in," said she, "and if
you remain little Nimmie Amee will laugh at you. So make your choice."

"I think we'd better go back," said Woot seriously.

"No," said the Tin Woodman, stoutly, "I have decided that it's my duty
to make Nimmie Amee happy, in case she wishes to marry me."

"So have I," announced Captain Fyter. "A good soldier never shrinks from
doing his duty."

"As for that," said the Scarecrow, "tin doesn't shrink any to speak of,
under any circumstances. But Woot and I intend to stick to our comrades,
whatever they decide to do, so we will ask Polychrome to make us as big
as we were before."

Polychrome agreed to this request and in half a minute all of them,
including herself, had been enlarged again to their natural sizes. They
then thanked the Blue Rabbit for his kind assistance, and at once
approached the house of Nimmie Amee.

Nimmie Amee

[Illustration]

CHAPTER 22

We may be sure that at this moment our friends were all anxious to see
the end of the adventure that had caused them so many trials and
troubles. Perhaps the Tin Woodman's heart did not beat any faster,
because it was made of red velvet and stuffed with sawdust, and the Tin
Soldier's heart was made of tin and reposed in his tin bosom without a
hint of emotion. However, there is little doubt that they both knew that
a critical moment in their lives had arrived, and that Nimmie Amee's
decision was destined to influence the future of one or the other.

As they assumed their natural sizes and the rhubarb leaves that had
before towered above their heads now barely covered their feet, they
looked around the garden and found that no person was visible save
themselves. No sound of activity came from the house, either, but they
walked to the front door, which had a little porch built before it, and
there the two tinmen stood side by side while both knocked upon the door
with their tin knuckles.

As no one seemed eager to answer the summons they knocked again; and
then again. Finally they heard a stir from within and someone coughed.

"Who's there?" called a girl's voice.

"It's I!" cried the tin twins, together.

"How did you get there?" asked the voice.

They hesitated how to reply, so Woot answered for them:

"By means of magic."

"Oh," said the unseen girl. "Are you friends, or foes?"

"Friends!" they all exclaimed.

Then they heard footsteps approach the door, which slowly opened and
revealed a very pretty Munchkin