Most of the water went to the stove, where operations of one kind or
another were carried on from morning till night, tempting the boy with
their mysteries or their promises. In the uppermost corner of the hood
was a square opening covered by an iron lid. When the lid was down and
you crawled right up into the fire-place, you could see the sky through
the chimney.

One day, when Keith had sneaked into the kitchen uninvited, he noticed
something unusual going on in the fire-place. All the paraphernalia had
been cleared away. The lid was open, and from the chimney issued strange
noises. Then soot began to fall in masses, and finally appeared a pair
of human feet, quite bare and all black.

It was very funny and very disconcerting. Keith watched with bulging
eyes and trembling heart, until at last a whole big man came out of the
chimney. As he crouched for a moment on the fire-place before getting
down on the floor, he turned on Keith a pair of eyes that seemed to be
all white and big as moons.

At that moment fear got the better of curiosity, and Keith made haste to
bury his face in Granny's lap.

"Yes, Keith had better look out," grinned the servant girl, "for the
chimney sweep takes all bad little boys."

"I'll take you, if you talk like that," the black figure in the
fire-place shot back at her.

The tone of his voice made Keith steal another glance at him. The white
eyes shone right at him in a rather friendly fashion, and further down a