rcus and menagerie and it's coming a week from Thursday."

"Are you going, Darn?" asked Danny.

"Am I going?" repeated that youth. "I should say I am going--in a box
seat."

"Is it a big circus?" asked Chris.

"It's one of the biggest there is," replied Darn, "with elephants and
clowns and a bearded lady and everything. I'll tell you all about it the
next day."

Without more ado, he began to whistle and continued on his way. When he
was out of sight, Jerry turned back to the billboard, and the Mullarkey
children lined up at his side and stood in silent contemplation of the
delights forecast in the picture. They felt a new respect for that
elephant.

"I don't suppose we can go," said Chris at length in a voice that
invited contradiction. His remark was met by silence and they continued
to stare at the elephant.

Jerry was puzzled. "What does it want you to ask your mother for fifty
cents for?" he asked Danny.

"To buy a ticket for the circus, of course."

"Will she give you fifty cents?"

Danny seemed struck by some sudden thought; whether or not his question
had inspired it Jerry was unable to tell. After pondering for a time,
Danny set out towards home on a run without having answered the
question.

"Where're you goin'?" asked Chris, with a tinge of suspicion in his
voice.

"I'm goin' to ask mother and see."

"That's no fair!" cried Chris. "You can run the fastest and 'll get to
ask her first."

"She can't give fifty cents to all of us," replied Danny and kept on
running.

"Danny Mullarkey! You're a mean old thing!" called Nora.

Already Chris was racing after Danny; the contagion soon spread and
first Nora and then Celia Jane were running with all their might after
their brothers.

Jerry started to run after them, but it was a half-hearted run and he
brought up a very laggard rear. He never tried to get anything for
himself that the clannish Mullarkey brood had in their possession, or to
which they could with any shred of justice lay claim. If he did, he knew
by experience that they would all unite against him--all except Mother
'Larkey, who, trying to earn money to support them all, could not always
know what was going on under her tired, kindly eyes, much less the
things that took place behind her back. And baby Kathleen, who was too
little to feel the claims of the Mullarkey blood and who loved
everybody.

But Jerry was sure he had never seen a circus and he _did_ want to go to
this one a