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Well, said Barnabetta, ungraciously enough. What do you say, Pop?
Poor Scruggs was evidently used to playing second fiddle, as Mr. Buckham would have himself expressed it. He just nodded, and said:
I leave it to you, Barney. Well do just like you say.
The circus girl poised herself on one foot and looked doubtful. Her father did not stir.
You know, said Agnes, Neale maybe will be home soon. Hell know how to help you, she added, with confidence in her boy chums wisdom.
Barnabettas black eyes suddenly flashed. All right, she said, grumpily enough, and turned away to help her father rise.
Agnes heart was suddenly all of a flutter. She could not help wondering if Barnabetta was thinking of the money in the old album that Neale ONeil was carrying about the country with him. Yet that seemed an ungenerous thought and Agnes put it behind her. Later it was to return in spite of her and with force.
CHAPTER XVI SEVERAL ARRIVALS
It must be confessed that the Corner House girls, with no mother or father to confide in or advise with, sometimes did things on the spur of impulse that ordinary girls would not think of doing.
Agnes Kenway really had serious doubts about the honesty of Barnabetta Scruggs and her father. Just the same she was deeply interested in the circus girl, and she pitied the meek little clown. Barnabetta was quite the most interesting girl Agnes had ever met.
To think of a girl traveling about the country tramping it dressed as a boy, and so successfully hiding her identity! Why! if she did not speak, nobody would guess her sex, Agnes was sure.
What lots of adventures she must have had! How free and untrammeled her life on the road must be! Agnes herself had often longed for the freedom of trousers. She was jealous of Neale ONeil because he could do things, and enjoy fun that she could not partake of because of the skirts she wore.
And it was nothing new for the next to the oldest Corner House girl to fall desperately in love with a strange girl at first sight. Neale said, scornfully, that she was forever getting new spoons. He added that she had a crush on some girl almost always; but she seldom kept one of these loves longer than one term of school sometimes not so long.
Her very dearest friend was not always chosen wisely; but while that one was in vogue, Agnes was as loyal to her as ever Damon was to Pythias. And it must be admitted that it was usually by no fault of Agnes that these friendships were broken off.
For more than one reason did Agnes Kenway contract this sudden and violent fancy for Barnabetta Scruggs.
Neither Mr. nor Mrs. Buckham had raised any objection to Agnes taking the two strolling people home to the old Corner House, because of two very good reasons. First, they were very simple minded people themselves and it was their rule to do any kindness in their power; and secondly, Agnes had told them nothing at all about the conversation she had overheard between Barnabetta and her father regarding the book filled with money that Neale ONeil had carried to Tiverton with him.
Agnes helped get the poor circus clown into the straw in the body of the pung. But she sat on the seat with Mr. Buckham when the colts started off along the wood road.
Barnabetta sat down in the straw with her father. Tom Jonah careered about the sleigh and barked. Having seen the two strolling people kindly treated by his little mistress and Mr. Buckham, he gave over being suspicious of them.
The short winter day was drawing to a close. On the rough road Mr. Buckham drove carefully so as not to shake up his passengers, but once they arrived at the more beaten track of the public highway, he let the colts out and they sped swiftly townward.
Agnes was afraid Tom Jonah would be left too far behind and she begged Mr. Buckham to stop so that the old dog might leap into the pung and crouch at their feet in front. He was, indeed, well spent.
Not that you deserve to be helped at all, Tom Jonah, Agnes said sternly. You disobeyed and ran away and followed me. And I declare you scared me pretty nearly into a fit, so you did!
But she did not say how glad she was that the big dog had followed her into the wood. His presence had
and even shoes and stockings. And a hot bath was drawn for her in the bathroom with soap and towels laid by. Oh! the forlorn circus girl luxuriated in the bath.
Again and again the girl asked herself why she and the clown were being treated so kindly.
Had Barnabetta known what Agnes had said to Ruth when she ran in ahead of the rest of the party, she might not have been so surprised by Ruths kindness. Not a word did the younger girl say about Barnabetta and her father having tried to detain her in the woods.
Oh, Ruth! these poor folk are circus people. They know Neale ONeil. And Neale is with his uncle in Tiverton, where hes lying hurt. The circus is in winter quarters there. And the old album is safe!
She did not say how she knew this last to be the case; and Ruth was so busy making the visitors comfortable that she did not ask, but accepted the good news unquestioningly.