“You don’t show it, young man, in some of the tricks you do,” commented Mrs. Watson, with the freedom befitting a “circus mother,” and the privilege of an old friend.  “You must remember that you don’t live only for yourself,” and she looked significantly at Helen.

“Oh, I’ll be careful!” promised Joe.  “And now I’ll do the trick again for you, and let you see that it’s absolutely harmless.  Any of you could do it—­if you knew how.”

“Excuse me!” exclaimed Jim Tracy.  “Not for mine!”

However they all watched Joe eagerly and interestedly, even Helen.  He did not seem to make any unusual preparations.  He merely took a drink of what seemed to be water.  Then he ignited something in the flame of the candle and placed the burning stuff in his mouth, seeming to chew it with gusto.

“Oh!” exclaimed Helen.  But beyond that and a momentary placing of one hand over her heart, she did not give way to emotion.  Then, as Joe did the fire-eating trick again, Helen forced herself to watch him closely.  As he had said, he took no harm from the act.

“Tell us how you do it,” begged Bill Watson.  “When I get over being funny—­or getting audiences to think I am—­I may want to live on something hot.  How do you work it?”

“Well,” said Joe, “if it’s all the same to you, I’d rather not tell.  It isn’t that I’m afraid of any of my friends giving the trick away, and so spoiling the mystery of it for the crowds.  It’s just as it was in my box act.  If any of you are asked how I do this fire trick you can truly say you don’t know, for none of you will know by my telling, not even Helen, though she is in on the box secret.  I’ll only say that I protect my face and mouth, as well as hands, in a certain way, and that I do, actually, put the blazing material into my mouth.  I am not burned.  So if any one asks you about the act you may tell them that much with absolute truth.  Now the question is—­how is it going to go with the audiences?  We need something—­or, at least, I do—­to create a sensation.  Will this answer?”

“I should say so!” exclaimed Jim Tracy.  “That ought to go big when it’s dressed up.”

“Oh, this is only the ground work,” said Joe.  “I’m going to elaborate this fire act and make it the sensation of the season.  I’ve only begun on it.  I got from a chemist the materials I want with which to protect myself, and I have shown, to my own and your satisfaction, that I can eat fire without getting harmed.  So far all is well.  Now I’m going to work the act up into something really worth while.”

“But you’ll still be careful, won’t you, Joe?” asked Helen.

“Indeed I will,” he assured her.

“Do the trick once more, Joe,” suggested Bill Watson.  “I’m coming as close as you’ll let me, and I want to criticize it from the standpoint of a man in the audience.”

“That’s what I’m after,” said Joe.  “If there are any flaws in the act, now is the time to find it out.”