And that is what had happened this time. Freddie was not in sight.
“Oh, where is that boy?” cried his mother. “I hope he hasn’t crawled down another ventilator pipe!”
“No’m,” answered one of the hotel men. “He hasn’t done that. I saw your little boy run back out of the front door a moment ago. But he’ll be all right. Nothing can happen to him in St. Augustine.”
“Oh, but I must find him!” exclaimed Mrs. Bobbsey. “Dick, Freddie is gone again!” she said to her husband. “We must find him at once!” and she hurried from the hotel.
[CHAPTER X—COUSIN JASPER’S STORY]
Mr. Bobbsey, who had been talking to the clerk of the hotel at the desk, looked toward Mrs. Bobbsey, who was hurrying out the front door.
“Wait a minute!” he called after her. “I’ll come with you!”
“No, you stay with the other children,” she answered. “I’ll find Freddie.”
“But you don’t know your way about St. Augustine,” said Mr. Bobbsey. “You’ve never been here before.”
“Neither have you,” returned his wife with a laugh, for she was not very much alarmed about Freddie—he had slipped away too often before.