“Oh, yes,” her father told her.  “My business here is nearly finished, and we’ll go back to Lakeport next week.”

“Aren’t we going to buy anything to take home—­souvenirs I mean?” added Bert.  “I promised to bring Sam something.”

“And I want to take Dinah a present!” declared Nan.

“Yes, we must do a little shopping for things like that,” said Mrs. Bobbsey.  “You children will have a chance next week.”

And they talked of that, and the things they would buy, until the automobile stopped at the Martin house, when they all went inside.

After supper, or dinner as it is more often called, the children had fun playing games and looking at picture books, while the older folk talked among themselves.  Mr. and Mrs. Martin were quite interested in hearing of how the Chinese children cried when the fire cracker went off.

“I have never seen any of the ambassadors or the ministers from the Oriental countries wear their native dress,” said Mr. Martin.  “But there is no reason why they shouldn’t.”

“No,” said Mr. Bobbsey, “there isn’t.  If we went to a foreign country we would want to wear the clothes we had always worn at home, and we wouldn’t like to be stared at for doing it, either.”

The evening passed pleasantly, but at last Mrs. Bobbsey noticed that Flossie and Freddie were getting sleepy, so she said they would have to go back to the hotel and to bed.

“And I hope the fire engines don’t wake us up to-night,” said Nan.  “I want to sleep.”

“I do, too,” added her mother.  Nothing happened that night, and in the morning there was enough snow on the ground for the making of a small snow man, at least, and as many snowballs as the children wanted to throw at him.  Flossie and Freddie were warmly dressed, and allowed to play out in a little yard in front of the hotel.  It was rather a treat for Washington children to have as much snow as they now had, and many were out enjoying it.

Flossie and Freddie played as they did at home, and Bert and Nan, with Nell and Billy Martin, who came over, watched the smaller twins.

“Let’s throw snowballs at a target,” said Freddie presently.  “I’m going to play I’m a soldier and shoot the cannon.”

“You haven’t any target, Freddie Bobbsey,” declared Flossie.

“Yes, I have, too!” answered her twin brother.  “Just look here!”

Freddie had espied a small tin can standing in an areaway not far away.  He ran to get this, and then set it up on a near-by iron railing.

“There’s my target!” he exclaimed; and both he and Flossie began to throw snowballs at it and were in high glee when the can tumbled over.

Thus the fun went on for some time.

After lunch Mrs. Bobbsey said: 

“Now, children, if you wish, you may go out and buy some souvenirs.  As long as Nell and Billy are here to go with you, I will not have to go, since they know their way about the streets near our hotel.  I’m going to give you each a certain sum, and you may spend it in any way you like for souvenirs to take home to Sam, Dinah and your other friends.  Now start out and have a good time.”