“Yes, of course.  I wonder if it could have been Mr. Blipper or that lad who called himself Bob Guess?”

“Who are they?” the officer asked.

“Mr. Blipper is a man who owns a merry-go-round he takes to fairs and circuses.  He passed the picnic grounds where we were to-day.  He’s on his way to the Bolton County Fair.  He had with him a boy named Bob Guess—­called that because the lad is an orphan and they had to ‘guess’ at his name.  Soon after this Blipper and his outfit left, I missed my coat, and, coming home, we found the lap robe gone.  I was going to ride after him, but we had a little excitement here, and I haven’t had a chance.  Then you came along and——­”

The sound of steps was heard on the side porch, and in came Sam, quite excited.

“’Scuse me!” he murmured, as he entered.  “Oh, de p’liceman done come!” he exclaimed.  “He’s heah!  I’m glad!”

“Did you expect him?” asked Mr. Bobbsey.

“Yes, sah, Mr. Bobbsey, I did!  When de lap robe was gone I t’ought maybe you t’ink I might ‘a’ been careless like, an’ let some chicken t’ieves in.  So I telephoned fo’ a p’liceman to come an’ see if he could cotch de burglar!”

“Oh, Sam, you didn’t need to do that!” exclaimed Mrs. Bobbsey.  “We know it wasn’t your fault that the lap robe was taken, any more than it was that Mr. Bobbsey’s coat was stolen.”

“Of course not!” echoed her husband.

“Well, I t’ought better we have a p’liceman,” murmured Sam.

“I don’t know what there is for him to do,” said Mr. Bobbsey.  “As nearly as I can figure it out, my coat was stolen at the picnic grounds and the lap robe was taken about the same time.”

“It was,” agreed Mrs. Bobbsey.  “And I think that Blipper—­or perhaps Bob Guess—­had something to do with both thefts.”

“It might be,” replied the officer.  “Those traveling show people aren’t very careful, sometimes.  I’ll report back to the chief and see what he says.  If we get sight of this merry-go-round crowd, Mr. Bobbsey, we’ll stop them and ask them about your coat and the robe.”

“Thank you, I wish you would.  But I don’t imagine you’ll see them.  They are on their way to Bolton, and we shall be there ourselves next week, so we can make some inquiries.”

Officer Murphy left, finding there was nothing he could do.  Flossie and Freddie were carried up to bed, and Nan danced about the room, singing: 

“We’re going to the fair!  We’re going to the fair!  We’re going to the Bolton County Fair!”

And Bert echoed: 

“Maybe we’ll find daddy’s coat when we get there!”

Then, tired but happy over their fun at the picnic and too sleepy to worry much over the lost articles, the Bobbsey twins at last went to bed.

As their parents had said, school would not open as early that fall as in other years, because some rebuilding work was being done in a few of the rooms.  So there was time to go to Meadow Brook, and from there to visit Bolton, a few miles away, where the big fair was being held.