ht you'd want to stay after you'd been so well received
this afternoon."

"No," said Toby--and one quick little sob popped right up from his heart
and out before he was aware of it--"I learned to ride because I had to,
but I never give up runnin' away. I must see Uncle Dan'l, an' tell him
how sorry I am for what I did; an' if he won't have anything to say to
me then I'll come back; but if he'll let me I'll stay there, an' I'll be
_so_ good that by-'n'-by he'll forget that I run off an' left him
without sayin' a word."

There was such a touch of sorrow in his tones, so much pathos in his way
of speaking, that good Mrs. Treat's heart was touched at once; and
putting her arms around the little fellow, as if to shield him from some
harm, she said, tenderly, "And so you shall go, Toby, my boy; but if you
ever want a home or anybody to love you come right here to us, and
you'll never be sorry. So long as Sam keeps thin and I fat enough to
draw the public, you never need say that you're homeless, for nothing
would please us better than to have you come to live with us."

For reply Toby raised his head and kissed her on the cheek, a proceeding
which caused her to squeeze him harder than ever.

During this conversation the skeleton had remained very thoughtful.
After a moment or two he got up from his seat, went outside the tent,
and presently returned with a quantity of silver ten-cent pieces in his
hand.

"Here, Toby," he said--and it was to be seen that he was really too much
affected even to attempt one of his speeches--"it's right that you
should go, for I've known what it is to feel just as you do. What Lilly
said about your having a home with us I say, an' here's five dollars
that I want you to take to help you along."

At first Toby stoutly refused to take the money; but they both insisted
to such a degree that he was actually forced to, and then he stood up to
go.

"I'm goin' to try to slip off after Job packs up the outside booth if I
can," he said, "an' it was to say good-bye that I come around here."

Again Mrs. Treat took the boy in her arms, as if it were one of her own
children who was leaving her, and as she stroked his hair back from his
forehead she said, "Don't forget us, Toby, even if you never do see us
again; try an' remember how much we cared for you, an' how much comfort
you're taking away from us when you go; for it was a comfort to see you
around, even if you wasn't with us very much. Don't for