off her face with her apron. "I didn't know she was coming through the
door then."

"And I shore didn't see yo', honey lamb," went on the cook. "Land ob
massy! Look at mah cake!" she cried, as she gazed at the mass in her
lap. "All de frostin' am done slid off it!"

"Yes, you're a regular wedding cake yourself, Dinah," said Mr.
Bobbsey, who had come in to see what all the noise meant. "Well, this
seems to be a day of excitement. I'm glad it was no worse, though.
Better go up stairs and wash, Bert."

"The cake itself isn't spoiled," said Mrs. Bobbsey, lifting it from
Dinah's lap, so the colored cook could get up. It was no easy work for
her to do this, as she was so fat. But at last, after many groanings
and gruntings, she rose to her feet, and took the cake from Mrs.
Bobbsey.

"I'll put some mo' frostin' on it right away, ma'am," she said. "An' I
hopes nobody else runs inter me," she went on with a laugh. "I shuah
did feel skeered dat Bert was hurt bad."

They could all laugh at the happening now, and after Mr. Bobbsey had
told a little more about the new houseboat, he went back to the
office.

"Come on, Flossie," suggested Freddie. "Now you've found the book
straps, we can hitch Snap to the express wagon. Where'd you find 'em?"

"The straps were on our books, under the hall rack," said Flossie.