“I want three, too,” echoed Flossie.

“Oh, what funny looking things!” cried Mrs. Bobbsey, as the clerk sent the bugs crawling “around and around.”

“They are very amusing,” said the salesman, “and just the thing for children.  They can play many games with them and keep out of mischief.”

“They’ll have to be pretty good to keep these youngsters out of mischief,” said Mr. Bobbsey, with a smile.  “Yes, Freddie, you may have some bugs, and Flossie also.  How about you, Nan and Bert?”

“I’d rather have that small aeroplane,” said Bert, pointing to one that could be wound up with a rubber band and would fly for some distance.

“And I’d like that work basket,” said Nan.

“Well, we’ll get you all something, and then we must start for our hotel,” said Mr. Bobbsey.  “Come, Freddie, pick out the bugs you want, and don’t run away again.  You might get lost, even if you are only in the railroad station.”

“I couldn’t get lost—­Flossie knew where I was,” said Freddie.  “I sent her back to bring you, so you could pay for my bugs.”

Then the two younger Bobbseys looked over about all the toy tin bugs in the station store, and finally picked out those they wanted, though it took some little time.  Bert’s and Nan’s gifts were wrapped up long before Freddie could make up his mind whether to take a blue bug, striped with green, or a purple one, spotted with yellow, finally making up his mind that the last was best.

Then, after all the baggage had been collected, the family was ready to start for the hotel where they were to stay while in New York.  Mr. Bobbsey wanted to get a taxicab, but Flossie and Freddie had heard of the elevated trains, which ran “in the air,” and they wanted to go in one of them, saying it would be such fun.  So, as it was almost as near one way as it was the other, Mr. Bobbsey consented, and they set off for the elevated railroad.

“Oh, there goes a train!” cried Flossie, as they came in sight of the station, which was high above the street, set on iron pillars, some of which also held up the elevated track.  “Just think, Freddie, we’re going to ride on a high train!” Flossie was quite excited.

“I hope it doesn’t fall,” said Nan.

“They’re made strong on purpose, so they won’t fall,” said Bert.

Flossie and Freddie ran on ahead up the elevated stairs, and just as their father was buying the tickets, to drop in the little box where the “chopper” stood, working up and down a long handle, a train rumbled into the station.

The iron gates of the car platforms were pulled back, several persons hurried off and others hurried on.  Flossie and Freddie, thinking this was the train their parents, Bert and Nan, were going to take, and, being anxious to get seats near the window where they could look out, rushed past the ticket chopper, darted through the open gates and into one of the cars.