re he touched Toby on the shoulder, as if
he were some living curiosity whose habits and mode of capture he was
about to explain to a party of spectators--"is Mr. Toby Tyler, of whom
you heard on the night when the monkey cage was smashed, and who now
carries with him the identical monkey which was presented to him by
the manager of this great show as a token of esteem for his skill and
bravery in capturing the entire lot of monkeys without a single blow."

By the time that Mr. Treat got through with his long speech Toby felt
very much as if he were some wonderful creature whom the skeleton was
exhibiting; but he managed to rise to his feet and duck his little red
head in his best imitation of a bow. Then he sat down and hugged Mr.
Stubbs to cover his confusion.

One of the Albino Children now came forward, and, while stroking Mr.
Stubbs's hair, looked so intently at Toby that for the life of him he
couldn't say which she regarded as the curiosity, himself or the monkey;
therefore he hastened to say, modestly:

"I didn't do much toward catchin' the monkeys; Mr. Stubbs here did
almost all of it, an' I only led 'em in.

"There, there, my boy," said the skeleton, in a fatherly tone, "I've
heard the whole story from Old Ben, an' I sha'n't let you get out of it
like that. We all know what you did, an' it's no use for you to deny any
part of it."

X. MR. STUBBS AT A PARTY

Toby was about to say that he did not intend to represent the matter
other than it really was, when a voice from behind the canvas screen
arrested further conversation.

"Sam-u-el, come an' help me carry these things in."

Something very like a smile of satisfaction passed over Signor Castro's
face as he heard this, which told him that the time for the feast was
near at hand; and the snake charmer, as well as the Albino Children,
seemed quite as much pleased as did the sword swallower.

"You will excuse me, ladies and gentlemen," said the skeleton, in an
important tone; "I must help Lilly, and then I shall have the pleasure
of helping you to some of her cooking, which, if I do say it, that
oughtn't, is as good as can be found in this entire country."

Then he, too, disappeared behind the canvas screen.

Left alone, Toby looked at the ladies, and the ladies looked at him,
in perfect silence, while the sword swallower grimly regarded them all,
until Mr. Treat reappeared, bearing on a platter an immense turkey, as
nicely browned as any Tha