“Offers $1,000 Reward for Return of Lost Gem.”

Quickly he read down the column, then his face fell.

“Guess he thinks I stole it,” he muttered.

It certainly looked that way, for Major MacDonald had publicly offered a reward of a thousand dollars for the return of the ring, and had made it plain that no questions would be asked.

“They won’t be asked, either.” Johnny set his teeth hard. “I’ll let him know that he can keep his reward. I’ll get that ring back, and I’ll send it to him with no return address.”

Even as he spoke, he started. A new thought had struck him. What if the girl who had the ring should read of the reward and return the jewelry? Where would he be then?

“He’d think I had stolen it and given it to a circus girl,” Johnny groaned. “Then what would he think of me?”

But the next moment he was resolute again. “I’ll get next to that boxing bear fellow right away, and I’ll cultivate the acquaintance of Millie, if she cuts my face open with that whip of hers. I’ll win yet! Watch my smoke!”

He hastened away, resolved upon getting better acquainted with Millie Gonzales at once.

That night, however, offered no further opportunity for making acquaintances. Indeed, he was made more and more conscious of the fact that in the circus there existed an almost unbreakable line of caste. There were the performers and the attendants. The attendants were kept in their places. They did not mingle with the performers; they were distinctly considered beneath them.

“Oh, well,” Johnny said to himself, “if that’s that, why I’ll have to get to be a performer, that’s all.”

But when he came to think it over soberly, he could imagine no means by which this end could be attained.

If he had but known it, the opportunity was to present itself in a not far distant time, and in a manner as startling as it was sudden.

In one thing that night he was extremely fortunate—he succeeded in securing a position where he could get a clear view of the performance of two very interesting persons, Gwen, the Queen, and Allegretti, the man who boxed the bear. The contrast of the two stood out in his thoughts long after the performers had moved out of the ring. Gwen was wonderful. Johnny was sure he had never seen 

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