“It will if it works,” replied Bert, more practically. “I made one last year and it didn’t work. Anyhow, this one is going to be better. I’m going to try the paddle wheels now—I’ve got that much done. Want to come and see it work?”
“Yes,” answered Nan eagerly. “I do hope it works, Bert!”
“So do I,” he said.
The brook ran down at the lower end of the kitchen garden of Cloverbank. Along the bank of this stream the Bobbsey twins loved to play. The water was not deep enough, except in a few places, to make it venturesome play, and the children had been told to keep away from these spots.
“But we have to go to one of the deep spots now, to make this paddle wheel work and try my water mill,” Bert said. “The only place where the water tumbles over the rocks enough to turn the paddle is where it’s deep. But we’ll be careful.”
“Yes, we’ll be careful,” agreed Nan. “And Mother won’t mind our going there if it’s to try your mill. For she likes to be cool, and maybe she will like your fan, Bert.”
“Maybe,” he assented. “But I haven’t got the fan part done yet—just the water mill paddle part.”
As Bert and Nan made their way to a little waterfall in the brook, they heard the shouts of Flossie and Freddie, who had gone some time before to sail toy boats.
“They’re having a good time,” remarked Nan.
“It sounds so,” agreed her brother.