"Yes, I'll tell you a little now, and more when the time comes, as I have soon to go down to the police station with Fred's picture. But I'll tell you enough so you can sleep easy," said Mr. Brown with a laugh. Then he sat thinking for a while as to the best way to tell his news.
"In the first place——" began Mr. Brown, only to have Bunny interrupt him with:
"Oh, it starts off just like a story!"
"No," cried Sue. "A story begins: 'Once upon a time.'"
"Well, never mind about that now," said Mr. Brown with a laugh. "Let me get on with what I have to tell you. The first part is that I have to go to a city called Portland, about three hundred miles down the coast. I have to go there on business, but there is no particular hurry. That is, I can take my time on the road. Just what the business is about needn't worry your heads, except that I'm going to look at a big motor boat which I may buy."
"And may I have a ride in it?" cried Bunny.
"I want to ride myself," cried Sue, "and I want to learn how to steer."
"Well, we'll talk that over later," said her father. "Just now I am going to tell you about our auto tour. We are going, as I said, to the city of Portland. It is three hundred miles there, but the roundabout roads we will take may make it longer."
"Can we stop over a day or so here and there?" asked Mrs. Brown.
"Yes, several days, if we like," said her husband. "We are going in the big enclosed auto, in which we went to grandpa's farm."