brisk trade which he usually had after the
afternoon performance, and yet, so far from scolding Toby for going
away, he actually smiled and bowed at him as he saw him go by with Ben.

"See there, Toby," said the old driver to the boy, as he gave him a
vigorous poke in the ribs and then went off into one of his dreadful
laughing spells--"see what it is to be a performer, an' not workin' for
such an old fossil as Job is! He'll be so sweet to you now that sugar
won't melt in his mouth, an' there's no chance of his ever attemptin' to
whip you again."

Toby made no reply, for he was too busily engaged thinking of something
which had just come into his mind to know that his friend had spoken.

But as Old Ben hardly knew whether the boy had answered him or not,
owing to his being obliged to struggle with his breath lest he should
lose it in the second laughing spell that attacked him, the boy's
thoughtfulness was not particularly noticed.

Toby walked around the show-grounds for a little while with his old
friend, and then the two went to supper, where Toby performed quite as
great wonders in the way of eating as he had in the afternoon by riding.

As soon as the supper was over he quietly slipped away from Old Ben, and
at once paid a visit to Mr. and Mrs. Treat, whom he found cosily engaged
with their supper behind the screen.

They welcomed Toby most cordially, and, despite his assertions that he
had just finished a very hearty meal, the fat lady made him sit down to
the box which served as table, and insisted on his trying some of her
doughnuts.

Under all these pressing attentions it was some time before Toby found a
chance to say that which he had come to say, and when he did he was
almost at a loss how to proceed; but at last he commenced by starting
abruptly on his subject with the words, "I've made up my mind to leave
to-night."

"Leave to-night?" repeated the skeleton, inquiringly, not for a moment
believing that Toby could think of running away after the brilliant
success he had just made. "What do you mean, Toby?"

"Why, you know that I've been wantin' to get away from the circus," said
Toby, a little impatient that his friend should be so wonderfully
stupid, "an' I think that I'll have as good a chance now as ever I
shall, so I'm goin' to try it."

"Bless us!" exclaimed the fat lady, in a gasping way. "You don't mean to
say that you're goin' off just when you've started in the business so
well? I thoug