Whether it was because the animal knew that the boy was petting him, or because he had been treated harshly, and was willing to make friends with the first one who was kind to him, it is difficult to say; certain it is that as soon as he found himself in Toby's arms he nestled down with his face by the boy's neck, remaining there as contentedly as if the two had been friends for years. "There, don't you see he knows me!" cried the boy in delight, and then he sat down upon the ground, caressing the animal, and whispering all sorts of loving words in his ear. "He does seem to act as if he had been introduced to you," said old Ben, with a chuckle. "It would be kinder nice if you could keep him, wouldn't it?" "'Deed it would," replied Toby earnestly. "I'd give everything I've got if I could have him, for he does act so much like Mr. Stubbs it seems as if it must be him." Then Ella whispered something to the old driver, the skeleton bestowed a very mysterious wink upon him, the fat woman nodded her head till her cheeks shook like two balls of very soft butter, and Abner looked curiously on, wondering what was the matter with Toby's friends. He soon found out what it was, however, for Ben, after indulging in one of his laughing spasms, asked: "Whose monkey is that you've got in your arms, Toby?" "Why, it belongs to the circus, don't it?" And the boy looked up in surprise. "No, it don't belong to the circus; it belongs to you--that's who owns it." "Me? Mine? Why, Ben--" Toby was so completely bewildered as to be unable to say a word, and just as he was beginning to think it some joke, Ben said: "The skeleton an' his wife, an' Ella and I, bought that monkey this forenoon, an' we give him to you so's you'll still be able to have a Mr. Stubbs in the family." "Oh, Ben!" was all Toby could say; with the monkey tightly clasped in his arms, he took the old driver by the hand; but just then the skeleton stepped forward holding something which glistened. "Mr. Tyler," he said, in his usual speech-making style, "when our friend Ben told us this morning about your having discovered Mr. Stubbs's brother, we sent out and got this collar for the monkey, and we take the greatest possible pride in presenting it to you; although, if it had been something that my Lilly could have made with her own fair fingers, I should have liked it better." As he ceased speaking, he handed Toby a very pretty little dog-collar, on the silver plate of which was inscribed: +---------------------------------+ | MR. STUBBS'S BROTHER. | | PRESENTED TO | | TOBY TYLER | | | | BY | | | | THE SKELETON, THE FAT WOMAN, | | OLD BEN, LITTLE ELLA. | +---------------------------------+