can run off this year, and come back with
the circus next year, then a whole lot of fellows can run off. Don't you
see that?"

Pony said he saw that, but he said he wished some of the other fellows
were going now, because he did not know any of the circus boys and he
was afraid he might feel kind of lonesome. But Jim Leonard said he would
soon get acquainted, and, anyway, a year would go before he knew it, and
then if the other fellows could get off he would have plenty of company.

As soon as Jim Leonard was gone Pony undressed and got into bed. He was
not sleepy, but he thought maybe it would be just as well to rest a
little while before the circus procession came along for him; and,
anyway, he could not bear to go down-stairs and be with the family when
he was going to leave them so soon, and not come back for a whole year.

After a good while, or about the time he usually came in from playing,
he heard his mother saying: "Where in the world is Pony? Has he come in
yet? Have you seen him, girls? Pony! Pony!" she called.

But somehow Pony could not get his voice up out of his throat; he wanted
to answer her, but he could not speak. He heard her say, "Go out to the
front steps, girls, and see if you can see him," and then he heard her
coming up the stairs; and she came into his room, and when she saw him
lying there in bed, she said: "Why, I believe in my heart the child's
asleep! Pony! Are you awake?"

Pony made out to say no, and his mother said: "My! what a fright you
gave me! Why didn't you answer me? Are you sick, Pony? Your father said
you didn't seem well at the circus; and you didn't eat any supper,
hardly."

Pony said he was first-rate, but he spoke very low, and his mother came
up and sat down on the side of his bed.

"What is the matter, child?" She bent over and felt his forehead. "No,
you haven't got a bit of fever," she said, and she kissed him, and began
to tumble his short black hair in the way she had, and she got one of
his hands between her two, and kept rubbing it. "But you've had a long,
tiresome day, and that's why you've gone to bed, I suppose. But if you
feel the least sick, Pony, I'll send for the doctor."

Pony said he was not sick at all; just tired; and that was true; he felt
as if he never wanted to get up again.

His mother put her arm under his neck, and pressed her face close down
to his, and said very low: "Pony dear, you don't feel hard toward your
mother for what she did the