If the Bobbseys had walked up inside the monument they would have seen the stones contributed by the different states and territories.  Each state sent on a certain kind of stone when the monument was being built, and these stones are built into the great shaft.

As it happened, there was not a very large crowd visiting the monument the day the Bobbseys were there, so they did not have long to wait for their turn in the elevator.

“This isn’t fast like the Woolworth Building elevators were,” remarked Bert as they felt themselves being hoisted up.

“No,” agreed his father.  “But this does very well.  This is not a business building, and there is no special hurry in getting to the top.”

But at last they reached the end of their journey and stepped out of the elevator cage into a little room.  There were windows on the sides, and from there the children could look out.

“It’s awful high up,” said Nan, as she peeped out.

“Not as high as the Woolworth Building,” stated Bert, who had jotted down the figures in a little book he carried.

Flossie and Freddie had gone around to the other side of the elevator shaft with their mother, to look from the windows nearest the river, and, a moment later, Mr. Bobbsey, Nan and Bert heard a cry of: 

“Oh, Flossie!  Flossie!  Look out!  There it goes!”

CHAPTER XIII

A STRAY CAT

Mr. Bobbsey, who was standing near Bert and Nan, turned quickly as he heard his wife call and ran around to her side.

“What’s the matter?” he called.  “Has Flossie fallen?”

But one look was enough to show him that the two little Bobbsey twins and their mother were all right.  But Flossie was without her hat, and she had been wearing a pretty one with little pink roses on it.

“What happened?” asked Mr. Bobbsey, while one of the men who stay inside the Monument at the top, to see that no accidents happen, came around to inquire if he could be of any help.

“It’s Flossie’s hat,” explained Mrs. Bobbsey.  “She was taking it off, as she said the rubber band hurt her, when a puff of wind came along—–­” “And it just blowed my hat right away!” cried Flossie.  “It just blowed it right out of my hand, and it went out of the window, my hat did!  And now I haven’t any more hat, and I’ll—­I’ll—­an’—­an’—­”

Flossie burst into tears.

“Never mind, little fat fairy!” her father comforted her, as he put his arms around her.  “Daddy will get you another hat.”

“But I want that one!” sobbed Flossie.  “It has such pretty roses on it, an’ I liked ’em, even if they didn’t smell!”

“I guess the little girl’s hat will be all right when you get down on the ground,” said the monument man.  “Many people lose their hats up here, and unless it’s a man’s stiff one, or unless it’s raining or snowing, little harm comes to them.  I guess your little girl’s hat just fluttered to the ground like a bird, and you can pick it up again”