t tell, and the mother began a
diligent search. The floor-walkers in the big store aided her, but it
was of no avail. Freddie could not be found, and soon it was time to
close up the establishment for the day. Almost frantic with fear, Mrs.
Bobbsey telephoned to her husband, telling him of what had occurred and
asked him what had best be done.

CHAPTER X

LOST AND FOUND

When Freddie woke up all was very, very dark around him. At first he
thought he was at home, and he called out for somebody to pull up the
curtain that he might see.

But nobody answered him, and all he heard was a strange purring, close
to his ear. He put up his hand and touched the little black kitten,
which was lying close to his face. He had tumbled back in the straw and
this had proved a comfortable couch upon which to take a nap.

"Oh, dear me, I'll have to get back to mamma!" he murmured, as he
struggled up and rubbed his eyes. "What can make it so awful dark? They
ought to light the gas. Nobody can buy things when it's so dark as
this."

The darkness did not please him, and he was glad to have the black
kitten for a companion. With the kitten in his arms he arose to his
feet and walked a few steps. Bump! he went into a big box. Then he went
in another direction and stumbled over a barrel.

"Mamma! Mamma!" he cried out. "Mamma, where are you?"

No answer came back to this call, and his own voice sounded so queer to
him that he soon stopped. He hugged the kitten tighter than ever.

He was now greatly frightened and it was all he could do to keep back
the tears. He knew it must be night and that the great store must be
closed up.

"They have all gone home and left me here alone," he thought. "Oh, what
shall I do?"

He knew the night was generally very long and he did not wish to remain
in the big, lonely building until morning.

Still hugging the kitten, he felt his way around until he reached the
big wooden door. The catch came open with ease, and once more he found
himself in that part of the basement used for hardware and large
mechanical toys. But the toy locomotive had ceased to run and all was
very silent. Only a single gas jet flickered overhead, and this cast
fantastic shadows which made the little boy think of ghosts and
hobgoblins. One mechanical toy had a very large head on it, and this
seemed to grin and laugh at him as he looked at it.

"Mamma!" he screamed again. "Oh, mamma, why don't you come?"

He listened