Now it would be Abel, and then again Lydia, dragging Nadine or Cæsar up to some booth, and eagerly indicating the object that caught their fancy.
But their cutest coaxings were for the most part in vain. It was to earn money, and not to spend it, that they had come to the fair, and beyond the purchase of a few inexpensive trifles Nadine would not be persuaded.
"No, no, my dears," was her firm though gentle reply. "All our money must go for necessaries. We have none to spend upon things we don't really need. I wish very much we could afford to spend twenty francs or even more on the pretty things we see in the booths, but if we did we might have to go hungry, and we wouldn't like that, would we, little ones?"
Of course they had to submit as cheerfully as they could manage. It was no use pouting or sulking, and indeed they yielded to their elder sister's rule with uniformly good grace.
Having completed their tour of inspection, and satisfied themselves that, although there would be no lack of competition for popular favor, they stood a good chance of reaping a fair share of the harvest of coin to be distributed by the pleasure-seekers, they returned to where they had left their van.
To their acute amazement and consternation the familiar weather-worn house on wheels, which contained all their possessions, save the three animals, had disappeared, and in its place was another, larger, and newer, painted in glaring gaudy colors, and having a general air of vulgar audacity.
"Why, Cæsar!" cried Nadine, her fine eyes wide with alarm, and her heart beating fast. "What can this mean? Who has taken away our van, and put another in its place?"
Cæsar understood the situation at a glance. The owners of the other van, finding the location which they had in view already taken, and learning that it was only four children who owned the shabby old affair that stood there, had had the audacity to put Steady into the shafts, and remove the van out of their way while they put their own in its place.
Burning with indignation he went up to the van, and knocked at the closed door. After some delay it was opened by a large black-bearded rough-looking man, who demanded with an oath what the boy wanted.
Undismayed by the ruffianly appearance of the fellow, Cæsar spoke up stoutly: