Stubbs, an'
I want you to be all ready to go the minute I come for you."
The old monkey winked both eyes violently, and then showed his teeth
to such an extent that Toby thought he was laughing at the prospect,
and he said, a little severely, "If you had as many friends as I
have got in the circus you wouldn't laugh when you was goin' to leave
them. Of course I've got to go, an' I want to go; but it makes me
feel bad to leave the skeleton, an' the fat woman, an Old Ben, an'
little Ella. But I mustn't stand here. You be ready when I come
for you, an' by mornin' we'll be so far off that Mr. Lord nor Mr.
Castle can't catch us."
The old monkey went toward his companions, as if he were in high
glee at the trip before him, and Toby went into the dressing tent
to prepare for the evening's performance -- which was about to
commence.
It appeared to the boy as if everyone was unusually kind to him
that night, and, feeling sad at leaving those in the circus who
had befriended him, Toby was unusually attentive to everyone around
him. He ran on some trifling errand for one, helped another in his
dressing, and in a dozen kind ways seemed as if trying to atone
for leaving them secretly.
When the time came for him to go into the ring and he met Ella,
bright and happy at the thought of riding with him and repeating her
triumphs of the afternoon, nothing save the thought of how wicked
he had been to run away from good old Uncle Daniel, and a desire
to right that wrong in some way, prevented him from giving up his
plan of going back.
Pages:
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161