closer to the lad who had got the monkey down out
of the tree, and asked: "Wouldn't you like to come home with me and have
something to eat?"

The boy's face flushed and his eyes brightened.

"Thank you," he said. "I really am hungry. I'll be glad to work for a
meal. There wasn't money enough for breakfast and car fare too, but I
thought there was a better chance for work here than in Wayville, and so
my sister and I came on."

"And where did you say she was?" asked Mrs. Brown.

"I left her sitting in the little park down by the water front, while I
came up into the town to look for work. Then I saw the crowd around the
tree and----"

"Poor little girl!" exclaimed Mrs. Brown. "Now, you two are coming home
with me!" she went on. "We'll talk about work later. Come along, my
boy. I've got children of my own, and I know what's good for 'em. Take
me to where you left your sister. And don't all of you come, or you
might bother the poor child," she added, as she saw the crowd about to
follow. "I'll tell you all about it later."

"Can't we come, Mother?" asked Bunny Brown.

"Yes, you and Sue come with me. Mrs. Newton," she went on, turning to a
fat lady, "I wish you'd go to my house and start to get something ready
for these starved ones to eat. I'll be right along with them."

"And I'll take my monkey back home," said Jed Winkler. "My sister might
be worried about him," and he smiled as the crowd laughed, for it was
well known that Miss Winkler did not like Wango, though she was not
unkind to him.

"Now show me where your sister is," said Mrs. Brown to the boy, as she
walked along with him and her own two children. "By the way, what's your
name?"

"Mart Clayton," he answered. "That's my real name, but my sister and I
sometimes have stage names. Her real one is Lucile."

"That's a nice name," said Sue. "I like it better'n mine. Your sister
sings, doesn't she?"

"Yes," answered the boy. "There she is, now!" he added, pointing to a
bench in a little park that was not far from Mr. Brown's boat and fish
dock.

"The poor, cold little singer!" murmured Mrs. Brown. "I must take care
of them both!"

When they approached the bench the girl, who was about a year younger
than her brother, looked up in surprise.

"Did you find any work?" she asked Mart eagerly.

"Well, no, not exactly," he answered.

The girl seemed much disappointed.

"But we're going to eat!" he added. "This lady has invited us to her
house. Aft