The Circus Comes to Town Part 28

"Yes," Jerry replied hesitantly.

"There, you see, Mother, I didn't steal it," Danny defended himself.

"Because you put Celia Jane up to getting Jerry's ticket for you,"

continued his mother, "you must stay home to-night and--"

"Not go to the circus!" exclaimed Danny. "When it don't cost nothin'!"

"And Celia Jane can keep you company. I've told you again and again that you couldn't impose upon Jerry just because he's not a Mullarkey."

"Stay home from the circus!" wailed Celia Jane, appalled, and then she burst into a flood of tears. Jerry was sure they were not crocodile ones this time, for her body shook with the sobs of anguished disappointment.

He wanted Celia Jane to see the circus and Danny, too, and he knew Danny was sorry.

"Mebbe I wouldn't never have seen Whiteface--Father," he said to Mother 'Larkey, "if Danny hadn't gone into the circus."

"That is true," Whiteface corroborated. "I found him crying outside the tent and told him he could speak to me inside if he recognized me. He did recognize me and that was undoubtedly one of the things that led to the discovery of his ident.i.ty."

"Danny likes me," Jerry added. "He fought Darn Darner when he said they was goin' to take me to the poor farm."

"So do I l-l-like you, J--J--Jerry," sobbed Celia Jane. "--I--I'm sorry I--" A fresh outburst of sobbing prevented further speech.

Jerry's heart was touched at her grief and his own lips began to twist.

"I want Danny and Celia Jane to see the circus, too, Mother 'Larkey,"

Jerry protested. "I ain't mad at them any more."

"Please let them come," urged Jerry's mother. "I am so happy that I can't bear to think of them being so terribly disappointed. And Gary's pleasure would be spoiled knowing they were here at home while the rest of you were at the circus."

"It does seem hard-hearted," Mrs. Mullarkey relented, "but Danny knows he can't pick on Jerry and not suffer for it. They can go to the circus, but I'll leave it to them what they shall do as a reminder that they mustn't pick on Jerry again. Danny, what will you do?"

Danny hesitated a moment and then said without a tremor:

"Jerry can have all my marbles and I'll feed his white rabbit for him all summer."

"Not _all_ your marbles?" queried Jerry, knowing what a pang it must have cost Danny voluntarily to decide to part with all his agates and gla.s.sies and pee-wees and commies and steelies.

"Yes," said Mrs. Mullarkey, "every last one. Now, Celia Jane, stop your crying and tell us what you will do."

"I'll sweep the kitchen every day and do dishes without grumbling,"

Celia Jane sniffled, while Danny was off upstairs at a run.

"That will remind you to be more careful," said Mrs. Mullarkey, "and remember you are to work willingly, without any grumbling."

"I will, Mother," sobbed the girl.

"And now," Jerry heard his father saying, "it is time for us to be going back to the circus and of course Helen wants Gary with her now. We'll keep him with us for three weeks and then, when we play Hampton, I'll bring him back here for the rest of the summer. When our season closes we'll come for him and take him to Carroll."

"And we hope you will decide to move there, too, Mrs. Mullarkey," said Mrs. Bowe.

"I will if Mr. Bowe thinks it will be best for the children," she replied.

"I do think it so," said Whiteface. "To-morrow I'll mail you a check for one hundred dollars and the rest of the thousand I'll send to you as you want it. We'll arrange that when I bring Gary back. I have nothing with me now, as I haven't any pocket in these clothes."

"I have," said Mrs. Bowe and took several bills from her bag and pressed them into Mrs. Mullarkey's hands.

"I can't thank you," said Mother 'Larkey. "I don't know how."

"You've loved Gary, Mrs. Mullarkey. He wouldn't love you so much if you hadn't. That is more thanks than I want. We owe more than thanks to you.

Tell them good-by, Gary. We must start."

Jerry was awfully glad that he had found his parents and that he was going with them and was much excited at the thought of traveling with the circus for three whole weeks and getting real well acquainted with Great Sult Anna O'Queen, but his throat grew all lumpy at the thought of leaving kindly Mother 'Larkey, loving Kathleen and gentle Nora and Chris and--yes, and Danny and Celia Jane, too.

Mrs. Mullarkey gathered him up in her arms and kissed him.

"Good-by, Jerry. You've brought good fortune to this family and put food into the mouths of my children and clothes on their backs when I couldn't see where they were to come from. You must love your mother hard for all the time she has been without you--and your father, too."

"I will," Jerry promised and squeezed her neck very hard and kissed her.

Just then Danny came tumbling breathlessly downstairs and thrust a little cloth sack, which was very heavy, into Jerry's hand.

"Here are my marbles," he said. "All thirty-two of them."

"I don't want them," said Jerry.

"Take them with you, Jerry," Mother 'Larkey urged him. "It will help Danny to remember some things which he mustn't forget."

Jerry consulted his mother's eyes. She nodded her head and he took the marbles. Then he shook hands with Danny and Chris and Nora and kissed and hugged Kathleen, leaving Celia Jane till the last, because she was still sobbing.

Celia Jane did not feel entirely forgiven because Jerry seemed to avoid her and she abased herself before him.

"I--I'm s-s-sorry, Jerry. I'll n-n-never do it again. You ain't mad at m-m-me any m-m-more, are you, Jerry?"

"No, I ain't mad at you," Jerry a.s.sured her.

"Then will you m-m-marry me when we are g-g-grown up, Jerry?"

Jerry flushed uncomfortably at that and felt that Celia Jane was taking an unfair advantage of him, so he did not answer.

"W-w-will you, J-J-Jerry?" Celia Jane besought him.

"No," said Jerry at length.

"Why w-w-won't you?"

Jerry felt himself flus.h.i.+ng still more hotly from head to foot, partly at the smile he saw his father and mother exchange and partly at Celia Jane's importunity.

"Because," he said.

"I'll g-g-give you my silver ring if you will, Jerry."