Stung by the inference, she took hold of his shoulders and gave him a sound shaking. “I told you—sing—sing—sing, you silly boy that can’t spell and eats too much candy. I can sing, and nobody can take that away from me or make me stop.” She released him unexpectedly, and he fell backwards over the step. He picked himself up in amazement, collecting his thoughts and saying slowly, “If you were a boy, I’d lick you.” “Dare you—go on—pretend I am a boy.” She thrust her bare foot across the imaginary, forbidden line drawn by opponents. Dan laughed. “Honest, I like you too much. You ain’t a coward like Lorraine McDowell; she cries if a little bit of a toad hops her way. She likes me more’n I like her and I hate that.” “Was that Lorraine with the pretty dress?” Thurley’s red lips twitched impatiently. “Oh, she’s got lots of dresses—she’s always having parties and speaking in school, but she’s a cry-baby. Just because she’s the minister’s daughter she thinks she’s got to be in everything.... Thurley, what words was spelled wrong in that circus poster?” Dan’s dark eyes looked humbly at the new tyrant. “I’m taller’n you,” he could not refrain from adding. “People—p-e-o-p-l-e—and two ss’s in missing.” “I’ll change ’em, if you’ll come.” “If I can find the pins.” “No, you come and sing, and I’ll write on here, ‘Hear the wonderful singer from way out west; she has travelled miles to get here.’ It’ll be the next best thing to the swinging man.” “All right.” Thurley clapped her hands. “Who is the swinging man?” “Why, me,” he answered, in innocent surprise at her question. “Is Lorraine going to be in it?” “Not much! She’s got to get pins and come and watch us.” “Then I’ll sing, because I don’t think I like ministers’ children.” This was another bond between them. But Dan’s way of showing it was to ask, “Where do you go to winters?” “Mostly the winter quarters of O’Brien’s circus. Ma used to pose in living pictures with one of the O’Brien girls and that’s why we got invited. The quarters are out in Iowa, and it’s just like having a real house and home. Sometimes acrobats that got hurt during the season rest up, or clowns, and one winter we had the india-rubber man and his wife, the bearded woman; and he taught me a lot of songs and she showed me two fancy steps in dancing. Of course, the nicest part is having the animals.” “Animals?” demanded Dan incredulously. “You mean—circus animals?” “Sure, that’s what the quarters are for—tigers and bears and monkeys and an elephant or two and a lion, and, for the last two winters, I was big enough to help rub in the tonic.” Dan’s eyes were aflame with curiosity. “Tonic?” he whispered. “What are you trying to hand me?” New worlds were rapidly opening for the young czar. “Skin tonic—to get their coats in shape for the opening on Decoration Day. Sometimes they’re as glossy as silk by spring. Pa and Ma used to do it when I was too little, but their coughs got awful bad, so I took the job.”