The Circus Boys on the Mississippi; Or, Afloat with the Big Show on the Big River

howman was standing over near the entrance to the menagerie tent when Manuel took his unexpected

Mr. Sparling prudently kept himself out of

he chanced to pass Te

y working tonight?" he asked

ter, sir,

eys your command

can do anything with that donkey. Why, I could

hat you do not tell him to do anything that will interfere with the programme. We must have our ac

ddy, giving the owner a

letting me off easy because he had to laugh,

Phil, who had emerged from the dressing tent j

told

ust say. It is a wonder he di

nk he saw M

e careful, Teddy! You are laying up

Hat Thrower, just the

ow that night, and he went to his sl

ross the state of Illinois. The route had caused considerable comment among

f the country the show will visit during that particular season. The performers were unable to do so in thi

ise up his sleeve,

shr

r. Miaco, the head clown, if

rling may be headed for Australia for all I know. He's just as likely to g

N

y from him. Tha

him. You may depend

y as much

job with January la

sn't s

aw the whole thing.

did not happe

o sure that

ha

Sparling had said to T

ess he doesn't know about the troub

oublemaker, or that I was mixed up in an unseemly row in the dressing tent. I should feel very much humilia

t you

I d

know what d

, s

Decorat

that'

s. I'll wager you do not even know what town w

to confess t

se you know we are in

eard something to that

performers busily engaged in unpacking their belongings, hanging their costumes on lines stretched across the dressing tent, and making

s Boy did not mind this at all, but the clown ap

iaz," greeted the la

ake hands an

He did not even appear to have observed

ut it, sir. If I was hasty I beg

ed his ba

little proudly and with slightly heighten

acking his trunk, giving no fu

an amused witness to the one-sided conversation, the word "nix"

im up, Teddy,

on over in the wome

out of the ordinary was happ

of folks goin

sual about t

ther

kes you

rying flowers in and

r to find out

out. You know you are not supposed

ng tent, where he saw several of the other performers passing through the entrance.

ing on over there. I shall have to

. Waite?" called Ph

hil," smiled the

enter, but the moment he stepped inside something c

wn an American flag. At one end a flag on a standard had been

t thing?" a

ter Teddy," answered M

r gr

es

nd of grave. What's burie

" whispered Ph

some kind of a jok

and the meaning of it just yet. You say th

know my husban

t, Mrs. Waite. Will you

eeply inte

dlawn Cemetery. I am never at home on Decoration Day. I am always

," breathed t

ial Day morning I prepare my grave here in the dressing tent, and decorate it as you se

any years have you been decorating this lit

years,

t pos

seems no mo

h the show much longer-aren'

p enough money to keep me for the rest of my life, and I am

will miss the sho

the color, and I shall miss my boys an

the dressing tent, depositing their little floral rememb

while he returned. He brought with him a bunch of daisies that he had gathered on the circus lo

d, noting their signific

, after all," was

-draped grave, gently placed his o

sh a hand across his eyes as if some