206 Red-Boots.

tired and homesick, did so, crying for his papa and
mamma. Meanwhile, his father and mother, find-
ing that he was lost, went at once to the police-
station.

“We have lost our little boy,” said they.
“He had long yellow curls; and he wore a black
hat and coat, and red boots and stockings.”

“T am glad he did,” said the policeman, “for
as most boys wear black ones, somebody will be
sure to have noticed his red ones, and we can
more easily trace him.”

And soit proved. For many people had seen
a hand-organ man, and with him a crying boy,
and they had all noticed the ved doors. At last
they traced him to the very house, and knocked at
the door. But the hand-organ man suspected who
it was, and taking up the sleeping child, put him
in another room and locked the door. Then
opening his house-door, he asked the policeman
and the lady and gentleman what they wanted.

“The child you stole,” ‘said the policeman,
sternly, and the wicked man said he knew nothing
about “any stolen child.” Just then Robert's