ADVENTURE X
THE RATTLE-BANG
"Come out here a minute, Mrs. Chimney!" called the red-cheeked, old man as he tapped on the snow-covered window. "Come out here, and see what this is, Mrs. Chimney!"
"If that is Santa Claus, why doesn't he come in?" asked Weezie.
"Maybe he's afraid of us," suggested Addie. "Santa Claus doesn't like children to see him."
"Oh, no, it isn't that!" laughed the little old woman.
"And why does he call you Mrs. Chimney?" asked Rodney.
"Maybe he said he wanted to get down the chimney," suggested Nat. "That's what Santa Claus always wants to do; though it isn't Christmas yet, nor even Thanksgiving. But he said something about a chimney."
And the white-whiskered man tapped on the snow-covered pane again, and called:
"Come out, Mrs. Chimney! Come out!"