you'll give me more money I'll try for a better record yet," said
the boy fish with a smile.

"Say, what are you trying to do--become a millionaire?" asked the
ring-master, jokingly.

"Oh, I can always use more money," replied Joe.

As he came down to the ground he saw Tonzo Lascalla looking at him. The
trapeze performer had heard what Joe said last.

"We don't see much of your money," he commented, with a sneer.

"Why should you?" asked Joe, passing on.

"Oh, Joe! I congratulate you!" cried Helen, as soon as she saw him. "It
was wonderful!"

"Glad you think so," he replied. "But I'm not done yet."

"Are you going to try for a longer time?"

"That's what I am. I don't feel very hopeful about it though. I am
about to the limit, I guess."

The world's record for a man to stay under water, holding his breath,
is four minutes and thirty-seven seconds. Joe was several seconds short
of that, but he was ambitious.

It was about a week after this that one day, as Joe and Helen were
walking around town after the afternoon performance, Helen paused in
front of a furrier's. In the window were fur coats, an advance showing
of fall and winter styles, for the summer was passing and already
merchants were preparing for the winter's trade.

"That's something I must get," Helen said. "A fur coat. I've been
wanting one a long while, and now that I have my inheritance I feel I
can afford it. My old one is about worn out."

"I'd like a fur-lined overcoat myself," Joe said.

"Why don't you get it?" asked Helen.

"Can't afford to," was Joe's reply. "I have other uses for my money."

Helen looked at him curiously, and there was a worried look on her face
that Joe did not notice.

"I wonder," mused Helen. "I wonder----"

But she did not finish her thought.

CHAPTER XV

JOE'S INSPIRATION

Joe Strong was supervising the cleaning of the glass sides of his tank.
It was a few days after he had made his record of staying under water
more than four minutes, and the circus had moved on to another town. It
had arrived on time, and as Joe had a few hours to spare before he had
to get his act into shape, he decided he would have the glass cleaned.

Since he had used goldfish and the aquatic plants the transparent sides
of the tank occasionally were dimmed by a slight natural growth, and
from refuse of the food given to the fish. This made it difficult for
the audience to see clearly, so Joe had the glass taken out eve