fat arms, hugging him
much as if he were a lemon and she an unusually large squeezer. "Where
did you come from? How have you been? Did you find your Uncle Daniel?"

Her embrace was so vigorous that it was some seconds after she had
released him before he could make any reply; and while he was trying to
get his breath the fleshless Mr. Treat took him solemnly by the hand,
and cleared his throat as if he were determined to take advantage of the
occasion to make one of his famous speeches.

"My dear Mr. Tyler," he said, squeezing Toby's hand until it ached, "it
is almost impossible for me to express the joy I feel at meeting you
once more. We--Lilly and I--have looked forward to such a moment as this
with a great deal of impatience, and even during our most prosperous
exhibitions we have found time to speak of you."

"There, there, Samuel, don't take up so much time with your long-winded
talk, but let me see the dear little fellow myself;" and Mrs. Treat
lifted her slim husband into a chair, where he was out of her way, and
again greeted Toby by kissing him on both cheeks with a resounding smack
that rivalled anything Reddy Grant had yet been able to do in the way
of cracking his whip.

Then she fairly overwhelmed him with questions, nor would she allow her
husband to say a word until Toby had answered them all. He was again
obliged to tell the story of Mr. Stubbs's death; of his return home, and
everything connected with his running away from the circus; while all
the time the fat lady alternately kissed and hugged him, until it seemed
as if he would never be able to finish his story.

"And, now that you are home again, don't ever think of running away,
even though I must admit that you made a wonderful success in the ring;"
and Mr. Treat crossed one leg over the other in a triumphant way,
pleased that he had at last succeeded in getting a chance to speak.

Toby was very emphatic in his assurances that he should never run away
again, for he had had quite as much experience in that way as he
wanted; and, after he had finished, Mrs. Treat, by way of further
showing her joy at meeting him once more, brought out from a large black
trunk fully half a dozen doughnuts, each quite as large among their kind
as she was among women.

"Now eat every one of them," she said, as she handed them to Toby, "an'
it will do me good to see you, for you always used to be such a hungry
little fellow."

Toby had already had two breakfas