us."

Danny made the same proposition to Chris but Chris also refused. There
was nothing of Danny's that could compensate Jerry or Chris for missing
the circus, especially when they were right there on the ground with
their tickets in their hands.

After the crowd had disappeared--part into the side show, part into the
main tent, some to their homes and some to wander about the
grounds--Jerry and Chris were debating whether they should go into the
big tent at once or wait until time for the main performance, when they
observed Danny, who had edged away from them, talking in a low voice to
Celia Jane. From the motion of Celia Jane's head and the entreating
position of Danny's hands, they knew she was refusing some request of
his.

If they had not just then become absorbed in watching some circus
employee leading two big, fat, white horses out of a tent they would
have seen Celia Jane's negative shakes of the head become weaker as
Danny's attitude became more and more commanding, and all that occurred
afterward might never have happened. But they didn't look around.

When the horses had disappeared, Jerry spoke:

"They might start early," he said. "Let's go in now, Chris."

"All right, let's," Chris replied.

They turned to tell the other Mullarkey children good-by and saw that
Celia Jane was crying. Her shoulders shook and she seemed to be in the
utmost despair.

"What's the matter with Celia Jane?" Chris asked.

"I don't know," said Nora. "What ails her, Danny?"

"I don't know," Danny asserted quickly. "What're you cryin' for, Celia
Jane?"

"I want to see the circus," sobbed Celia Jane. She raised her face and
there were tears running down it.

"You ain't got no ticket, have you?" asked Danny. "Nor fifty cents?"

"N-n-no," sobbed Celia Jane.

"Then there ain't no chance at all of your gettin' in, is there?"

"I ain't never seen no circus," moaned Celia Jane.

"Come on, Jerry," said Chris; "let's go in now, so's we won't miss
anything if they start early."

At that Celia Jane started crying harder than ever and Jerry stood
still, a curious something making his heart beat faster and his throat
growing all choky.

"Let's go home, Celia Jane," proposed Nora, in a soothing tone. "Mebbe
next time we can go. They might let us carry water for the elephants and
earn a ticket to the circus, even if we are girls."

"I want to see it now," sobbed Celia Jane.

Jerry began to feel sort of shuddery inside and