CHAPTER IV

AT THE HOUSEBOAT


"Did--did I hurt you, Dinah?" asked Bert, after he had gotten his
breath. "I'm--I'm sorry--but did I hurt you?"

"Hurt me? Hurt me, honey lamb? No indeedy, but I done reckon yo' has
hurt yo'se'f, honey! Look at yo' pore haid!" and she pointed her fat
finger at Bert.

"Why, what's the matter with my head?" he asked, putting up his hand.
He felt something sticky, and when he looked at his fingers, he saw
that they were covered with white stuff.

"Oh, it's the frosting off the cake!" said Nan with a laugh. "You look
something like one of the clowns in the circus, Bert, only you haven't
enough of the white stuff on."

"And look at Dinah!" laughed Freddie. "She's turning white!"

"What's dat, honey lamb? Turnin' white?" gasped the big, colored cook.
"Don't say dat!"

"It's the cake frosting on Dinah, too!" said Mrs. Bobbsey. "Oh, Bert!
why aren't you a little more careful?"

"I'm sorry, mamma," Bert said, as he watched Dinah wipe the frosting