"He couldn't hear the barrel break away down to his office," said Russ.
Just then Mrs. Bunker, from within the house, saw her husband approaching. She went out on the porch to meet him.
"Why, Charlie!" she exclaimed, "has anything happened? What is the matter? You look worried!"
"I am worried," said Mr. Bunker. "I've had quite a loss! It's some valuable real estate papers. They are gone from my office, and I came to see if they were on my desk in the house. Hello, children!" he called to the six little Bunkers. But even Mun Bun seemed to know that something was wrong. Daddy Bunker's voice was not at all jolly.
His loss was worrying him, his wife well knew.
CHAPTER III
GRANDMA'S LETTER
While the other children, being too young to understand much about Daddy Bunker's worry, ran down to play in the yard, Russ and Rose stayed on the porch with their father and mother. They heard Mrs. Bunker ask:
"What sort of papers were they you lost?