Part 2 (1/2)
”Well, no.”
”What is your idea?”
”I've been thinking that I should like to sign up as a dwarf for the rest of the season and sit on the concert platform in the menagerie tent. It wouldn't interfere with my other performance,” said Teddy in apparent seriousness.
Mr. Sparling leaned back, laughing heartily.
”Why, you are not a dwarf.”
”No-o-o. But I might be.”
”How tall are you?”
”A little more than five feet,” answered the lad with a touch of pride in his tone.
”You are almost a man. Why, Teddy, you are a full twenty inches taller than the tallest dwarf in the show.”
Teddy nodded.
”Don't you see you could not possibly be a'dwarf?”
”Oh, yes, I could. All the more reason why I could.”
”What kind of a dwarf would you be, may I ask?”
”I could be the tallest dwarf on earth, couldn't I?” asked Teddy, gazing at his employer innocently.
Everyone at the table broke out into a merry peal of laughter, while Teddy Tucker eyed them sadly for a moment; then he too added his laughter to theirs.
”If you were not already getting a pretty big salary for a kid, I'd raise your salary for that,” exploded Mr. Sparling.
”You can forget I'm getting so much, if you want to,” suggested Teddy humorously.
CHAPTER II
IN THEIR HOME TOWN
”Hey, Phil!”
”What is it, Teddy?”
”Wake up! We are in the old town again.”
Phil Forrest pulled aside the curtain and peered out from his berth into the railroad yards, the bright May suns.h.i.+ne flooding the old familiar scenes at Edmeston. Far off he could just make out the red brick chimney of his Uncle Abner's home.
What recollections it brought back to Phil Forrest--recollections that went back still further to a sweet face and laughing eyes his mother!
Phil dropped the curtain and lay face down in the pillow for a moment.
”I say, Phil.”