“Oh, yes,” exclaimed Letty, drying her eyes quickly, as she saw Mrs. Drake approaching, “they are very kind to me. But I—I don’t like being in a circus.”
“Poor little girl,” murmured grandmother sympathetically.
Then Mrs. Drake joined them and grandfather went away with the manager to buy tickets for the performance and then to look at a group of work horses tied to stakes at the back of one of the smaller tents.
“May we see Punch and Judy?” asked Jane.
“Would I have time before dinner?” Letty inquired wistfully of Mrs. Drake.
Mrs. Drake saw how eager Letty was to go with the children and good-naturedly gave her consent, taking the heavy, unwilling baby again into her own arms. The children ran off, leaving the two women standing talking together.
“Tell me what you can about Letty, Mrs. Drake. We are very much interested,” said grandmother and she explained who she was and why she was so much interested in the little circus girl.
“I am very sorry for Letty, mem,” replied Mrs. Drake sadly. “Her mother’s death was very hard on her, poor little thing, and then when her brother was killed last year she could scarcely get over the shock.”
“Poor, poor child! But you have been very good to her, Mrs. Drake. She spoke very affectionately of you just now.”
“She has been with us ever since her mother’s death, but I don’t know what’s to become of her now,” and the good woman sighed. “I promised her brother she should be to us like our own child, and so she has, up to now.”