.

"Oh, my goodness! What'll your ma say?" cried Nora, as Uncle Toby rushed
the boys into the cozy kitchen.

"Get upstairs and bring them down some dry clothes. Let them undress and
dress here by the fire. The water won't hurt the kitchen floor," said
Uncle Toby.

In a little while Tom was again attired in his own suit, which was now
dry, and Ted had on an extra one of his own, while the wet garments were
taken down cellar to be hung near the furnace.

"I guess you boys had better stay in the house the rest of the day,"
said Mrs. Martin, when she had greeted Uncle Toby and had heard what
had happened.

"I have to go home," said Tom. "Thank you for drying my clothes, and I'm
sorry I got Ted's wet," he added.

"Well, be careful," cautioned Mrs. Martin, as Ted's playmate left,
promising to run all the way so he would not get a chill. But the day
was quite warm now, all the ice having been melted from the toboggan
slide, and even the water on it drying up.

"Well, what kindly fortune brings you here, Uncle Toby?" asked Mrs.
Martin, as soon as she could sit down for a chat.

"Oh, I came to ask a favor," went on the old gentleman, who had traveled
in many parts of the world and who had collected quite a few strange
pets, some of which he still kept at his home in Pocono. "But you look
worried, Ruth," he went on. "Has anything happened? Don't worry about
those boys. They won't take cold from a little dipping, even if the
weather is getting a bit frosty."

"I wasn't worrying about them," said Mother Martin, with a smile. "But
we have had some other troubles. Dick has had word that he is likely to
lose a lot of money, and he and I will have to take a trip to see about
some property. We'll have to go right away, or within a day or so, and
what to do about the children I don't know. We can't very well take them
with us. I was just thinking we might get some of our relations to come
and stay here while we're gone. Then you drop in. Have you come to tell
me that you are coming to pay a visit? I'd leave my Curlytops and
William with you and know they were safe."

"And I'd ask nothing better than to look after them," said Uncle Toby,
with a smile. "But I didn't come to tell you I was coming here. Instead
I came to invite you to my place in the country. I have a large cottage,
or camp, as you know, at Crystal Lake, just outside Pocono. I'm going to
have a sort of holiday party out there this winter, and I want you and
the