receded from his face, he said:

"I'll tell you what we'll do, Toby. You come to the tent when the
afternoon performance is over, an' I'll fix it so's you shall see Mr.
Stubbs's brother as much as you want to."

Just then Toby remembered that Ben was to be his guest for a while that
day, and, after explaining all Aunt Olive had done in the way of
preparing dainties, invited him to dinner.

"I'll come, Toby, because it's to see you an' them that has been good to
you," said Ben, slowly, and after quite a long pause: "but there hain't
anybody else I know of who could coax me out to dinner; for, you see,
rough fellows like me hain't fit to go around much, except among our
own kind. But say, Toby, your Uncle Dan'l hain't right on his speech, is
he?"

Toby looked so puzzled that Ben saw he had not been understood, and he
explained:

"I mean, he don't get up a dinner for the sake of havin' a chance to
make a speech, like the skeleton, does he, eh?"

"Oh no, Uncle Dan'l don't do that. I know you'll like him when you see
him."

"And I believe I shall, Toby," said Ben, speaking very seriously; "I'd
be sure to, because he's such a good uncle to you."

Just then the conversation was interrupted by the orders to prepare for
the parade; and as the manager drove up to see that everything was done
properly, he stopped to speak with and congratulate Toby on being home
again, a condescension on his part that caused a lively feeling of envy
in the breasts of the other boys, because they had not been so honored.

CHAPTER VII

ATTRACTIONS FOR THE LITTLE CIRCUS

While he stood there, the wagon in which the skeleton and his wife
travelled rolled past; but Toby knew they were still sleeping, and would
continue to do so until their tent was ready for them to go into.

The carriage in which the women of the company rode also passed him, and
he almost fancied he could see Ella sitting in one of the seats sleeping
with her head on her mother's shoulder, as she had slept on the stormy
night when his head was nearly jerked from his body as he tried to sleep
while sitting upright.

There were but three of the drivers who had been with the circus the
year before, and, after speaking with them, he stood by the side of the
road, and watched the preparations for the entree with feelings far
different from those with which he had observed such preparations in
that dreary time when he expected each moment to hear Job Lord order him