“Have you come here to live?” the strange boy questioned.

“No, only to visit,” explained Freddie.  “My father has to see Mr. Martin.  Do you know Mr. Martin?”

The strange boy shook his head.

“I guess he doesn’t live around here,” he remarked.  “I’ve lived here all my life; but there’s nobody named Martin on this block.  Where did you come from?”

“Offen the auto,” explained Freddie.  “We were riding on the auto with Billy Martin and Nell, and our father and mother and Nan and Bert and—–­ -”

“Say, there are a lot of you!” cried the boy with a laugh.

“It was a big auto,” explained Flossie.  “But the man had to stop and give it some water, so we got down to pet the cat.  It’s a nice cat.”

“Yes, it’s a nice cat all right,” agreed the strange boy, and he came down the steps and began to rub the animal.  “I like cats,” he went on to the children.  “What’s your names?”

“Flossie and Freddie Bobbsey,” answered Freddie.  “What’s yours?”

“Tom Walker,” was the answer.  “I guess I know where you came from.  It’s one of those big, sight-seeing autos.  They often go through this street, but I never saw one stop before.  You’d better look to see that it doesn’t go off and leave you.”

“Oh, the man said we could get down,” returned Freddie.  “And one man is going to stretch his legs.  I’d like to see a man stretch his legs.” he went on.  “I wonder how far he can stretch them?”

“Not very far, I guess,” remarked Tom Walker.  “But I’m glad to see you, anyhow.  I’ve been sick, and I had to stay home from school, but I’m better now, and I’m going back to-morrow.  But I haven’t had any one to play with, and I’m glad you came in—­you and the cat.”

“’Tisn’t our cat!” Flossie hastily explained.

“Oh, I know!” agreed the boy.  “But he came in with you.”

“We thought maybe there were kittens in that box,” and Freddie pointed to the one he had been about to open.

“Oh, that was the place where I used to keep my rabbits,” said Tom.  “I haven’t any now, but maybe I’ll get some more; so I left the little house in the yard.  I like rabbits.”

“So do I!” declared Freddie.

“And their nose goes sniff-snuff so funny!” laughed Flossie.  “Rabbits eat a lot of cabbage,” she said.  “If I had something to eat now I would like it.”

“Say, I can get some cookies!” cried Tom.  “Wait, I’ll go in the house after some.  You wait here!”

“We’ll wait!” said Freddie.

Into the house bounded Tom, and to the cook in the kitchen he called: 

“Oh, please give me some cookies.  There’s a stray cat in our yard and some stray children, and I want to give ’em something to eat, and——­”

“My goodness, boy, how you do rattle on!” cried the cook.  “What do you mean about stray cats and stray children?”

CHAPTER XV