laymates for Ted and Janet, Uncle Toby?"

"Of course I do! Let Tom and Lola come!"

"I'll go tell them!" offered Ted.

"I'll come, too," added Jan.

Trouble wanted to follow, but as it was dark now, being after supper,
his mother decided the best place for him was in bed. And there he was
taken, after he had fallen asleep in Uncle Toby's arms.

"But what is this about some other children that are going to be at your
cabin?" asked Mrs. Martin, while Ted and Janet were still over at the
Taylor home.

"I'm going to take charge of two little Fresh Air children," explained
Uncle Toby. "You know I give money to some of the big societies in the
city, and these societies send out children to the country in the
summer. It isn't usual to send them out in the winter, but this is a
special case.

"Their mother, whom I knew when she was a girl, has to go to the
hospital for an operation, and she has no one with whom she can leave
Harry and Mary. So I agreed to take charge of them this winter, as their
mother may have to stay in the hospital a long time to get well and
strong."

"Where is their father--dead?" asked Mr. Martin.

"I'm afraid he is," answered Uncle Toby. "And yet it isn't known for
sure."

"What do you mean?" asked Mother Martin.

"You see it's this way," Uncle Toby explained. "Their father, Frank
Benton, went to the big war. He was heard of for a time and then all
trace of him was lost. I suppose he was killed in some battle and never
found until after the fighting was over. Anyhow his two children, who
are about as old as Ted and Janet, were left with their mother. She took
care of them as well as she could until she became ill.

"One of the Fresh Air Society ladies heard about their sad case and she
wrote to me. I said I'd keep the children all winter. And now when your
Curlytops come out with their friends Tom and Lola they'll find other
playmates, and I hope they'll all get along well together."

"I think they will," said Mr. Martin. "It is very kind of you to do
this."

"Oh, I like it!" declared Uncle Toby. "I like children and animals. The
more the merrier. And now let's plan how soon the children can come back
with me."

Ted and Jan returned a little later with word that Tom and Lola could
make the trip, and the next few days were busily spent in getting ready.
Mr. and Mrs. Martin made arrangements to go on their trip, to try to
save the money that Daddy Martin was in danger of losing.

Exc