"But I'm going to be a good one," she answered, gaily, "and if I'm good
enough, when I grow up maybe I'll be a great one."
The buckboard had been brought around, and the four young people climbed
in, Harkless driving. Before they started, the judge, standing on the
horse-block in front of the gate, leaned over and patted Miss Sherwood's
hand again. Harkless gathered up the reins.
"You'll make a great Hoosier, all right," said the old man, beaming upon
the girl. "You needn't worry about that, I guess, my dear."
When he said "my dear," Harkless spoke to the horses.
"Wait," said the judge, still holding the girl's hand. "You'll make a
great Hoosier, some day; don't fret. You're already a very beautiful one."
Then he bent his white head and kissed her, gallantly. John said: "Good
afternoon, judge"; the whip cracked like a pistol-shot, and the buckboard
dashed off in a cloud of dust.
"Every once in a while, Harkless," the old fellow called after them, "you
must remember to look at the team."
The enormous white tent was filled with a hazy yellow light, the warm,
dusty, mellow light that thrills the rejoicing heart because it is found
nowhere in the world except in the tents of a circus--the canvas-filtered
sunshine and sawdust atmosphere of show day. Through the entrance the
crowd poured steadily, coming from the absorptions of the wild-animal tent
to feast upon greater wonders; passing around the sawdust ellipse that
contained two soul-cloying rings, to find seats whence they might behold
the splendors so soon to be unfolded. Every one who was not buying the
eternal lemonade was eating something; and the faces of children shone
with gourmand rapture; indeed, very often the eyes of them were all you
saw, half-closed in palate-gloating over a huge apple, or a bulky oblong
of popcorn, partly unwrapped from its blue tissue-paper cover; or else it
might be a luscious pink crescent of watermelon, that left its ravisher
stained and dripping to the brow.
Here, as in the morning, the hawkers raised their cries in unintermittent
shrillness, offering to the musically inclined the Happy Evenings Song-
book, alleged to contain those treasures, all the latest songs of the day,
or presented for the consideration of the humorous the Lawrence Lapearl
Joke-book, setting forth in full the art of comical entertainment and
repartee. (Schofields' Henry bought two of these--no doubt on the
principle that two were twice as instructive as one--intending to bury
himself in study and do battle with Tom Martin on his own ground.)