ill."

"Me? No, not a thing. She never said a word to me. Are you sure you
and she didn't have any--er--little tiff?"

"Of course not!" and Joe blushed under his tan. "She didn't tell me
she was going."

"Oh, well, she'll be back to-night, Jim says. I guess she's all right.
Now I've got to get busy."

But Joe was not satisfied. It was not like Helen to go off in this
way, and he felt there was something strange about it.

"I do hope she isn't going to try to make any more investments with her
money--that is with what she has left," he mused. "Maybe she heard of
some other kind of stock she can buy, and she thinks from the profits
of that she can make up for what she is sure to lose in the oil
investment. Poor Helen! It certainly is hard luck!"

Joe thought so much of his new theory that he visited the circus
treasurer with whom Helen had left some of her money.

"No, it's here in the safe--what she left with me," the treasurer said.
"Too bad about her losing that nice sum, wasn't it? It will take her
quite a while to save that much."

"I wish I had hold of the law clerk who tricked her into buying the oil
stock," said Joe with energy. "I'd make him eat the certificates, and
then I'd--well, I don't know what I would do."

"But you haven't got him," said the treasurer, "and I guess their kind
take good care to keep out of the way of those they've swindled."

"I guess so," Joe agreed.

There was nothing he could do at present, and he had soon to go on with
his act. But Joe Strong made up his mind if Helen were not back early
to make a thorough search for her.

"That is if I can get any trace of her," he went on. "She may run into
danger without knowing it, for she hasn't had much experience in life,
even if she is a circus rider."

Joe was himself again now. His muscles seemed to have benefited by the
rest, and the young trapeze performer went through all his old acts,
alone and with the Lascalla Brothers, and Joe also put on one or two
new things, or, rather, variations of old ones.

In one part of his performance he balanced himself upon his neck and
shoulders on a trapeze high up in the top of the tent. He was almost
standing upon his head. While this is not difficult for a performer to
do when the trapeze is stationary it is not easy when the apparatus is
swinging. Joe was going to try that.

A ring hand pulled on a light rope attached to the trapeze on which Joe
was thus balanced on