good for Peter to have them ready, for to-morrow is market day."

So the boys worked on right along until lunch time, each having picked
four big baskets full. August Stout came along and helped some too, but
he could not stay long, as he had to cut some clothes poles for his
mother.

"Well, I declare!" said Mrs. Burns, looking at the three full bags the
boys had picked. "Isn't that splendid! But I can't pay until Peter
comes from market."

"We just did it for fun," answered Harry. "We don't want any pay."

"Indeed you must have forty cents apiece, ten cents a basket," she
insisted. "See what a good load you have picked!"

"No, really, Mrs. Burns; mother wouldn't like us to take the money,"
Harry declared. "We are glad to have helped you, and it was only fun."

Poor Mrs. Burns was so grateful she had to wipe her eyes with her
gingham apron.

"Well," she said finally, "There are some people in this world who talk
about charity, but a good boy is a gift from heaven," and she said this
just like a prayer of blessing on the boys who had helped her.

"The crop would have been spoiled to-morrow," remarked Tom, as he and
his companions started up the road. "I'm awfully glad you thought of
helping her, Harry."

It seemed all that day everything went right for the boys; they did not
have even a single mishap in their games or wanderings. Perhaps it was
because they felt so happy over having done a good turn for a poor
neighbor.

"Say, fellows," Tom said later, while they sat on the pond bank trying
to see something interesting in the cool, clear water, "what do you say
if we make up a circus!"

"Fine," the others answered, "but what will be the show?"

"Animals of course," continued Tom; "we've got plenty around here,
haven't we?"

"Well, some," Harry admitted. "There's Sable, for instance."

At this the boys all laughed at Tom, remembering the runaway.

"Well, I could be a cowboy, and ride him just the same," spoke up Tom.
"I rode him around the track yesterday, and he went all right. He was
only scared with that sulphur match when he ran away."

"A circus would be fine," Bert put in. "We could have Frisky as the
Sacred Calf."

"And Snoopy as the Wild Cat," said Harry.

"And two trained goats," August added.

"And a real human bear, 'Teddy'?" suggested Jack.

"Then a cage of pigeons," went on Harry.

"Let's get them all in training," said Tom, jumping up suddenly,
anxious to begin the sport.

"I t