that when she
wanted the year to be over, she wasn't thinking of herself, but of
him. He paid her the compliment of accepting what she said, without
tossing it back as though she had meant it for herself. "Well, I
_told_ you I'd drag in the bearded lady and the wild man of Borneo, if
I had to. What's the matter; don't you like the show business?"

"Of course, we didn't exactly go into it for _fun_."

"I seem to remember your calling it a lark, though."

"I didn't know it was going to be quite as awful as this."

"Awful?"

"You know what I mean--you're worn out, and you look _dreadfully_--and
I _didn't_ know we'd have to do so much--" She fumbled for the word.
"What is it when a man stands outside, and tries to make people come
in and look at the snake-charmer?"

"Ballyhoo. Would you have wanted me to stay out of it, if you'd
known?"

She deliberated. "It's funny--but I don't think I would. In a way,
it's been good for both of us. I'll just be glad when it's over....
What sort of house did you have?"

Henry put on his best smile. "Not too good. Fair."

"If we should fall down, after all we've done--oh, we _can't_! Henry,
we just _can't_!"

"I used to know a poem," he said, "that kept asking the question
'Where are the snows of yesteryear?' Well, if I could find out, and
have 'em shovelled back in the street, we'd be in a good position. But
as soon as the snow melted, so did the big crowds. I'll never look a
crocus in the face again. They've croaked us out of a couple of
hundred a week, gross."

"If we _should_ fall down, do you know who I'd be sorry for? The
managers of the other theatres. We'd just have been dogs in the
manger. And every time I think about it, I don't feel nearly as smart
as I did last January. Of course, I suppose it was _fair_ enough,
but--"

"Fair? Oh, yes. That sort of thing'll always be fair--as long as
there's any business. Queer, though, when you come to think of it.
_We_ hadn't any grudge against the other fellows; but they'd have
stolen our idea, so we had to protect it. If they'd stolen our ten
dollar bill, they'd have had to go to jail for it; but they could have
stolen an idea worth ten _thousand_, and we'd just have had to stand
back, and gibber. As long as _that's_ fair, then _we_ were fair."

"I wonder," she said, "if all monopolists go through the same
thing--first, they get such a wonderful scheme that they hardly dare
to go to bed for fear they'll talk in their sleep: