olice and
the town had been searched thoroughly for some trace of the missing boy.

"Perhaps they have stolen Freddie away!" said Nan, with the tears
starting to her eyes. "Some gypsies were in town, telling fortunes. I
heard one of the girls at school tell about it."

"Oh, the bad gypsies!" cried Flossie, and gave a shudder. The idea that
Freddie might have been carried off by the gypsies was truly terrifying.

Mr. Bobbsey had been out a dozen times to the police headquarters and to
the lake front. A report had come in that a boy looking like Freddie had
been seen on the ice early in the evening, and he did not know but what
the little fellow might have wandered in that direction.

When the telephone bell rang Mr. Bobbsey had just come in from another
fruitless search. Both he and his wife ran to the telephone.

"Hullo!" came over the wire. "Is this Mr. Bobbsey's house?"

"It is," answered the gentleman quickly. "What do you want? Have you any
news?"

"I've found your little boy, sir," came back the reply. "He is safe and
sound with me."

"And who are you?"

"The night watchman at the department store. He went to sleep here,
that's all."

At this news all were overjoyed.

"Let me speak to him," said Mrs. Bobbsey eagerly. "Freddie dear, are you
there?" she asked.

"Yes, mamma," answered Freddie, into the telephone. "And I want to come
home."

"You shall, dear. Papa shall come for you at once."

"Oh, he's found! He's found!" shrieked Nan. "Aren't you glad, Bert?"

"Of course I am," answered Bert. "But I can't understand how he happened
to go to sleep in such a lively store as that."

"He must have walked around until he got tired," replied Nan. "You know
Freddie can drop off to sleep very quickly when he gets tired."

As soon as possible Mr. Bobbsey drove around to the department store in
his sleigh. The watchman and Freddie were on the look-out for him, the
little boy with the kitten still in his arms.

"Oh, papa!" cried Freddie. "I am so glad you have come! I--I don't want
to go to sleep here again!"

The watchman's story was soon told, and Mr. Bobbsey made him happy by
presenting him with a two-dollar bill.

"The little chap would have been even more lonely if it hadn't been for
the kitten," said the man. "He wanted to keep the thing, so I told him
to do it."

"And I'm going to," said Freddie proudly. "It's just the dearest kitten
in the world." And keep the kitten he did. It soon grew to be