"No; but I'm not going to have a hat with feathers on. I want one with
flowers on, and I wish mamma was here--or Nan--to help pick it out."

"I'll help you," offered Freddie kindly.

"I guess you had better come with me," said the stout man, who, as the
children learned afterward was Mr. Daniel Whipple, owner of the big store
into which Flossie and Freddie had wandered. "I'll take you up to my
office," Mr. Whipple went on, "and you can tell me about yourselves. I'll
try to find your folks for you."

"And can I get a hat?" asked Flossie.

"Yes, I think so," the store owner answered. "Send one of the clerks from
the children's hat department to my office with some hats that will do for
this little girl," he went on, and the floorwalker said he would.

"We'll be all right now, Flossie," said Freddie, as they followed their
new friend. In a little while Flossie was fitted with just the hat she
wanted, and Mr. Whipple was listening to the story told in turn by the two
children.

"Your father is probably on his way up to get you now," said Mr. Whipple.
"He'll expect to find you in the elevated station, but you will not be
there. I'll send one of my clerks over to tell the agent you are here, and
to send your father over when he comes. But I think I'll keep you two tots
here, because----"

"We might get lost again--we get lost lots of times," said Freddie with a