"What do you s'pose he wants?" asked Russ.

"Maybe he heard the barrel break and came up to see about it," suggested
Laddie.

"He couldn't hear the barrel break away down to his office," said Russ.

Just then Mrs. Bunker, from within the house, saw her husband approaching.
She went out on the porch to meet him.

"Why, Charlie!" she exclaimed, "has anything happened? What is the matter?
You look worried!"

"I am worried," said Mr. Bunker. "I've had quite a loss! It's some
valuable real estate papers. They are gone from my office, and I came to
see if they were on my desk in the house. Hello, children!" he called to
the six little Bunkers. But even Mun Bun seemed to know that something was
wrong. Daddy Bunker's voice was not at all jolly.

His loss was worrying him, his wife well knew.




CHAPTER III

GRANDMA'S LETTER