"But you said the man would bounce you. Rubber balls bounce," explained
Vi.

At that the bellboy went away laughing very heartily, but Vi could not
understand why. And, of course, as usual, nobody could explain it to
Vi's satisfaction.

"I know a riddle!" cried Laddie, after a moment. "What looks like a boy,
but bounces like a rubber ball? Why! A bellboy!"

And he was highly delighted at this and went around telling everybody
his new riddle.

In the morning Mr. Frane Armatage appeared at the hotel and was shown up
to the Bunker rooms. Mr. Armatage, as the little Bunkers knew, was an
old school friend of Daddy Bunker's; but one whom he had not seen for a
long time.

"Why," said Mr. Armatage, who was a slender man with graying hair and a
darker mustache, "Charley was only a boy when I last saw him." He was a
very jovial man, and red-faced. Rose thought him handsome, and told
Mother Bunker so. "No, Charley was only a sapling then. And look at him
now!"

"And look at the sprouts that have sprung from that sapling," laughed
Daddy Bunker, with a sweeping gesture towards the six little Bunkers.

"Was he only as big as I am?" Russ asked.