y's face and hands were
clean, and he had bright eyes that, just now, seemed filled with tears.

"What is it?" asked Grandma Brown.

"It's a hungry boy, Mother. A strange, hungry boy!" said grandpa. "I
guess we'll have to feed him, and then we'll have him tell us his
story."

CHAPTER V

SOMETHING QUEER

"Come right in and sit down!" was Grandma Brown's invitation. And she
said it in such a kind, pleasant voice that the strange boy looked
around as though she were speaking to some one who had come up behind
him, that he could not see.

"Come right in, and get something to eat," went on the children's
grandmother.

"Do you--do you mean _me_?" asked the strange boy.

"Why, yes. Who else do you s'pose she meant?" asked Grandpa Brown.

"I--I didn't know, sir. You see I--I'm not used to being invited into
places that way. I thought maybe you didn't mean it."

"Mean it? Of course I mean it!" said Grandma Brown.

"You're hungry; aren't you?" asked Grandpa Brown.

"Hungry. Oh, sir--I--I haven't had anything since breakfast, and then it
was only a green apple and some berries I picked."

"Land sakes!" cried Grandma Brown. "Why didn't you go up to the first
house you came to and ask for a meal?"

"I--I didn't like to, ma'am. I thought maybe they'd set the dog on me,
thinking I was a tramp."

By this time Splash, the big pet dog, had come around the path. The
strange boy looked around as though getting ready to run.

"He won't hurt you," said Bunny quickly. "Splash is a good dog."

Splash went up to the strange boy, rubbed his cold, wet nose on the
boy's legs, and then Splash began to wag his tail.

"See, he likes you," said Sue. "He's going to be in our show; Splash is.
He's going to be half a blue-striped tiger when we have our circus."

"Circus!" cried the strange boy. "Is--is there a circus around here?"
and he seemed much surprised, even frightened, Bunny thought afterward.

"No, there isn't any circus," said Grandpa Brown. "It's only a
make-believe one the children are getting up. But we musn't keep you
standing here talking when you're half starved. Get him something to
eat, Mother. The idea of being afraid to go to a house and ask for
something!" said Grandpa Brown, in a low voice.

"That shows he isn't a regular tramp; doesn't it?" asked Mother Brown.

"I should say so--yes," answered grandpa. "But there is something queer
about that boy."

By this time Grandmother Brown had gone into t