rew up a real tomboy, went a
bit too far, in fact, Ma said: at Honolulu, for instance, on the road to
'Frisco and New York, where Pa had resolved to go, at all costs, come what
might--it was one step nearer London!--at Honolulu--ten days there and
such a success!--the child played truant in the gardens teeming with birds
and fruit, climbed apple-trees, was caught one day and scampered off at
full speed, pursued by Ma, who threatened to give her a sound smacking
this time, the little thief! But Pa thought it ridiculous, for the sake of
an apple....

"And suppose Lily had broken her leg with her nonsense?" asked Ma
indignantly. "Where would your New York be?"

Pa felt himself a conquering hero when they steamed through the Golden
Gate: the States at last! And no sooner was his foot on the wharf at
'Frisco than off to the agents at once, with his photographs, his
contracts, his posters! But it was her birth-certificate they asked to
see. And no babes and sucklings allowed on the stage here. It was all
right down yonder, but the law prevented it here.

"Damn your laws!" snapped Pa furiously. "Do you think we make stars to
hide them under bushels?"

And whoosh! Off for Mexico, where children are allowed to perform.

Now, in Arizona, near Phoenix, where the train stopped for some hours,
owing to an accident to the Rio Gila bridge, Pa happened upon a
merrymaking which reminded him of West Australia. Cow-boys, galloping
horses, a pretense at fighting, lassoing, revolvers, a track for amateur
cyclists and--yes, there, in the desert!--on a platform, right in the
middle, what should Pa see but an amazing artiste, riding on the
back-wheel, with the other in the air! And such twirls! And the boys
shouted to him:

"Hullo, Trampy! Have a drink, Trampy!"

And Trampy accepted:

"With you, my lord! As soon as I've done, my lord!"

And off he wheeled, head on the saddle, feet in the air, whistling _Yankee
Doodle_!

It was impossible! Pa rubbed his eyes: what! Was this what they did in the
States in the desert? And he who had hoped, with Lily ... why, damn it,
Lily knew nothing! He himself, her manager, knew less than nothing! He,
who thought he had formed a star! Pa was red with shame. And, suddenly, he
had a happy thought: he, too, offered Trampy a drink, something to propose
to him....

"All right."

They shook hands, went to the bar, lit a cigar, like men, by Jove! Clifton
loved to talk business, to pull out notebooks,