The time had now come when the duties of a host, in his own peculiar
way of viewing them, devolved upon Mr. Treat, and he said, as he
pushed his chair back a short distance from the table and tried to
polish the front of his vest with his napkin:
"I don't want this fact lost sight of, because it is an important
one: everyone must remember that we have gathered here to meet and
become better acquainted with the latest and best addition to this
circus, Mr. Toby Tyler."
Poor Toby! As the company all looked directly at him, and Mrs.
Treat nodded her enormous head energetically, as if to say that
she agreed exactly with her husband, the poor boy's face grew very
red and the squash pie lost its flavor.
"Although Mr. Tyler may not be exactly one of us, owing to the fact
that he does not belong to the profession, but is only one of the
adjuncts to it, so to speak," continued the skeleton, in a voice
which was fast being raised to its highest pitch, "we feel proud,
after his exploits at the time of the accident, to have him with
us, and gladly welcome him now, through the medium of this little
feast prepared by my Lilly."
Here the Albino Children nodded their heads in approval, and the
sword swallower gave a grunt of assent; and, thus encouraged, the
skeleton proceeded:
"I feel, when I say that we like and admire Mr. Tyler, all present
will agree with me and all would like to hear him say a word for
himself.
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