mal crouched under the piano and began pulling off the red
cherries. But one bite told him they were not real, and then, perhaps
frightened at what he had done and fearing he would be punished, the
monkey tried to run away.

But he was held by the string on his collar, and the Italian, perhaps
afraid that he would be made to pay for Flossie's hat, which his monkey
had torn to pieces, pulled Jacko to him, perched him on his shoulder and
hurried away, wheeling the street piano.

"Oh, Freddie! Freddie! What shall I do?" cried Flossie, as she looked at
her sadly torn hat.

"It's a shame," said a woman in the crowd.

"You'll need a new hat, little girl," said another woman.

That gave Freddie an idea. If his sister needed a new hat he was the one
to help her get it. He looked up and down the street. Across the way was a
large drygoods store, in one of the windows of which were many hats and
other things for girls and ladies to wear.

"Come on, Flossie!" cried Freddie, clasping her hand. "I'll take you
there."

"Where?" she asked. Tears had come into her eyes when the monkey tore her
nice, new hat. But she did not really cry. "Where are you going to take
me, Freddie?" she asked.

"Over to that big store; and we'll buy a new hat for you," said the little
fellow. "Then we'll go back to the station and wait for Daddy and the
rest. Come on. I'll get you a new hat."

Flossie wondered how Freddie was going to do it, but she did not ask.
Leaving the torn hat in the street, she went with her brother. He led the
way into the big store, which, though it was not one of the large ones of
New York, was much bigger than any in Lakeport.

"Well, little ones, what can I do for you?" asked one of the tall men in
the store, as Flossie and Freddie strolled in. "Are you with your
parents?"

"No, sir, we're all alone," spoke up Freddie. "We were lost on an express
train, but we're waiting for my father and mother and Bert and Nan. But a
monkey chewed up Flossie's hat and I want a new one for her. You sell
hats, don't you?"

CHAPTER X

LOST UNDERGROUND

Flossie and Freddie looked up at the tall man, who smiled kindly down at
them. He seemed to be laughing at something, though whether it was
Flossie's flaxen hair, now rather tangled because the monkey had pulled
off her hat, or because Freddie looked so funny asking his question, the
children could not tell.

"So you want a hat for the little girl?" asked the floorwalker