"And I thought you did. We must have left him back in the store. Let's look!"
But Trouble was not there! He was missing!
CHAPTER XXI
TROUBLE AND SKYROCKET
You can imagine there was much excitement and some very frightened feelings in the hearts of all the children when the clerks in the store where the five and ten cent Christmas presents had been bought said Trouble was not there.
"But where can he be?" asked Janet, hardly able to keep back the tears.
"Perhaps he went out and walked back to the store where Uncle Toby is buying his things," suggested Lola. "Let's look there."
"I guess that's where he is all right," said Teddy.
But Trouble was not in the grocery store, and Uncle Toby, who had finished his shopping, was as much surprised and alarmed as were the children when told what had happened.
"I guess the little tyke may have walked out by himself and gotten into the auto," said Uncle Toby.