“But I’ll soon learn how they’re done,” he said to Tom, as they came away. “I’m not going to be stumped by them!”
“Then your going to keep at this ambition of yours, Joe?”
“I certainly am! I guess it’s in my blood, Tom.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised.”
Professor Rosello had again expressed his profound gratitude to Joe for saving his life. The magician had almost fully recovered from the shock and said he would go on that night to the next town where he would, later, give a performance. Joe left with a list of the succeeding places where Professor Rosello would “play.”
“And now I guess I’d better get home,” said Joe to Tom. “The folks may be worried about me, after hearing about the fire. I’ll send your suit back as soon as I can.”
“No hurry about that, Joe.”
On the way to the residence of his foster-parents Joe heard more talk of the fire, and his own brave act was often mentioned. How the fire started was not known, but the conjecture was that spontaneous combustion was the cause. Fires in factories where Fourth of July articles are made are not rare occurrences. As a matter of fact, they are rather to be expected.
In this case, the saving of the main building prevented what might have been a calamity with great loss of life. Most of the fire apparatus was returning as Joe turned down the street where he made his home with Mr. and Mrs. Blackford.
“I wonder if he’ll raise a row about my clothes,” thought Joe. To himself he always thought of Mr. Blackford as “he” and Mrs. Blackford as “she,” though in conversation with others Joe called them “dad” and “mother.”