While grandfather went in search of the manager, grandmother and the children stood watching this ceremony of tent pitching with absorbed interest. Men ran here and there with coils of rope and long stakes which they drove into the ground and then stood in a circle around a broad sheet of canvas that lay spread on the ground. At a given word the men tugged at their ropes and slowly a mountain of dingy yellow white rose in their midst. It swelled and swayed and flapped and then took shape. More tugging of ropes, more shouting, the last securing hammer on a stake or two and lo, the circus tent was raised!
A second tent was erected over the animal wagons and vans which had been arranged in a half circle and the horses removed. Then smaller tents were put up and painted signs hung out to advertise different side-shows.
“Where do you suppose all the queer people of the side-shows were while the percession was going on? The bearded woman, the armless man and all those?” whispered Jane to her brother.
“I don’t know. Maybe they were shut up inside of some of those closed wagons.”
“Oh, I should think that would be lots of fun,” laughed Jane. “Making people think you were some kind of a wild animal when really you were something lots more wonderful.”
Presently grandfather reappeared, followed by Mr. Drake and Letty. Mrs. Drake joined them, carrying her baby, who insisted upon Letty’s taking him at once, and chuckling with delight in her arms.
“So you are the little girl who saved my precious grandchildren from the dreadful bear?” said grandmother kindly, holding out her hand to Letty. “I am very glad to see you at last, to thank you for your brave act.”
“Oh,” replied Letty, with a catch in her voice, “it seems like another life when I did that. It happened so long ago and so much else has happened since. I was very happy then,” and the tears she could not control filled her sad brown eyes.
Jane looked at her in distress.
“Don’t cry, Letty,” she whispered, drawing her aside. “You never used to cry. Aren’t they kind to you?”