Part 19 (1/2)

Looking up, he saw Ben standing before him, and he wiped his eyes hastily, for here was another from whom he must part, and to whom a good-bye must be spoken.

Looking around to make sure that no one was within hearing, he went up very close to the old driver, and said, in almost a whisper, ”I was feelin' bad 'cause I just come from Mr. and Mrs. Treat, an' I've been say in' good-bye to them. I'm goin' to run away to-night.”

Ben looked at him for a moment, as if he doubted whether the boy knew exactly what he was talking about, and then said, ”So you still want to go home, do you?”

”Oh yes, Ben, _so_ much,” was the reply, in a tone which expressed how dear to him was the thought of being in his old home once more.

”All right, my boy; I won't say one word agin it, though it do seem too bad, after you've turned out to be such a good rider,” said the old man, thoughtfully. ”It's better for you, I know; for a circus hain't no place for a boy, even if he wants to stay, an' I can't say but I'm glad you're still determined to go.”

Toby felt relieved at the tone of this leave-taking. He had feared that Old Ben, who thought a circus-rider was almost on the topmost round of Fortune's ladder, would have urged him to stay, since he had made his _debut_ in the ring, and he was almost afraid that he might take some steps to prevent his going.

”I wanted to say good-bye now,” said Toby, in a choking voice, ”'cause perhaps I sha'n't see you again.”

”Good-bye, my boy,” said Ben as he took the boy's hand in his. ”Don't forget this experience you've had in runnin' away; an' if ever the time comes that you feel as if you wanted to know that you had a friend, think of Old Ben, an' remember that his heart beats just as warm for you as if he was your father. Good-bye, my boy, good-bye, an' may the good G.o.d bless you!”

”Good-bye, Ben,” said Toby; and then, as the old driver turned and walked away, wiping something from his eye with the cuff of his sleeve, Toby gave full vent to his tears, and wondered why it was that he was such a miserable little wretch.

There was one more good-bye to be said, and that Toby dreaded more than all the others. It was to Ella. He knew that she would feel badly to have him go, because she liked to ride the act with him that gave them such applause, and he felt certain that she would urge him to stay.

Just then the thought of another of his friends--one who had not yet been warned of what very important matter was to occur--came into his mind, and he hastened toward the old monkey's cage. His pet was busily engaged in playing with some of the younger members of his family, and for some moments could not be induced to come to the bars of the cage.

At last, however, Toby did succeed in coaxing him forward, and then, taking him by the paw, and drawing him as near as possible, Toby whispered, ”We're goin' to run away to night, Mr. Stubbs, an' I want you to be all ready to go the minute I come for you.”

The old monkey winked both eyes violently, and then showed his teeth to such an extent that Toby thought he was laughing at the prospect, and he said, a little severely, ”If you had as many friends as I have got in this circus you wouldn't laugh when you was goin' to leave them. Of course I've got to go, an' I want to go; but it makes me feel bad to leave the skeleton, an' the fat woman, an' Old Ben, an' little Ella. But I mustn't stand here. You be ready when I come for you, an' by mornin'

we'll be so far off that Mr. Lord nor Mr. Castle can't catch us.”

The old monkey went toward his companions, as if he were in high glee at the trip before him, and Toby went into the dressing tent to prepare for the evening's performance--which was about to commence.

It appeared to the boy as if every one was unusually kind to him that night, and, feeling sad at leaving those in the circus who had befriended him, Toby was unusually attentive to every one around him. He ran on some trifling errand for one, helped another in his dressing, and in a dozen kind ways seemed as if trying to atone for leaving them secretly.

When the time came for him to go into the ring and he met Ella, bright and happy at the thought of riding with him and repeating her triumphs of the afternoon, nothing save the thought of how wicked he had been to run away from good old Uncle Daniel, and a desire to right that wrong in some way, prevented him from giving up his plan of going back.

The little girl observed his sadness, and she whispered, ”Has any one been whipping you, Toby?”

Toby shook his head. He had thought that he would tell her what he was about to do just before they went into the ring, but her kind words seemed to make that impossible, and he had said nothing, when the blare of the trumpets, the noisy demonstrations of the audience, and the announcement of the clown that the wonderful children riders were now about to appear, ushered them into the ring.

If Toby had performed well in the afternoon, he accomplished wonders on this evening, and they were called back into the ring, not once, but twice; and when finally they were allowed to retire, every one behind the curtain overwhelmed them with praise.

Ella was so profuse with her kind words, her admiration for what Toby had done, and so delighted at the idea that they were to ride together, that even then the boy could not tell her what he was going to do, but went into his dressing-room, resolving that he would tell her all when they both had finished dressing.

Toby made as small a parcel as possible of the costume which Mr. and Mrs. Treat had given him--for he determined that he would take it with him--and, putting it under his coat, went out to wait for Ella. As she did not come out as soon as he expected he asked some one to tell her that he wanted to see her, and he thought to himself that when she did come she would be in a hurry, and could not stop long enough to make any very lengthy objections to his leaving.

But she did not come at all--her mother sent out word that Toby could not see her until after the performance was over, owing to the fact that it was now nearly time for her to go into the ring, and she was not dressed yet.

Toby was terribly disappointed. He knew that it would not be safe for him to wait until the close of the performance if he were intending to run away that night, and he felt that he could not go until he had said a few last words to her.

He was in a great perplexity, until the thought came to him that he could write a good-bye to her, and by this means any unpleasant discussion would be avoided.

After some little difficulty he procured a small piece of not very clean paper and a very short bit of lead-pencil, and using the top of one of the wagons, as he sat on the seat, for a desk, he indited the following epistle: