“We—now—we didn’t want to bother you, because you always have so much to think about when we go on vacations,” explained Freddie.
“So we just took the kittens,” added his sister.
“Um! Yes! Well, we’ll have to take them right back,” said Mr. Bobbsey. “Perhaps that red-haired boy didn’t know what he was talking about, children, when he said you could have the kittens. They may not have been his to give away, and the farmer or his wife may want them to catch mice in the barn. Yes, we must take the kittens back!”
“Oh, couldn’t we please keep just one?” begged Flossie.
“The little black one that looks like Snoop!” pleaded Freddie.
But both Mr. and Mrs. Bobbsey were firm—the kittens must go back where they came from.
“Though it will delay you to turn about and go to the farm, won’t it?” Mrs. Bobbsey asked her husband.
“A little,” he replied. “But it cannot be helped. However, the roads are good and we can make a little faster time the remainder of the day. I wish we didn’t have to, but I feel that it is the best thing to do—take the kittens back.”
Flossie and Freddie felt a bit sad over this, and even Bert and Nan would have liked one of the pets. But they thought their father and mother knew best.
“Very likely Mr. Watson will have plenty of animals at Cloverbank,” said Mrs. Bobbsey, to console the sorrowing small twins.