But she herself soon forgot the quarrel in the excitement of arriving at the field again. Letty was not in sight and grandfather was engaged with Mr. Drake, so the children went on a tour of investigation. They visited the menagerie and stared at the blinking, sleepy looking animals for a time and then went in search of the ponies, which they found stabled in a small tent placarded as containing the marvelous fat lady and thinnest living skeleton.
As they stood feeding grass to the ponies and chattering, Letty joined them. She came up so softly over the thick turf that they did not know she was there until she spoke.
“Do you think your grandmother’s friend will take the ponies?” she asked slowly.
The twins turned, and stared. Letty’s eyes were swollen and red with weeping and her lip trembled as she spoke of the sale of Punch and Judy.
“I guess you hate to give ’em up,” observed Christopher sympathetically.
“Is that why you’ve been crying so, Letty?” asked Jane.
“Not altogether, though I shall miss the ponies. But I have to go away, and I haven’t anywhere to go.”
The sadness of this state of affairs touched the happy, well-cared for twins faintly.
“I guess you’ll find another circus to go with,” comforted Christopher cheerfully, after a little pause.
“Oh, I don’t want to go to another circus! I hate ’em!”