"No," answered the treasurer. "It's only when we hit the big mill cities that they are worked in on us. That's why I believe there is some system to it all."
"Well, we'll have to break up the system," declared Joe. "As soon as I get this new act of mine perfected I'm going to take a day or two off, over Sunday say, and visit the detective agency. They may need stirring up."
"I wish something could be done," declared the treasurer.
About a week after this conversation, during which time the circus had moved from place to place, doing good business, Mrs. Watson, meeting Helen on the lot, said:
"Who are Joe's new friends?"
"New friends? I didn't know he had any specially new ones," remarked the young bareback rider. "Has he been befriending some more poor broken-down circus men, like Ham Logan?"
"These aren't men," said the clown's wife. "They are three pretty girls. I saw Joe coming back from downtown with them. They seemed jolly—laughing and talking."
"Three pretty girls!" murmured Helen. And then she quickly added, with an air of indifference: "Oh, I suppose they may be some cousins he hasn't seen for a long while."
"I thought Joe said he had no relatives in this country," went on Mrs. Watson.
"I'm sure I don't know," and Helen's voice was very cool.