Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1907-08-03

piained Toby. we live over there on
Grove street"
Over there" was indicated by a
semicircular sweep Of the arm, and
the big man pulled out a watch from
the coat he had resumed.
'You want to come with us if your
mother viii let your he asked.
TOby's face fell
'She won't" lie said dolefully. "She
hates circuses. She's going to whip
me when | get home. She made me
promise not to come. not even to look
at the parade"
Hes q circus boy. all right, Ted"
laughed one of the other men. ''She
knew that if he hit the tents it would
all come back to him. and il has. He
worked like veteran. He'd make a
great top mounter"
Hes going to make one announced
Ted. I'm goin' to see his mother. I
don't know what crouch she's got
against us show folks, but I'll talk
her out of 1t. Come, kid"
He held out q hand to Toby, and to-
gether they left the tent. Ted stopped
to speak to a man in the dressing tent,
and then they struck out across lots
for the tiny lit lie home where for the
last four years Rena Atkins had
sought to support herself and her son
by millinery and dressmaking She
was on the steps now peering up and
~ f41c
that Toby would come. But at the
sight of the man with him she shrank
into the house, though not before the
stranger had caught sight of her and
had gone bounding forward.
When Toby's shorter legs had COM
passed the distance he found his moth
err in the strangers arms striving 20
fight him off Toby valiantly came to
the rescue with feet and fists, but the
big man seemed scarcely to notice the
attack
"I've found you at last he was say
ing. 'Why did YOU run away, dear|
''You ask me that?" Her voice was
quiet now and tense with scorn. Let
me go and I will show you"
His arms dropped to his side, and she
slipped across the room to where her
pocketbook lay. Silently she offered
slip of paper frayed with handling and
yellowed with age.
''You believed thisY asked the man.
''You really thought had elOped with
Clara Grey? We left the same night
because Griffith was doing us out of
our salaries. Her husband, Jim Grey,
was playing with Coles circus, and she
Joined him. played couple of houses
for expense money to get back home
with. wrote, but the letter was there
! 1t the boarding house when l arrived.
They told me you had gone. Griffith
put that lying notice in the paper to
aide the real reason for our leaving, his
own dishonesty"
"And believed It," she sobbed, ''and
rve been trying to hide ever since to
bsep TIE boy from being like his ia
ther"
ats I'm the blood the big man said
tonderly. ''Why. the kiddie came into
On Eg top and saw us working on the
ma and ne went at 1t like he used to
an tMe old days. i never guessed that
- was my child. only saw what a
0reat top mounter he would make, and
I came 10 see II you would apprentice
him TO u.s. I never hoped to find a
wife and little son where l was look
ing for a topper"
"You-you forgive me?" she faltered.
"You were just foolish little child
to run away before you found out the
truth" he said, with a tender laugh.
IT'S all the more reason you should
have a husband to look after you, and
L know that Toby wants father"
".You bet do" put In Toby, at last
finding something he could understand.
"Are you my dad?" ~>-,,.r--~-----,s,-
Il am that" said the big man as he
Rugged Toby to his breast. "And you're
true chip Of the old block. Why,
laddie, 1 taught you these tricks you
| showed us this afternoon. 1t all came
out when you saw a ring again"
I'm glad 1 broke my promise" said
Toby complacently, ''even if | am
whipped for it."
But the whipping was deferred in
definitely.
NAys+obae, 2roo~,e M Not itqra Treas