Under the Lilacs | Page 9

refreshed himself with a warm bath, he gave his dog a good scrub while
Mrs. Moss set a stitch here and there in the new old clothes; and
Sancho reappeared, looking more like the china poodle than ever, being
as white as snow, his curls well brushed up, and his tasselly tail waving
proudly over his back.
Feeling eminently respectable and comfortable, the wanderers humbly
presented themselves, and were greeted with smiles of approval from
the little girls and a hospitable welcome from the mother, who set them
near the stove to dry, as both were decidedly damp after their ablutions.
"I declare I shouldn't have known you!" exclaimed the good woman,
surveying the boy with great satisfaction; for, though still very thin and
tired, the lad had a tidy look that pleased her, and a lively way of
moving about in his clothes, like an eel in a skin rather too big for him.
The merry black eyes seemed to see every thing, the voice had an
honest sound, and the sunburnt face looked several years younger since
the unnatural despondency had gone out of it.
"It's very nice, and me and Sanch are lots obliged, ma'am," murmured
Ben, getting red and bashful under the three pairs of friendly eyes fixed

upon him.
Bab and Betty were doing up the tea-things with unusual despatch, so
that they might entertain their guest, and just as Ben spoke Bab
dropped a cup. To her great surprise no smash followed, for, bending
quickly, the boy caught it as it fell, and presented it to her on the back
of his hand with a little bow.
"Gracious! how could you do it?" asked Bab, looking as if she thought
there was magic about.
"That's nothing; look here," and, taking two plates, Ben sent them
spinning up into the air, catching and throwing so rapidly that Bab and
Betty stood with their mouths open, as if to swallow the plates should
they fall, while Mrs. Moss, with her dish-cloth suspended, watched the
antics of her crockery with a housewife's anxiety.
"That does beat all!" was the only exclamation she had time to make;
for, as if desirous of showing his gratitude in the only way he could,
Ben took clothes-pins from a basket near by, sent several saucers
twirling up, caught them on the pins, balanced the pins on chin, nose,
forehead, and went walking about with a new and peculiar sort of
toadstool ornamenting his countenance.
The children were immensely tickled, and Mrs. Moss was so amused
she would have lent her best soup-tureen if he had expressed a wish for
it. But Ben was too tired to show all his accomplishments at once, and
he soon stopped, looking as if he almost regretted having betrayed that
he possessed any.
"I guess you've been in the juggling business," said Mrs. Moss, with a
wise nod, for she saw the same look on his face as when he said his
name was Ben Brown, -- the look of one who was not telling the whole
truth.
"Yes, 'm. I used to help Senor Pedro, the Wizard of the World, and I
learned some of his tricks," stammered Ben, trying to seem innocent.

"Now, look here, boy, you'd better tell me the whole story, and tell it
true, or I shall have to send you up to judge Morris. I wouldn't like to
do that, for he is a harsh sort of a man; so, if you haven't done any thing
bad, you needn't be afraid to speak out, and I'll do what I can for you,"
said Mrs. Moss, rather sternly, as she went and sat down in her
rocking-chair, as if about to open the court.
"I haven't done any thing bad, and I ain't afraid, only I don't want to go
back; and if I tell, may be you'll let 'em know where I be," said Ben,
much distressed between his longing to confide in his new friend and
his fear of his old enemies.
"If they abused you, of course I wouldn't. Tell the truth, and I'll stand
by you. Girls, you go for the milk."
"Oh, Ma, do let us stay! We'll never tell, truly, truly!" cried Bab and
Betty, full of dismay being sent off when secrets were about to be
divulged.
"I don't mind 'em," said Ben handsomely.
"Very well, only hold your tongues. Now, boy where did you come
from?" said Mrs. Moss, as the little girls hastily sat down together on
their private and particular bench opposite their mother, brimming with
curiosity and beaming with satisfaction at the prospect before them.
CHAPTER IV
: HIS STORY
"I ran away from a circus," began Ben, but got no further, for Bab and
Betty gave a simultaneous bounce of delight,