“Too bad!” said Robbie, with two frowns rolled into one. “But I say, Will, let’s go anyhow.”
“Pshaw! there won’t be anything to see by the time we get there,” said Will.
“I don’t mean to take Baby,” said Robbie. “We’ll leave her by the door of this empty house. Nothing can happen to her before we come back.”
“That’s so,” said Will, “we won’t be gone a minute;” and they lifted the sled, wagon and all, up the two steps that led to the door, and, before Baby knew what they were about, they were off.
The other children were already two blocks away, but the boys soon overtook them, and another block brought them to the spot where the crowd was gathered.
The frowns and pouts, for the time being, disappeared, and the Tutchys laughed long and loud at the antics of the queer-looking figures who were parading about with a patch-work banner inscribed, “Old Original Santa Claus Guards,” when suddenly Susie turned around, and with frightened eyes cried out:
“Why Will,—Robbie, where’s Baby?”
Will hung his head, but Robbie, assuming a careless air, replied:
“The captain’s youngest daughter? O! she’s safe. We couldn’t bring her and run after you too, and so we left her.”
But Susie waited to hear no more. “Show me where!” she said, and they all started back again on a much faster run than that with which they had followed “The Old Original Santa Claus Guards.”