“I’ll ride in the wagon. I don’t want to go on a horse’s back,” said Flossie.
There were busy times during the next few days, and then came a short but delightful trip to Pine Hill, a little country town where a farmer and his wife took a few boarders during the summer.
The Bobbsey family about filled the place, and there were only two other people as boarders, two old ladies. Mr. and Mrs. Meekin, who kept the boarding house, welcomed the Bobbsey twins, their parents and Baby May.
“Oh, what a sweet child!” exclaimed Mrs. Meekin. “How old is she?”
“I don’t know exactly,” replied Mrs. Bobbsey.
“You don’t?” cried the two old lady boarders, in surprise.
“No. You see May isn’t my child. She is a foundling left on our doorstep,” explained Mrs. Bobbsey. She thought it best to tell the true story of Baby May. If she did not, one of the twins would be sure to do so.
Another reason for giving out the fact about Baby May was that Mrs. Bobbsey wanted all in the house to know about the strange old woman in the faded shawl, so, if by any chance she should appear at Pine Hill, the alarm would be given promptly.
“She is a dear, sweet baby, whoever owns her,” said Miss Himson, one of the old lady boarders.
“Indeed she is!” agreed Miss Jackson, the other old lady boarder.