as were willing
to pay to come in, the boys were not at all anxious to leave.

"Let them stay as long as they want to, Toby," said the skeleton
indulgently.

The boys were only too glad to avail themselves of this permission, and
Toby said to Abner:

"I want to see if I can find Ella, an' you stay here till I come back."

"I'll keep him right here by me," said Mrs. Treat, "and he'll be safe
enough."

Remembering how she had served Job Lord, Toby had no fears for the
safety of his friend; he went at once, therefore, to deliver the
invitation to the last of Aunt Olive's expected guests.

When, after some little time, Toby returned, the boys had satisfied
their curiosity so far as the side-show was concerned, and all except
Abner had left the tent.

That he had found Ella was evident, as that young lady herself skipped
along by his side in the greatest possible delight at having met her
former riding companion; and that she had accepted his invitation to
dinner was shown by the scrupulous care with which she was dressed.

"It's time to go up to Uncle Dan'l's," Toby whispered to Mrs. Treat,
"an' Ben's harnessin' the hosses into your wagon, so's you won't have to
go to the trouble of puttin' on your other clothes."

"I don't know as we ought to go up there in this rig," said Mrs. Treat
doubtfully, as she looked down at her "show dress," made to display her
arms and neck to the greatest advantage, and then at her husband's
costume, which was as scanty as his body. "I wanted to dress up when we
went there; but I don't see how I'll get the chance to do it."

"I wouldn't bother, 'cause Uncle Dan'l will like you jest as well that
way, an' it will take you too long," said Toby impatiently.

The skeleton, on being consulted as to the matter, decided to do as Toby
wished, because by adopting that course they would the sooner get the
dinner about which he had been thinking ever since he had received the
invitation.

But while Mrs. Treat was ready to believe that her costume might be
reasonably fit to wear to a dinner party, she was certain that something
more than tights and a pair of short, red velvet trousers was necessary
for her husband.

Mr. Treat tried to argue with his much larger half, insisting that Uncle
Daniel would understand the matter; but his wife insisted so strongly,
and with such determination to have her own way, that he compromised by
adding to his scanty wardrobe a black frock-coat and a tall silk