n't you come
in? We have just been giving the children a little lunch, and perhaps,
if you have not eaten lately, you will be glad to do so now."

"More glad than you can guess, madam," said the man with a bow. "I am,
indeed, hungry. We have had bad luck, as perhaps Lucile and Mart have
told you."

"Yes, they spoke of it," said Bunny's mother. "And now please come in,
and while you are eating we can talk."

"Say, we could have a regular show here now!" whispered Bunny Brown to
his sister Sue. "We have three actors now, and you and I would make two
more."

"Oh, I don't want to be in a show now," said Sue. "I want to hear what
they're going to tell mother."

Bunny did also, and when Mr. Treadwell had seated himself at the table
the children listened to what followed.

"When you rang I was just telling Mart that perhaps my husband could
give him some work, so enough money could be earned for the trip to New
York," said Mrs. Brown. "Is it true that no one knows where these
children's uncle and aunt can be found?"

"Well, I guess it's true enough," said Mr. Treadwell. "There are two
uncles and one aunt, according to the story. William Clayton, who is a
brother of Mart's father, is blind, and in some home or hospital--I
don't know where, and I guess the children don't either," he added.

Lucile and Mart shook their heads.

"Simon Weatherby and his wife, Sallie, are brother and sister-in-law of
Mrs. Clayton's," went on the impersonator. "The last heard of them was
that they sailed for the other side--England, France or maybe Australia
for all I know. We theatrical folk travel around a good bit. Anyhow,
Simon Weatherby and his wife left in a hurry, and they gave the care of
the children over to Mr. and Mrs. Jackson.

"Now Mr. Jackson is all right, and a nice man, but he is careless, else
he wouldn't get into so much trouble, and he wouldn't have lost the
address of Mart's Uncle Simon. But that's how it happened. So the
children have some relations if we can only find them, and what they are
to do in the meanwhile, now that the show is scattered, is more than I
know."

"Well, I know one thing they're going to do, and that is stay right here
with me until they are sure of a home somewhere else," said Mrs. Brown.

"I'm glad to hear you say that!" exclaimed Mr. Treadwell, as he finished
his lunch. "I heard they left the boarding house, and that they had no
money. Well, I haven't any too much myself, but I followed th