ead.

"I guess there isn't any estate," he said. "I've given up hope of that.
No, this is something else."

But he offered no explanation, and though Helen felt, in view of their
friendship, that he might tell her, still she did not ask.

As they reached the circus grounds and Joe was putting away his
motor-cycle, he saw Tonzo Lascalla coming toward him.

"Well, and how is the millionaire to-day?" asked the trapeze performer.

"Millionaire?" asked Joe, in some surprise.

"Why, yes, you must be that since you get so much money and are never
known to spend any," returned the Spaniard.

There was a sneer on his face, and his words showed how much contempt
he thought he felt for Joe.

"You must have money in the bank," put in Sid, coming up just then.

"Well, suppose I have?" asked Joe, with a tinge of anger in the words,
"I earn what I get, don't I?"

"Oh, you may," replied Tonzo, with a shrug of his shoulders. "You
certainly keep what you get--that is sure."

"Of a certainty, yes!" chimed in Sid. "Not once have you treated the
crowd on the strength of your increases in salary."

"No," returned Joe slowly, "I haven't, that's a fact. And now I want to
say one thing. I know you fellows have been calling me a 'tight-wad'
and all that. I stood for it because----"

At that moment a dusty youth came pushing his way up to Joe, the
Lascallas and some others of the circus folk who had formed a group
about the boy fish. The youth was in the uniform of a telegraph
messenger, and he pushed a dusty wheel, chewing gum the while.

"Say, where's Joe Strong?" he asked of no one in particular. "I've got
a wire for him. Is he de guy what does dat tank act? Say! dat's swell,
all right. I'd like to see dat, I would!"

He took off his cap, and from the top extracted a telegram and a
receipt sheet.

"I'm Joe Strong," said our hero quietly.

"G'wan!" answered the messenger. "Why, he must be a big guy to do all
de bills says he does--rescuin' a diver an' all dat! G'wan!"

There was a laugh, but others assured the boy that Joe could make good
his claim to identity.

"Sign dis," the messenger said, extending the telegram and receipt
blank to Joe. The boy fish hurriedly scribbled his name, and then tore
open the envelope. As he read a look of surprise and joy showed on his
face.

"Hurrah!" he cried. "This is good news! Now, fellows, I'll tell you why
I wouldn't spend my money treating you. I wanted to, badly enough, but
I ha