JERRY'S TREAT
Uncle Billy now led the party over to the pop corn and peanut stand
where he made several purchases for them, after which he told Jerry
that he had a treat in store for her.
"It's a secret between us and we'll tell you all about it when we get
back," he said to the others. "Now what would you like to do while we
are away?"
"Ride on the merry-go-round," declared both the girls in a breath, and
so after a few minutes, when they had reached the merry-go-round a
long string of tickets was handed Beth and she willingly promised to
remain there until Uncle Billy returned.
"What is it we're going to do?" asked Jerry in great excitement,
dancing along beside Uncle Billy as they started away.
"Away over your head I see something," he answered--"something round
like a ball, with a basket hanging beneath it. Can you guess what it
is?"
"Oh, do stop teasing," pleaded Jerry, "and tell me."
"It's a balloon," replied Uncle Billy. "Would you like to go up in it?"
"Oh, yes," she answered, her eyes dancing with delight. "Will it sail
away off?"
"No, Jerry, it won't or you wouldn't catch me going up in it. I'm going
to look it all over first to find out if it's perfectly safe."
"But suppose the rope should break?" insisted Jerry as they hurried
along.
"We'd let the gas escape from the bag, and that would make the balloon
sink slowly to the earth. Of course we would not let all of the gas
out, but just enough to let it sink to the ground. Why, you little
monkey," added Uncle Billy, "I believe you wanted it to break away,"
and he laughed at her daring.
After the balloon ropes were well tested, both climbed into the basket
where two women passengers were already standing beside the attendant.
"Only fifty cents for ten minutes above the clouds," shouted the man
selling tickets, "step this way and get off the earth."
"He's trying to be funny, isn't he?" laughed Jerry as she held tightly
to the basket's edge.
"All aboard for the ascension," someone called, and with a queer,
swaying motion and sudden lurches the huge ball of gas rose slowly into
the air.
"Oh, dear, I wish I'd never come!" exclaimed the woman standing next to
Jerry. "Aren't you scared, little girl?"
"Oh, but don't you like it?" was Jerry's surprised answer. "I think
it's wonderful. It's almost like being a bird."
Uncle Billy bent down to look at Jerry as they arose higher into the
air.
"Is it as fine as you thought it would be?" he asked.
"Oh, it's heaps nicer," she cried, clapping her hands. "See how small
everything is down there, and do you see the merry-go-round? What would
Mary and Beth think if they knew?"
"Over those hills is Merryvale," he pointed out. "That road winding in
and out leads into the town. It's the one we came by."
"Looks just like a piece of ribbon, doesn't it?" she answered.
"Seems as though we've stopped going up now," she observed a moment
later.
"Well, thank goodness," sighed the woman seated next to her, "I'm sure
it's plenty high enough for anybody. I'm most scared out of my wits
now."
Jerry squeezed Uncle Billy's hand as she looked up at him.
"She's afraid," she whispered.
"Which way is the ocean, Uncle Billy?" she added, a moment later.
"Which one--you know we have two of them?" was his teasing reply.
"Of course I know that, but I mean the Atlantic. That's the one I like
the best because you go to Europe that way."
Uncle Billy then pointed his long arm toward the east.
"Away, way over there," he said.
"My, but the world's an awfully big place," declared Jerry, "and to
think my doll, Togo Sen, has crossed an ocean and I've never even seen
one."
When the ten minutes had passed the balloon commenced to descend.
"It's been a beautiful surprise, Uncle Billy, I'll never forget it,"
said Jerry.
"I thought it would make you happy," was his answer.