah."
"Bress yo' heart, honey lamb! Dinah's got all she wants when yo' all come back. Now I go an' git somethin' to eat!"
The children—at least Nan and Bert—were so eager to have Miss Pompret see the two dishes that they hardly ate any of the good things Dinah provided. They wanted to go at once and call on the dear, old-fashioned lady, but their father and mother made them wait.
At last, however, when they had all rested a bit, Mr. Bobbsey took Nan and Bert with
