Andy proved to
her that Dewey was after her three thousand dollars, and would have
escaped with it only for his decisive action.

Murdock had introduced her to Dewey. The latter had pretended to be in
love with her, had promised to marry her, and that day had induced the
weak, silly old spinster to trust him with her little fortune.

"I have been a wicked woman!" Miss Lavinia declared. "I will make
amends, Andy. You shall have your rights. Come home with me."

"Not till my engagement is over, aunt," replied Andy, "and then only for
a visit, if you wish it. I love the circus life, and I seem to find just
as many chances there to be good and to do good as in any other
vocation."

Miss Lavinia was given back her three thousand dollars the next day, and
Sim Dewey was sent to prison on a long term.

Mr. Harding came on to the city the following day. He recovered all
except a trifle of the stolen circus money. That evening he sent a
sealed envelope by special messenger to Andy. It contained five one
hundred dollar bills--Andy's reward for capturing the embezzling
circus cashier.

The next afternoon Andy invited five of his special friends and several
of his acquaintances to a little dinner party.

Miss Starr, Billy Blow the clown, Midget, old Benares, Thacher, Luke
Belding and Mark Hadley were his guests of honor.

Andy had found a starting place in the circus for Mark, whose ambition
was to become a great magician.

They were a merry, friendly party. They jollied one another. They saw
nothing but sunshine in the sawdust pathway before them.

"You are a grand genius!" declared old Benares to Andy. "My friends, one
thought: in six weeks up from Andy the school boy, to Andy the acrobat."

"Hold on now, Mr. Benares," cried Andy, smilingly. "That was because of
my royal, good friends like you."

"And your own grit," said Marco. "You assuredly deserve your success."

And the other circus people agreed with Marco.

For the time being Andy heard nothing more of Tapp, Murdock and Daley.
The days passed pleasantly enough. He did his work faithfully,
constantly adding to his fame as an acrobat.

Between Andy and Luke Belding a warm friendship sprang up. Luke had much
to tell about himself. As time passed the lad who loved animals had many
adventures, but what these were I must reserve for another volume, to be
named, "Luke the Lion Tamer; or, On the Road with a Great Menagerie," In
that we shall not only follow brave-