as well acquainted, so the two soon became friendly.

"I guess he misses Tip and Top," observed Ted, speaking of the two
valuable trick poodles, which had been sold since the children found
them in the show, after they had been stolen.

"Well, there are plenty of other animals," said Aunt Sallie, as she
finished setting the table and called to the children to take their
places.

Such a jolly time as followed! The Curlytops and their playmates, the
new as well as the old ones, were all hungry from their ride through the
cold. Even Trouble forgot about being sleepy while he ate, and if Mary
and Harry remembered about their mother in the hospital that thought did
not chase away the smiles from their faces.

At times, on the trip, Ted and Jan had given some thought to matters at
home, and had wondered if Daddy Martin would lose so much money as to
make the family poor. But now Ted and his sister were having a good time
with the others.

Jack, the monkey, seemed to have gotten over the slight shivering
caused by foolishly going up on the roof in the storm, and he and
Skyrocket ate their meal behind the warm stove on one side, while Snuff,
Uncle Toby's big cat, and Fluff, the new kitten, lapped warm milk from
the same saucer on the other side of the stove.

As for Mr. Nip, the parrot, he seemed satisfied after he had pulled off
Mary's hat, and he was now asleep with his head under his wing, perched
on his stand in one corner.

"How did Jack get out, Aunt Sallie?" asked Uncle Toby, as knives and
forks began to slow up a little in the supper race, the children
becoming less hungry the more they ate.

"I had left a window open, and he seemed to know it," was the answer. "I
never knew it to fail that if I left a window open so much as a crack
but what he'd find it. He's the smartest monkey I ever saw! But he's a
rascal just the same!"

"Well, you'll have a little rest from all the pets, except maybe
Skyrocket," said Uncle Toby. "We'll take him with us out to Crystal
Lake, but the other pets we'll leave here."

Uncle Toby's house was a large one and had plenty of beds in it for the
children. It was warm and cozy, and Aunt Sallie had seen to it that
everything should be comfortable for the Curlytops and their playmates.

"I thought you two were coming by train," she said to Mary and Harry,
when supper was over and the plans for the night began to be talked
about.

"They were on the train. But I took them off when it