ter,"
which she did, to the no small astonishment of Bill Watson.

"Well, well," he said over and over again, when Helen and Joe told of
the answer they had sent the New York lawyers. "Suppose you do get
some money, Helen?"

"It's too good to suppose. I can't imagine any one leaving me money."

"I wish I knew a fairy godmother who would leave me some," murmured
Joe. "But that wouldn't happen in a blue moon."

Bill Watson turned, and looked rather curiously at the young circus
performer.

"Well, now, do you know, Joe Strong," he said, "I have an idea."

"An idea!" cried Helen gaily. "How nice, Bill. Tell us about it!"

"Now just a moment, young lady. Don't get too excited with an old man
just off a sick bed. But Joe's speaking that way--I call you Joe, as I
knew your folks so well--Joe's speaking that way gave me an idea. I
wouldn't be so terribly surprised, my boy, if you did have money left
you some day."

"How?" asked Joe in surprise.

"Why, your mother, whom, as I said, I knew very well, came of a very
rich and aristocratic family in England. She was disowned by them when
she married your father--as if public performers weren't as good as
aristocrats, any day! But never mind about that. Your mother
certainly was rich when she was a girl, Joe, and it may be she is
entitled to money from the English estates now, or, rather, you would
be, since she is dead. That's my idea."

CHAPTER X

IN THE TANK

"Are you really serious in that?" asked Joe of the old clown, after a
moment's consideration.

"Of course I am, Joe. Why? Would it be strange to have some one leave
you money?"

"It certainly would! But it would be a nice sort of strangeness,"
replied the young performer. "I never dreamed that such a thing might
happen."

"Oh, I don't say it _will_," Bill Watson reminded him. "But the fact
remains that your mother came from what is sometimes called 'the landed
gentry' of England, and the estates there, or property, descend to
eldest sons differently than property does in this country. It may be
worth looking into, Joe."

"But I don't know much about my mother," Joe said. "I hardly ever meet
any one who knew her. My foster-parents would never speak of her--they
were ashamed of her calling."

"More shame to them!" exclaimed the clown. "There never was a finer
woman than your mother, Joe Strong. And as for riding--well, I wish we
had a few of her kind in the show now. I don't