may begin, because you are the oldest." But it was impossible to
stop them, as they rushed up to her and threw their arms around
her.

"Oh, Mammy," cried little Davie, his cheeks aflame, "you can't
think--there's monkeys!"

At that Phronsie gave a little squeal, and before Polly could
stop her, she slipped out of her chair and plunged over to her
mother. "Oh, Mammy, I want a monkey, I do."

"And bears--and horses," shouted Joel, winding both arms around
Mother Pepper's neck.

"Whatever in all this world!" exclaimed Mrs. Pepper, looking
over their heads. Then her eyes fell on Ben. "Do you know
anything of all this?" she asked.

"Yes'm," said Ben, his head dropping lower yet, while Joel and
David howled on, and Phronsie screamed to be taken up in her
mother's lap, and that she wanted a monkey too. Polly sat as if
paralyzed.

"What is it?" asked Mrs. Pepper.

"The circus," said Ben, slowly, "coming over to Hillsbury."

Polly sprang from her chair, upsetting it, and plunged over to
Mrs. Pepper. "Oh, Mamsie!" she screamed, as loud as the others,
"the circus! the circus! Oh, oh! Can't we go? We must!"