It was no easy matter for little Flossie to get down into the engine room of the motor boat. The little iron stairway was very steep, and the steps seemed to be very far apart.
“Let me help you, Flossie,” said her mother. “I don’t want you to fall and get yourself dirty.”
“Oh, Mother, it isn’t a bit dirty down here!” the little girl returned. “Why, it’s just as clean as it can be!”
“Still, there may be some oil around.”
“I’ll be very careful. But please let me go down all by myself,” answered the little girl.
She was getting at that age now when she liked to do a great many things for herself. Often when there was a muddy place to cross in the street, instead of taking hold of somebody’s hand Flossie would make a leap across the muddy place by herself.
Knowing how much her little girl was disturbed over the loss of her doll, Mrs. Bobbsey, at this time, allowed her to have her own way. And slowly and carefully the stout little girl lowered herself from one step of the iron ladder to the next until she stood on the floor of the engine room.
“Now, I got down all right, didn’t I?” she remarked triumphantly.
“Yes, my dear, you came down very nicely,” the mother answered.
Down in the engine room a man was oiling the machinery. He looked up as Mrs. Bobbsey and Flossie came down the stairs.