Out of the shop walked the Bobbsey twins and their chums, the Martin children of Washington. And the hearts of Bert and Nan, at least, were beating quickly with excitement and hope. As for Flossie, she was holding her doll, and Freddie was blowing his whistle.
"I'm a regular fire engine now," declared Freddie. "Don't you hear how the engine is blowing the whistle?"
"You'll have everybody looking at you, Freddie Bobbsey!" exclaimed
Flossie. "Nan, do make him stop his noise."
"Oh, let him blow his whistle if he wants to," said Bert. "It isn't hurting anybody."
"I know what I'm going to do when I get home," said Flossie. "I'm going to put a brand new dress on this doll, and give her a new hat, too."
"That will be nice," said Nan.
At that moment they had to cross at a street corner which was much crowded. There was a policeman there to regulate the coming and going of the people and carriages and automobiles, and when he blew his whistle the traffic would go up and down one street, and then when he blew his whistle again it would go up and down the other.
The policeman had just blown on his whistle, and the traffic was going past the Bobbsey twins when Freddie gave a sudden loud blow. Immediately some of the carriages and automobiles going in one direction stopped short and the others commenced to go the other way.
"For gracious sake, Freddie! see what you have done," gasped Bert.
The traffic policeman who stood in the middle of the two streets looked very much surprised. Then he saw it was Freddie who had blown the whistle, and he shook his finger at the little boy in warning.