had
altered for him. From being a beautiful place, full of lovely gardens,
and lovely homes, and kind people--from being full of snug little beds
to sleep in, and nice food to eat, and loving services of all
sorts--it had suddenly turned and shown its black face to the tenderly
nurtured little boy. Rough words were now his portion; he had a hard
bed to lie on, very insufficient and very poor food to eat, and in
addition to these things, blows and kicks were measured out to him
with a very liberal hand. Besides these fearful things, he was
expected to do what terrified him into the very core of his somewhat
timorous heart. Until he had been kidnaped by Mother Rodesia he had
never known that he was really timid, but now this side of his nature
had come to the fore. Day by day he grew more and more frightened,
and for the last fortnight he really lost his appetite, and his health
began to fail. He refused to eat the coarse and insufficient food, and
when he slept his sleep was broken by bad dreams. Little Diana knew
that there was something very wrong the matter, but she could not
quite tell what. She had a very energetic little brain, however, and
it was working now hard in Orion's behalf.

The noise and shouts made by the circus people were distinctly audible
to the two little children. Orion raised his head, looked around him
with a terrified glance, and began to cry feebly.

"Is Uncle Ben coming? Have I got to ride Greased Lightning? Di, are
you there? are you close to me?"

"Course I is," answered Diana. "Orion, don't you be such a silly; I is
with you. There's nothing going to happen."

"Nothing? Are you certain sure?" asked the child.

"K'ite. I is with you, Orion; don't you be fwightened; there's nothing
going to happen."

Orion leaned comfortably back against the fat little shoulder.

"P'w'aps you is a bit hung'y," said Diana. "There's bwead and milk on
the table; Aunt Sawah left it. Shall we eat our supper afore we
talks?"

"I can't eat," replied Orion. "I'm not a scrap hungry; I am never
hungry now. I wonder you can eat, Diana."

"Course I can eat," replied Diana; "I aren't a silly. I has got to
wide G'eased Lightning. I love G'eased Lightning. Don't know why you
is fwightened of him."

"But I am to ride Pole Star, and he's worse than Greased Lightning,"
replied Orion.

"Well, you listen to me," said Diana, speaking in a very firm and
authoritative voice. "See, I am eating up my supper, and you ha