"
"Did you seed inside de tent?" Willie asked, eagerly.
"I didn't have enough money for that," Douglas answered, frankly.
He turned to the small boy and pinched his ear. There was sad
disappointment in the youngster's face, but he brightened again,
when the parson confessed that he "peeped."
"A parson peeping!" cried the thin-lipped Miss Perkins.
"I was not a parson then," corrected Douglas, good-naturedly.
"You were GOING to be," persisted the spinster.
"I had to be a boy first, in spite of that fact."
The sudden appearance of Hasty proved a diversion. He was
looking very sheepish.
"Hyar he is, Mars John; look at him!" said Mandy.
"Hasty, where have you been all day?" demanded Douglas, severely.
Hasty fumbled with his hat and sparred for time. "Did yo' say
whar's I been, sah?"
"Dat's what he done ast yo'," Mandy prompted, threateningly.
"I bin 'ceived, Mars John," declared Hasty, solemnly. Mandy
snorted incredulously. Douglas waited.
"A gemmen in de circus done tole me dis mawnin' dat ef I carry
water fo' de el'phants, he'll let me in de circus fo' nuffin',
an' I make a 'greement wid him. Mars John, did yo' ebber seed
an' el'phant drink?" he asked, rolling his eyes. John shook his
head.
"Well, sah, he jes' put dat trunk a'his'n into de pail, jes' once
an--swish--water gone.
Pages:
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42