



Produced by Annie R. McGuire








[Illustration: HARPER'S YOUNG PEOPLE]

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VOL. III.--NO. 138. PUBLISHED BY HARPER & BROTHERS, NEW YORK. PRICE FOUR
CENTS.

Tuesday, June 20, 1882. Copyright, 1882, by HARPER & BROTHERS. $1.50 per
Year, in Advance.

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[Illustration: TOBY AND ABNER ATTENDING THE REHEARSAL.]

MR. STUBBS'S BROTHER[1]

[1] Begun in No. 127, HARPER'S YOUNG PEOPLE.

BY. JAMES OTIS,

AUTHOR OF "TOBY TYLER," "TIM AND TIP," ETC.

CHAPTER XII.

A REHEARSAL.


When Toby told Uncle Daniel that night of their intention to go on with
the work of the long-delayed circus, and that Abner was to ride up to
the pasture, where he could see everything that was going on, the old
gentleman shook his head doubtingly; as if he feared the consequence to
the invalid, who appeared very much exhausted even by the short ride he
had taken.

Abner, interpreting Uncle Daniel's shake of the head the same way Toby
did, pleaded hard to be allowed to go, insisting that he would be no
more tired sitting in the little carriage than he would in a chair at
home; and Aunt Olive joined in the boys' entreaty, promising to arrange
the pillows in such a manner that Abner could lie down or sit up as best
suited him.

"We'll see what the doctor has to say about it," replied Uncle Daniel,
and with much anxiety the boys awaited the physician's coming.

"Go? Why, of course he can go, and it will do him good to be
out-of-doors," said the medical gentleman when he made his regular
afternoon visit, and Uncle Daniel laid the case before him.

Toby insisted on bringing Mr. Stubbs's brother into the invalid's room
as a signal mark of rejoicing at the victory the doctor had won for
them, and Abner was so delighted with the funny pranks the monkey played
that it would have been difficult to tell by his face that the morning
ride had tired him.

Mr. Stubbs's brother was quite as mischievous as a monkey could be; he
capered around the room, picking at this thing and looking into that,
until Aunt Olive laughed herself tired, and Uncle Daniel declared that
if the other monkey was anything like this one, Toby was right when he
named him Steve Stubbs, so much did he resemble that gentleman in
inquisitiveness.

The day had been so exciting to the boy who had been confined to one
room for several weeks that he was quite ready to go to bed when Aunt
Olive suggested it; and Toby went about his evening's work with a
lighter heart than he had had since the night he found his crippled
friend lying so still and death-like in the circus wagon.

The next morning Toby was up some time before the sun peeped in through
the crevices of Uncle Daniel's barn to awaken the cows, and he groomed
the tiny ponies until their coats shone like satin. The carriage was
washed until every portion of it reflected one's face like a mirror, and
the harness, with its silver mountings, was free from the slightest
suspicion of dirt.

Then, after the cows had been driven to the pasture, Mr. Stubbs's
brother was treated to a bath, and was brushed and combed until, losing
all patience at such foolishness, he escaped from his too cleanly
disposed master, taking refuge on the top of the shed, where he
chattered and scolded at a furious rate as he tried to explain that he
had no idea of coming down until the curry-comb and brush had been put
away.

But when the pony-team was driven up to the door, and Toby decorated the
bridles of the little horses with some of Aunt Olive's roses, Mr.
Stubbs's brother came down from his high perch, and picked some of the
flowers for himself, putting them over his ears to imitate the ponies;
then he gravely seated himself in the carriage, and Toby had no
difficulty in fastening the cord to his collar again.

Aunt Olive nearly filled the little carriage with pillows so soft that a
very small boy would almost have sunk out of sight in them; and in the
midst of these Abner was carefully placed, looking for all the world, as
Toby said, like a chicken in a nest.

Mr. Stubbs's brother was fastened in the front in such a way that his
head came just above the dash-board, over which he looked in the most
comical manner possible.

Then Toby squeezed in on one side, declaring he had plenty of room,
although there was not more than three square inches of space left on
the seat, and even a portion of that was occupied