"You can skip that part of it," suggested Bert. "I don't want to wait
so long about hearing the news."

"Well, I thought I'd tell you everything," said Nan. "Anyhow, when I
was in papa's office he bought it."

"What did he buy?" asked Freddie, getting to the point more quickly
than Bert would have done. "What'd he buy, Nan?"

"A houseboat," went on the older girl twin. Mr. Marvin was there, and
he sold papa the Marvin houseboat. Oh! and such fun as we're--"

"What's a houseboat?" interrupted Flossie.

"It's a boat with a house on it, of course," spoke Bert, eagerly. "I
know. I've seen lots of them. You can live in them just like in a
house, only it's on water. There's more room in a houseboat than in a
regular boat. Go on, Nan."

"Are we going to live in it?" asked Freddie.

"I think so--at least part of the time," said Nan. "Now I'll tell you
all I know about it. I couldn't stay to ask all I wanted to, as papa
was busy. Besides, it was sort of a secret, and I found it out by
accident before he meant me to. So you mustn't tell mamma yet--it's to
be a surprise to her," and Nan looked at the two smaller twins, and
raised a cautioning finger.

"I won't tell," promised Flossie.