There was a minute of silence, and then Freddie heard the footsteps
coming slowly down the stairs. The man had a lantern in one hand and a
club in the other.

Not knowing what else to do, Freddie crouched behind a counter. His
heart beat loudly, and he had dim visions of burglars who might have
entered the big store to rob it. If he was discovered, there was no
telling what such burglars might do with him.

"Must have been the cat," murmured the man on the stairs. He reached the
basement floor and swung his lantern over his head. "Here, kittie,
kittie, kittie!" he called.

"Meow!" came from the black kitten, which was still in Freddie's arms.
Then the man looked in that direction.

"Hullo!" he exclaimed, starting in amazement. "What are you doing here?
Are you alone?"

"Oh, please, I want my mamma!" cried Freddie.

"You want your mamma?" repeated the man. "Say!" he went on suddenly.
"Are you the kid that got lost this afternoon, youngster?"

"I guess I did get lost," answered Freddie. He saw that the man had a
kindly face and this made him a bit braver. "I walked around and sat
down over there--in the straw--and went to sleep."

"Well, I never!" cried the man. "And have you been down here ever