told the whole story, and Mr. and Mrs. Martin were much
surprised at what the Curlytops had done.

"As it was, you did just the right thing," said their father. "Though I
wouldn't like to have you do it again. However, I'm glad you have your
pets back, though Tip isn't exactly a beauty."

"They'll be all right after they have had a bath," said Janet.

And the poodles were, coming from the tub as white as snow. Later it was
learned that the young man known as Shorty had not really taken Tip from
the automobile. But he had gotten a chum of his to do it, and afterward
the two had sold the dog. They sold him to Professor Montelli, who used
to have a side show with a circus, but who, after a quarrel, started out
for himself, traveling around the country giving exhibitions.

Shorty, having heard the talk of the Martin family while he was acting as
guard of the automobile load of pets, knew where Top was being taken, to
Cresco. And it was he who broke into the barn and took away the poodle.
For, as I have told you, while one dog was valuable for the tricks he
could do, the two, doing tricks together, were worth much more.

Professor Montelli may not have known the poodles were stolen, and he
may, as he said, have dyed them with harmless black color to keep their
white coats from getting dirty. But the police said they thought the dog
trainer had a hand, with Shorty, in the thefts, and this may have been
so. At any rate the Curlytops had their pet poodles back, and they heard
nothing more of Shorty or the showman.

"And now we can give our circus!" cried Janet one afternoon, when she and
Teddy, with Trouble, were feeding their pets in the barn.

It did not take long to make arrangements for the show. Jimmy Norton's
father secured a large tent for the Curlytops and their friends, and the
tent was set up in a lot not far from the Martin house. Several boys and
girls helped make the arrangements, and Mr. Martin sent up from the store
a pile of boxes and boards which some of his men made into seats.

Mrs. Martin told the ladies who had asked her to help raise money for the
orphans that the Curlytops were going to give all they took in at the
circus to help the poor children. And when this became known many grown
folk, as well as boys and girls, bought tickets for the performance.

It was to be given one afternoon, and you can imagine all the work that
had to be done to get ready. But some of the fathers and mothers of the