A
tiny frown came into the small, white forehead.
"What's the matter?" she asked faintly, trying to find something
familiar in the black face before her.
"Hush, child, hush," Mandy whispered; "jes' you lie puffickly
still. Dat's only de furs' bell a-ringin'."
"First bell?" the girl repeated, as her eyes travelled quickly
about the strange walls and the unfamiliar fittings of the room.
"This ain't the show!" she cried, suddenly.
"Lor' bless you, no; dis ain't no show," Mandy answered; and she
laughed reassuringly.
"Then where am I?" Polly asked, half breathless with
bewilderment.
"Nebber you mind 'bout dat," was Mandy's unsatisfactory reply.
"But I DO mind," protested Polly, trying to raise herself to a
sitting position. "Where's the bunch?"
"De wat?" asked Mandy in surprise.
"The bunch--Jim and Toby and the rest of the push!"
"Lor' bless you!" Mandy exclaimed. "Dey's done gone 'long wid de
circus, hours ago."
"Gone! Show gone!" Polly cried in amazement. "Then what am I
doing here?"
"Hole on dar, honey! hole on!" Mandy cautioned. "Don't you 'cite
yo'se'f."
"Let me alone!" Polly put aside the arm that was trying to place
a shawl around her. "I got to get out a-here."
"You'se got plenty o' time for dat," Mandy answered.
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