“Leave us at home? I guess not!” cried Bunny. “I wouldn’t stay!”
“And if Bunny doesn’t stay at home I’m not going to stay!” announced Sue, almost ready to cry.
“There, now, don’t get excited,” laughed Mr. Brown. “No one is going to be left at home.”
“And are we really going on the ocean?” asked Bunny.
“To get to the West Indies down near Cuba we must go on the ocean,” answered Mr. Brown. “But though the ocean may roll a bit, it will not be very rough, if that’s what you’re thinking of.”
“Tell me more about it,” begged Mrs. Brown, while the children listened.
“Well, it isn’t all settled yet,” Mr. Brown replied. “But, as you know, I sell some of my fish to the Empire Sea Food Company of Philadelphia. One of their men was in to see me the other day and told of an especial trip one of their steamers was going to make to the West Indies. They are to look up new places from which they may have southern fish shipped to them. This man said there would be plenty of room on the Beacon, which is the name of the steamer. She isn’t going to carry regular passengers, just the crew, some members of the fish company, and some of the wives of the officers of the company.
“So, as he offered me the use of two staterooms, which will be just enough for us, I thought perhaps you and the children might like to go. I can leave my head clerk and Bunker Blue in charge of my business here, and Uncle Tad can look after the house. So there is no reason why we can’t all go on the rolling ocean.”
“I think I should love it,” said Mrs. Brown.
“Are we going to-morrow?” Sue wanted to know. “’Cause if we are, I’ve got to put a new dress on my doll.”