Toby Tyler | Page 3

as a boy of
your age ought to be. But I've a great mind to give you a chance."
"What!" cried Toby, in amazement, and his eyes opened to their widest
extent as this possible opportunity of leading a delightful life presented
itself.
"Yes, I've a great mind to give you the chance. You see," and now it
was Mr. Lord's turn to grow confidential, "I've had a boy with me this
season, but he cleared out at the last town, and I'm running the business
alone now."
Toby's face expressed all the contempt he felt for the boy who would
run away from such a glorious life as Mr. Lord's assistant must lead;
but he said not a word, waiting in breathless expectation for the offer
which he now felt certain would be made him.
"Now I ain't hard on a boy," continued Mr. Lord, still confidentially,

"and yet that one seemed to think that he was treated worse and made
to work harder than any boy in the world."
"He ought to live with Uncle Dan'l a week," said Toby, eagerly.
"Here I was just like a father to him," said Mr. Lord, paying no
attention to the interruption, "and I gave him his board and lodging, and
a dollar a week besides."
"Could he do what he wanted to with the dollar?"
"Of course he could. I never checked him, no matter how extravagant
he was, an' yet I've seen him spend his whole week's wages at this very
stand in one afternoon. And even after his money had all gone that way,
I've paid for peppermint and ginger out of my own pocket just to cure
his stomach ache."
Toby shook his head mournfully, as if deploring that depravity which
could cause a boy to run away from such a tender hearted employer and
from such a desirable position. But even as he shook his head so sadly
he looked wistfully at the peanuts, and Mr. Lord observed the look.
It may have been that Mr. Job Lord was the tender hearted man he
prided himself upon being, or it may have been that he wished to
purchase Toby's sympathy; but, at all events, he gave him a large
handful of nuts, and Toby never bothered his little round head as to
what motive prompted the gift. Now he could listen to the story of the
boy's treachery and eat at the same time; therefore he was an attentive
listener.
"All in the world that boy had to do," continued Mr. Lord, in the same
injured tone he had previously used, "was to help me set things to rights
when we struck a town in the morning, and then tend to the counter till
we left the town at night, and all the rest of the time he had to himself.
Yet that boy was ungrateful enough to run away."
Mr. Lord paused, as if expecting some expression of sympathy from his
listener; but Toby was so busily engaged with his unexpected feast, and

his mouth was so full, that it did not seem even possible for him to
shake his head.
"Now what should you say if I told you that you looked to me like a
boy that was made especially to help run a candy counter at a circus,
and if I offered the place to you?"
Toby made one frantic effort to swallow the very large mouthful, and in
a choking voice he answered, quickly, "I should say I'd go with you, an'
be mighty glad of the chance."
"Then it's a bargain, my boy, and you shall leave town with me
tonight."

II: TOBY RUNS AWAY FROM HOME
Toby could scarcely restrain himself at the prospect of this golden
future that had so suddenly opened before him. He tried to express his
gratitude, but could only do so by evincing his willingness to
commence work at once.
"No, no, that won't do," said Mr. Lord, cautiously. "If your uncle
Daniel should see you working here, he might mistrust something, and
then you couldn't get away."
"I don't believe he'd try to stop me," said Toby, confidently; "for he's
told me lots of times that it was a sorry day for him when he found
me."
"We won't take any chances, my son," was the reply, in a very
benevolent tone, as he patted Toby on the head and at the same time
handed him a piece of pasteboard. "There's a ticket for the circus, and
you come around to see me about ten o'clock tonight. I'll put you on
one of the wagons, and by' tomorrow morning your uncle Daniel will
have hard work to find you."
If Toby had followed his inclinations, the chances are that he would

have fallen on his