The Corner House Girls Among the Gypsies

ter astride a broomstick with a dash and the usual clown announcement, "Here we are again!" all would not hav

House girl (nobody ever dignified her with the name of "Theresa," unless it were Aunt Sarah Maltby) was inclined to reflect the opinion regarding most boys

u

d circus," Sammy announced doggedly,

y, that you can't be that

lown as Mr. Sully Sorber, who is Neale's half-uncl

ss. "I mean you can't be just nothing. You occupy s

t? And I wish you wouldn't talk about school. Why! we

ng by, nursing the Alice-doll in her arms and waiting her turn to be called into

grumbled Sammy, who still held a deep-seated grouch because of the matter mentioned. "But 'tain

y!" admoni

ously announced the boy. "I'd rather

y. "You know, me and you didn't have a very nic

ls can't be pirates worth shucks. And anyway," he concluded

if we don't start in pretty soon," Tess observed. "Dot and I want to practice our gym w

the show anyway," Sammy

and prepared to make his entrance into the ring in true clowning style, as he

three rather odd looking people. Two were women carrying brightly stained baskets of divers shapes, and one of these women-

eatly dressed in very bright colors and wore a deal of gaud

nkney had made his famous "entrance" and Dot had abandoned the Alice-doll while she did several handsprings on the mattress that Tess had laid down. Dot did these very well indeed. Neale O'Neil, who had been trained in the

think Dot's handsprings were marvelously well done, too; they whispered together excite

r. She was as supple as an eel. Of course, Tess Kenway would not like to be compared to an eel; but sh

iasm. "Say! Lemme-Huh! What do you want?" For suddenly he saw the tw

young master and the pretty little ladies buy a nice

ou only have to carry things in it." The bane of Sa

e pretty," m

"Do you suppose we've got money enough to buy that one, Tess? How nice

grouped upon a bench in the corner of the garage as a part of the circus audience. The remainder of the spectators were Sandyface and her family. Sandyface was now a g

nts. And the recurrent appearance of new litters of kittens belonging to Sandyface herself, her da

m our narrative. Tess and Dot both viewed with eager eyes the par

her raincoat which Tess had worn down to the garage over her blouse and bloomers, she f

nts in her cunning little beaded ba

s. But there was only

that basket, please?" T

s give the poor old Gypsy woma

nto their banks for any purpose without asking Ruth's permis

" said the younger Gypsy woman-she who wa

ully. "But if we haven't so m

g the controversy quite as an outsider. "Say, Tess! if you and D

asped Dot. "A

it here with y

nnounced

ur borrowing twenty-five cents o

ot. "Why, Sammy is just

t," observed Sammy, his face clouding with r

fered it to Tess. She counted it w

es only forty-fiv

a tongue that the children did not, of course, unders

or forty-fi' cents, eh? T

s all the old basket is worth. I can get one big

t as bee-you-tiful

a basket jus

old woman's clawlike hand and the lon

m toothlessly. "You are honest little ladies, I can see. You would never cheat the old Gypsy

n is a bargain, ain't it? And forty-

ink we ought

t out hesitatingly.

y, Tessie Kenway

unger woman pulled sharply at her shawl. "But good fortune goes w

pockets, to look after them. He caught a momentary glimpse of the tall G

vely basket!"

ecause we borrowed that quar

end. "Don't tell her. You can pay

. "I would not hide

will want to know where we got the money to pay for

about such things they must have seen that the basket was worth much more than the p

hid the bottom of the basket. Then both saw something gleaming dully there. Tess and Dot cried out in

racelet!" T

. "Did you ever? Do you s'p

aking the circlet in her own hand. "How

Sammy coming clo

et-all fretted, too," excla

other's fretted she's-Say! how can a si

d, "these Gypsy women will be cross

e back and want to take it and the prett