“Well, don’t let the elephant step on you; that’s all I ask,” laughed Mr. Martin, as he entered the gate. “Are you all ready?” he asked his wife. “I’m a bit late, but I couldn’t get away from the store any sooner.”
“The children have been a little impatient,” replied Mrs. Martin. “But we are all ready to start now.”
“Then come on,” invited Mr. Martin to his family. “I thought we’d walk down, instead of going in the auto,” he added. “There’s so much traffic it’s hard to drive, and there won’t be any room to park, I think.”
Then the Curlytops made ready to go downtown to view the circus parade. It was an annual affair in Cresco, and the schools always closed on that day—happy Cresco!
“Isn’t Norah going?” asked Mr. Martin, for he wanted all in his household to share in whatever joy there was.
“Oh, yes. She and Patrick and Mary, the girl from next door, are all going together,” said Mrs. Martin. “Norah has the rear door key so she can get in if she is back before we are.”
“And I suppose she will be, if we have to stay as long as we usually do,” chuckled Daddy Martin, as he motioned toward the children. “We’ll be lucky if we don’t have to stay to see the procession twice,” he went on in a low voice.
“Oh, I think, as long as you are going to take them to the circus this afternoon, they won’t want to stay too long at the parade,” murmured his wife. “They’ll be anxious to get home to eat so they can hurry off to the big tent.”
“Maybe so,” assented her husband. “You never can tell, though. But let’s get started,” he added to the children.
Out of the front gate trooped the Curlytops, their father, mother and little brother—the whole family. The streets were becoming more and more crowded each minute, for the time for the start of the circus parade was drawing near.