Six Little Bunkers at Aunt Jos | Page 8

you must take it!" insisted Rose's father. "You had a hard
ride to bring the doll back to us, and you saved us a long walk to look
for her. Take the money and get yourself something with it."
"All right. Thank you," said the boy, blushing a little under his tan. "I'll
get me a new knife. I want a knife a lot. My old one's no good."
Then the boy told of having seen the doll bounce out of the automobile
as it went past his house. He had called, but the machine made such a
noise, and the six little Bunkers were probably talking so much, that no
one heard the lad.

So he picked up Sue from the road and hurried on after the car.
"And I never want to lose you again," said Rose, as she hugged her doll
close in her arms.
Mr. Bunker and Mr. Mead got back into the auto, and they set off again,
Rose and the children waving good-bye to the boy, who stood near his
bicycle, looking at the silver quarter in his hand.
"Why'd you give the boy a quarter, Daddy?" asked Vi. But that was one
question too many from Vi, and her father did not explain.
A little later the Bunkers reached the railroad station, without losing
anything more, and they were soon on their way to take the boat for
Boston.
They had had much fun in Maine, at Lake Sagatook, but just as good
times were ahead of them, they all felt.
It was evening when they went aboard the big steamer that was to take
them to Boston. The children were rather tired from the day's journey
in automobile and train.
"I guess we'll all be glad to get into our little beds," said Mother Bunker,
as they went to their staterooms, there being two, one next to the other.
"Now let me count noses, to make sure you're all here," she went on.
"Russ, Rose, Laddie, Vi, Mun Bun--Where is Margy?" she suddenly
cried, as she missed the little girl. "Margy isn't here! Where is she?"
It was true. Margy wasn't with the other little Bunkers. There were only
five in sight!
CHAPTER IV
IN BOSTON
Daddy Bunker and Mother Bunker were used to having things happen
to the six little Bunkers. Not that they liked to have things happen--that

is, unpleasant things--but the father and the mother knew they could not
travel around with half a dozen children and not find a bit of trouble
now and then.
And now trouble had come! Margy was not to be found!
"I'm sure she came on the boat with us," said Daddy Bunker.
"Yes, I know that," said his wife, as she looked quickly around the deck.
"I saw her with the rest not a minute ago."
"Then where can she have gone?" asked Mr. Bunker. "As the steamer
has not moved away from the dock, maybe she ran back to shore to get
something, or look at something."
"Why'd Margy go away?" asked Vi.
"Margy is too little to go off by herself," said Mrs. Bunker.
"Do you mean some one took her--maybe a gypsy?" asked Russ.
"Oh, dear!" exclaimed Rose. "Are there gypsies here?"
"Nonsense! Of course not!" answered Mr. Bunker, seeing that what
Russ had said might frighten the children. "No one has taken Margy.
Maybe she is just playing hide-and-go-seek!"
Mr. Bunker didn't really believe Margy was doing this, but he said it to
make the children feel better.
"You take the children down to the stateroom," said Mr. Bunker to his
wife, "and I'll look for Margy. I'll find her in a jiffy, which is very
quick time, indeed," he told the children. "Run along now, Mun Bun,
and you too, Vi and Laddie. Rose, you go with your mother and help
take care of Mun Bun."
"Shall I come with you, Daddy?" asked Russ.
"Yes," answered Mr. Bunker, "you may come with me, Russ. You can

run faster than I can, and if we find Margy playing tag with some of the
other little boys and girls on the steamer you can catch her more easily
than I can."
Mr. Bunker said this for fun. He didn't really think Margy was playing
tag. But he had to say something so the others would not be frightened.
And, to tell the truth, Mr. Bunker was a little bit frightened himself, and
so was his wife.
"Where do you suppose Margy can be?" Mrs. Bunker asked her
husband, as she started down the stairs for the staterooms, or bedrooms,
where they were to spend the night.
"Oh, she's around somewhere," he answered. "She may be watching the
men load the steamer." Boxes and barrels were still being put into the
hold, or