ke of her large, round head.

Then she went back to the chair and picked up Polly's sandals, and
examined the bead-work with a great deal of interest. "Lawdy, lawdy!"
she cried, as she compared the size of the sandals to that of her
own rough, worn shoes. She was again upon the point of exploding with
laughter, as the church bell added a few, final and more emphatic clangs
to its warning.

She turned with a start, motioning a vain warning out of the window
for the bell to be silent, but the little sleeper was already stirring
uneasily on her pillow. One soft arm was thrown languidly over her head.
The large, blue eyes opened and closed dreamily as she murmured the
words of the clown song that Jim and Toby had taught her years ago:

"Ting ling,
That's what the bells sing----"

Mandy reached the side of the bed as the girl's eyes opened a second
time and met hers with a blank stare of astonishment. A tiny frown came
into the small, white forehead.

"What's the matter?" she asked faintly, trying to find something
familiar in the black face before her.

"Hush, child, hush," Mandy whispered; "jes' you lie puffickly still.
Dat's only de furs' bell a-ringin'."

"First bell?" the girl repeated, as her eyes travelled quickly about the
strange walls and the unfamiliar fittings of the room. "This ain't the
show!" she cried, suddenly.

"Lor' bless you, no; dis ain't no show," Mandy answered; and she laughed
reassuringly.

"Then where am I?" Polly asked, half breathless with bewilderment.

"Nebber you mind 'bout dat," was Mandy's unsatisfactory reply.

"But I DO mind," protested Polly, trying to raise herself to a sitting
position. "Where's the bunch?"

"De wat?" asked Mandy in surprise.

"The bunch--Jim and Toby and the rest of the push!"

"Lor' bless you!" Mandy exclaimed. "Dey's done gone 'long wid de circus,
hours ago."

"Gone! Show gone!" Polly cried in amazement. "Then what am I doing
here?"

"Hole on dar, honey! hole on!" Mandy cautioned. "Don't you 'cite
yo'se'f."

"Let me alone!" Polly put aside the arm that was trying to place a shawl
around her. "I got to get out a-here."

"You'se got plenty o' time for dat," Mandy answered, "yes' yo' wait
awhile."

"I can't wait, and I won't!" Polly shrieked, almost beside herself with
anxiety. "I got to get to the next burg--Wakefield, ain't it? What time
is it? Let me alone! Let me go!" she cried, struggling desperately.

The door opened softly and