Page:Stringer - Lonely O'Malley.djvu/145

 smile, shot through with wordless melancholy, and was deciding that all was well, when he noticed one of the clowns, dressed up as a "country jake " and having great fun with the later arrivals who sought for seats, whispering to a uniformed guard just inside the ring, and unmistakably pointing at him.

As the guard made his way in through the half-dozen crowded rows. Lonely promptly and inspiredly decided on his course of action.

"Come out o' that, you!" the guard shouted angrily at the boy.

"Me?" said the pensive and placid-looking Lonely.

"Yes, you! You stole in here! Come on!"

Lonely put a calm and trusting face up to the stout woman breathing somewhat heavily at his side.

"Why, maw, I come in with you, did n't I, maw?"

The country-woman breathed still more heavily, for a pregnant second or two, and Lonely smiled sleepily, although he knew at that very second that his fate hung nicely in the balance of blind chance.

But he had not altogether erred in his