But he had no such intention,
evidently, for he said, in a voice unusually mild, "Yes, an' you
needn't come to work again until it's time to go into the tent."
Toby was almost alarmed at this unusual kindness, and it puzzled
him so much that he would have forgotten he had permission to go
away if Ella had not pulled him gently by the coat.
If he had heard a conversation between Mr. Lord and Mr. Castle that
very morning he would have understood why it was that Mr. Lord had
so suddenly become kind. Mr. Castle had told Job that the boy had
really shown himself to be a good rider, and that in order to make
him more contented with his lot, and to keep him from running away,
he must be used more kindly, and perhaps be taken from the candy
business altogether, which latter advice Mr. Lord did not look upon
with favor, because of the large sales which the boy made.
When they reached the skeleton's tent they found, to their surprise,
that no exhibition was being given at that hour, and Ella said,
with some concern: "How queer it is that the doors are not open!
I do hope that they are not sick."
Toby felt a strange sinking at his heart as the possibility suggested
itself that one or both of his kind friends might be ill; for they
had both been so kind and attentive to him that he had learned to
love them very dearly.
But the fears of both the children were dispelled when they tried to
get in at the door and were met with the smiling skeleton himself,
who said, as he threw the canvas aside as far as if he were admitting
his own enormous Lilly:
"Come in, my friends, come in.
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