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THE LITTLE CLOWN
BY THOMAS COBB
AUTHOR OF 'THE BOUNTIFUL LADY,' 'COOPER'S FIRST TERM,' ETC.
LONDON: GRANT RICHARDS
1901
_CONTENTS_
1. _How it began_
2. _Jimmy goes to London_
3. _At Aunt Selina's_
4. _Aunt Selina at Home_
5. _At the Railway Station_
6. _The Journey_
7. _Jimmy is taken into Custody_
8. _Jimmy runs away_
9. _The Circus_
10. _On the Road_
11. _Jimmy runs away again_
12. _Jimmy sleeps in a Windmill_
13. _The Last_
The Little Clown
CHAPTER I
HOW IT BEGAN
Jimmy was nearly eight years of age when these strange things happened
to him. His full name was James Orchardson Sinclair Wilmot, and he had
been at Miss Lawson's small school at Ramsgate since he was six.
There were only five boys besides himself, and Miss Roberts was the only
governess besides Miss Lawson. The half-term had just passed, and they
did not expect to go home for the Christmas holidays for another four or
five weeks, until one day Miss Lawson became very ill, and her sister,
Miss Rosina, was sent for.
It was on Friday that Miss Rosina told the boys that she had written to
their parents and that they would all be sent home on Tuesday, and no
doubt Jimmy might have felt as glad as the rest if he had had a home to
be sent to.
But the fact was that he had never seen his father or mother--or at
least he had no recollection of them. And he had never seen his sister
Winnie, who was born in the West Indies. One of the boys had told Jimmy
she must be a little black girl, and Jimmy did not quite know whether to
believe him or not.
When he was two years of age, his father and mother left England, and
although that was nearly six years ago, they had not been back since.
Jimmy had lived with his Aunt Ellen at Chesterham until he came to
school, but afterwards his holidays were spent with another uncle and
aunt in London.
His mother wrote to him every month, nice long letters, which Jimmy
always answered, although he did not always know quite what to say to
her. But last month there had come no letter, and the month before that
Mrs. Wilmot had said something about seeing Jimmy soon.
When he heard the other boys talk about their fathers and mothers and
sisters it seemed strange that he did not know what his own were like.
For you cannot always tell what a person is like from her photograph;
and although his mother looked young and pretty in hers, Jimmy did not
know whether she was tall or short or dark or fair, but sometimes,
especially after the gas was turned out at night, he felt that he should
very much like to know.
On Monday evening, whilst Jimmy was sitting at the desk in the
school-room sticking some postage-stamps in his Album, he was told to go
to the drawing-room, where he found Miss Rosina sitting beside a large
fire.
'Is your name Wilmot?' she asked, for she had not learnt all the boys'
names yet.
'James Orchardson Sinclair Wilmot,' he answered.
'A long name for such a small boy,' said Miss Rosina. 'It is very
strange,' she continued, 'that all the boys' parents have answered my
letters but yours.'
'Mine couldn't answer,' said Jimmy.
'Why not?' asked Miss Rosina.
'Because they live such a long way off.'
'I remember,' said Miss Rosina; 'it was to your uncle that I wrote. I
asked him to send someone to meet you at Victoria Station at one o'clock
to-morrow. But he has not answered my letter, and it is very
inconvenient.'
'Is it?' asked Jimmy solemnly, with his eyes fixed on her face.
'Why, of course it is,' said Miss Rosina. 'Suppose I don't have a letter
before you start to-morrow morning! I shall not know whether any one is
coming to meet you or not. And what would Miss Roberts do with you in
that case?'
'I don't know,' answered Jimmy, beginning to look rather anxious.
'I'm sure I don't know either,' said Miss Rosina. 'But,' she added, 'I
trust I may hear from your uncle before you start to-morrow morning.'
'I hope you will,' cried Jimmy; and he went back to the school-room
wondering what would happen to him if his Uncle Henry did not write.
Whilst the other boys were saying what wonderful things they intended to
do during the holidays, he wished that his father and mother were in
England the same as theirs.
He could not go to sleep very early that night for thinking of
to-morrow, and when the bell rang at seven o'clock the next morning he
dressed quickly and came downstairs first to look for Miss Rosina.
'Please, have you had a letter from Uncle Henry yet?' he asked.
'No, I am sorry to say I have not,' was the answer. 'I cannot understand
it at all. I am sure I don't know what is to be done with you.'
'Couldn't I stay here?' cried Jimmy.
'Certainly not,' said Miss Rosina.
'Why not?' asked Jimmy, who always liked to have a reason for
everything.
'Because Miss Lawson is not going to keep a school any more. But,'
exclaimed Miss Rosina, 'go to your breakfast, and I will speak to you
again afterwards.'