All that she saw was the
pathetic figure of a little girl with crutches receding in the distance.

Something clutched at Laura's throat. Her resentment against Ivy died
away, leaving only blame for herself. With a sudden resolve she turned
and hurriedly retraced her steps.

"Nothing but a cross cat would act the way I did!"

Faster and faster she went until, as she came around a corner, she
almost collided with someone hastening up the street. A little hot
hand clutched her arm--

"Oh, Lol, is it you? I came back to make up! Someway I can't bear to
be on the outs with you!"

Ivy was breathless and perspiring and her hat was blown all to one side.

Laura reached over and set it straight carefully, almost caressingly.

"Oh, Ivy-vine, neither can I--Isn't it funny? Shall we go on?"

Laughing softly and blinking back the tears of which they were half
ashamed, they continued up the street, happy in the reconciliation, so
facile and so complete in childhood, when bygones are bygones, and
there is no danger of ghosts, once laid, ever rising up again to give
added rancor to future disagreements.

What a beautiful day it was and how the sun shone and how blissfully
they drank in the air!

"Oh, Lol, see, there's a wagon in front of Jarrett's Hall! I do
believe those men belong to the show!" cried Ivy.

"Let's go up and look round," proposed Laura.

They had reached a long building fronting on Main Street, the first
story of which was occupied by a half dozen stores. They climbed a
covered stairway that led to the second story. At the top of the "hall
stairs," as they were called, was the main entrance to the hall which
occupied the second story of the edifice. These stairs also opened
upon a sort of court, from which a broad flight of stone steps led to
an upper street.

By walking along the court, the girls were on a level with the inner
windows of the hall. The outside shutters stood wide open to admit
light, and a few children were peering curiously through the dusty
panes. Further away was a narrow door sacred to the use of actors or
employes of the hall.

Laura observed that this door was closed when she and Ivy first
appeared upon the scene; but after a time, leaving Ivy at a good
position at the window with her inquisitive eyes pressed against the
glass, Laura strayed back and found the door open.

She hastened to the threshold and took a long, eager look into the
dingy hall, from the curiou