ell
about the two little lost children who came into his department store
after a street-piano monkey had spoiled a little girl's hat.

"And to think _you_ two are those same children!" cried Mrs. Whipple. "It
is quite remarkable, and New York such a big place as it is. I must tell
my husband. He's Laddie's uncle, you know."

"I've got another uncle, too, but we don't know where he is," went on
Laddie.

"Is he lost at sea?" asked Freddie. "If he is, I know how to find him.
Just ask Tommy Todd's father. He was shipwrecked, and me and Flossie found
him in a snow storm."

"You must tell me about that some time," said Mrs. Whipple. "But Laddie's
other uncle isn't lost at sea, so far as we know. It's too sad a story to
tell to children. But Mr. Whipple has a brother, who is also a brother to
Laddie's mother, but this brother has long been lost."

"How'd he get lost?" asked Freddie. "Did he go to the store and couldn't
find his way back?"

"No, my child. It was different from that. I'll tell you, perhaps, another
time. Go on with your play now."

So Laddie, Freddie and Flossie went back to their "store," and had lots of
fun. Then they played other games, using Freddie's fire engine and
Laddie's train of cars, and even Flossie's doll, who rode as a passenger.

"Well, what'll we do next?" asked Freddie, when he and Laddie had taken
turns squirting water from the fire engine in the bath room.

"Let's play automobile," said Laddie. "I can get----"

He stopped talking and seemed to be listening.

"What's the matter?" asked Flossie, as Laddie hurried to a window that
looked down into a side street.

"It's a fire!" cried Laddie. "I can hear the puffers! Come on! It's right
down this side street!"

Flossie and Freddie looked out of the window long enough to see a crowd of
people in front of a store not far from the hotel, which was on a corner.
And in the street, which was a side one, as Laddie had said, were a number
of fire engines.

"Let's go down!" cried Freddie, all excited at what he saw.

"Oh, you mustn't!" gasped Flossie.

"Course we can," declared Laddie. "My aunt always lets me look at a fire
when it's near here, and this is awful close. Maybe this hotel will burn
down."

"Oh-o-o-o!" cried Flossie. "Where's my doll?" And she ran to get her pet.

"Come on, we'll go!" said Freddie to Laddie. "Girls don't like fires, but
we boys do."

"Sure," said Laddie. "We'll go, all right. My aunt's looking out the