Quite a crowd of children gathered around the doors of the police station
as Flossie, Freddie and Laddie were lifted out of the automobile, and
there were all sorts of stories told about them. Some believed the
children had been rescued from the fire; others that they had been taken
from a robbers' cave, and still others that these were the children, who,
playing with matches, had caused the fire.
But all these guesses were wrong, as we know, Flossie, Freddie and Laddie
had just gone for a ride, and they had one, though it did not turn out
exactly as they expected. However, they had a good time.
It did not take the police captain long to find out that what Freddie had
said was true--that the three youngsters lived at the Parkview Hotel.
"Your aunt has been looking all over for you," said the captain to Laddie,
after telephoning. "I sent word that I'd soon have you safely back, and
you mustn't run away again."
"I asked him to," said Freddie, telling the truth like a little man. "I
asked him and Flossie to come."
"Well, next time you'd better ask before you crawl into a police
automobile," said the captain, with a laugh. "You can't always tell where
it is going. However, no harm is done this time. Come and see me again,"
he added.
Then the captain called a taxicab and sent the children to the hotel in
charge of one of his policemen, who did not wear a uniform. This was done
so no crowd would gather in front of the hotel to stare at Freddie,
Flossie and Laddie, as would have happened if a policeman in uniform, with
his bright brass buttons, had gone with them.
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