The Circus Comes to Town

ck Half

he same corner at the same time Jerry did, but from the opposite direction. The impact was so swift and so hard that Jerry was whirled cl

ped the m

ack and looked dazedly up at the man, who was pressing both hands into the pit of his stomach.

ou-hur

plied, sitting up and feeling

n a more natural voice and one which Jerry now recognized as

. Barton. If I

uldn't do if we could see what the results were going to be. Why, bless me, it's Jerry Elbow! Well, I

ered. "Danny was running to ask Mother '

were you r

d to get up

e had fifty c

the sidewalk back of Mr. Barton caught his eye. It was a half-dollar! Jerry sank

solicitously and stooped to help

his lips unsealed at last, and

ry painful in that, is th

half-dollar tightly, a light of

king what you will spend it

ied Jerry, his eyes sparkling at

omething metallic fall on the sidewalk when you ran into me, but I h

d the precious half-dollar. What if it were Mr. Barton's! Perhaps he had knocked it out of Mr. Barton's pocke

held out the money to Mr. Barton. He tried to smile, but was cons

, I guess,

surprised drug clerk

n into you. I must of knocked it out of y

I," replied

ack into his eyes and there was a very different feel

him. "It's too long after pay day for me to have

mall coins out

t have been lying on one of the boards t

money and

both boards. Hello! That's a funny black mark on the other si

any, does it?" asked

good for a tick

to you, I wouldn't get

the money. Just sneak off to the circus when it comes and buy your ticket.

he would," Je

enjoy the circus," Mr. Barton ad

ck toward Mrs. Mullarke

as he opened the door. Danny sat glowering by the window; Celia Jane was weepi

work-and there were no fifty-cent pieces for the children to buy tickets with to see the elephant jump the fence. Jerry hugged himself just to

en that she had just finished at noon. Baby Kathleen sat at her feet, playing wi

n the chair without a back. He said nothing at

ents, too?" she inquired. "Don

Jerry, "but I ain

ce sharper than she was accustomed to use in speaking

her to think he thought that. "But it said to ask you

"If I had it to give, you wouldn't need a mother to ask it o

o no place," mutte

keep soul and body together and to get enough clothes to keep you looking decent and respectable. I was counting on some money from Mrs. Green to-day, to buy a litt

ll gone?" Jerry asked, suddenly

more right this minute. Summer

er arms and gurgling at him. He put his face gently agai

llar in his pocket seemed to become bigger and heavier. He was re

r see a circ

ere married. If he was living, he would find a way to take you

ots of money and take us all to the ci

, if you children will pick me some gooseberri

hleen's head and then went into the kitchen when he had heard the screen door slam and knew the Mullarkey children

his pocket and looked at it and the longer he looked the slower grew his pace. Then he thought of Kathleen and the summer cough that Mother 'Larkey said was bad for babies, and his lips suddenly closed in a firm, straight line. He

corner drug store. Speechless for lack of breath,

t is it this time

moment before

at cough medicin

n. "All I've got to do is to pour it f

but was back long before Jerry's pulse had

" he said. "For

each, he resolutely forced out of his mind every time he caught himself thinking about it. He tried to whistle to help forget the circ

half-dollar you found this afternoon!

erry admitted i

ld about f

Kathleen was all out of cough medicine a

hen you t

the bottle and b

rton w

me boy, and there

as he took the proffered h

t's what I call it, if anybody should ask you

ortant than the circus," replied Jerr

rry you can't go. I know how my two bo

five cents and return

arned the right to spend

f cough drops-the kind with

erry. Here's some good candy.

ey in 'em," explained Jerry. "She doesn'

, Jerry! You must like

He took the bag of cough drops and darted out through the door, but no

supply all the contractors in

d uncomfortable at the same time. Somehow it didn't seem quite so hard to have given up seeing the circus. He wouldn't mind not seeing th

ow that he had bought something for Kathleen, for Danny called him "Kathleen's pet" as it was and he didn't like to be laughed at.

sewing on Mrs. Green's dress. Jerry tiptoed carefully into the kitchen, replaced the bottle, stuffed th

oices of the other children comi

sighed Mrs. Mullarkey. "The

pocket and gave it to Kathleen. She smiled in delight at sigh

pick gooseberries?" asked Danny, as soon

pie, can he, Mother

replied Mrs. Mullarkey. "H

gooseberry patch,"

ngle gooseberry," Ce

er, "you always tell the tr

e him, Mothe

makes any difference; you'll get just

lips parted again as though he wanted

ght Danny was just trying to get even

go, Jerry?"

s that," dem

un over to the drug s

u want to go

said n

y," cried Celia Jane, falling into the habit that ma

and she pulled the remnant of the cough dro

yourself!" accused Celia Ja

andy for um's 'ittle T

a Jane. "Mother, make Je

rops for Kathle

the money?" Danny

rst to ask for fifty cents to s

thing!" ejaculated Da

Celia Jane, watching him sharply, wa

cents an' he bought something for hi

ar," Jerry stated,

!" exclaimed D

ifty cents!" C

the circus!" Danny added. "

," Jerry told

spent all of it at onc

t of candy," said Danny. "Fork

aper bag of cough drops an

y in 'em for Kathleen," he sai

Mother," plead

eplied her mother. "She n

y's Kathleen's little honey c

and sisters have ever done, unless it's Nora," declare

drops," Danny accused. "Where's the re

him the necessi

up at the shelf where the bottle

thleen," her mothe

haking her head and po

Mrs. Mullarkey. "I could have

sudden softening coming over

every cent of that half-dol

ry defended himself, "and that Kathleen needed more

art of you. It's as big as my Dan's was. You're more like him in heart and disposition than an

away?" It was Nora's st

ed scar on his face found him at last? He looked

!" said Mrs. Mullarkey almost fi

asked Danny. "I bet you was going to spend i

said you'd get it away from me if you knew I had fo

just for Kathleen?"

s much more important than

n gathered Jerry up in