“Mart Clayton,” he answered.  “That’s my real name, but my sister and I sometimes have stage names.  Her real one is Lucile.”

“That’s a nice name,” said Sue.  “I like it better’n mine.  Your sister sings, doesn’t she?”

“Yes,” answered the boy.  “There she is, now!” he added, pointing to a bench in a little park that was not far from Mr. Brown’s boat and fish dock.

“The poor, cold little singer!” murmured Mrs. Brown.  “I must take care of them both!”

When they approached the bench the girl, who was about a year younger than her brother, looked up in surprise.

“Did you find any work?” she asked Mart eagerly.

“Well, no, not exactly,” he answered.

The girl seemed much disappointed.

“But we’re going to eat!” he added.  “This lady has invited us to her house.  After that I’ll have a chance to look around and get a job to earn money to pay her and take us back to New York.”

“Oh, you are the guests of Bunny and Sue for the meal.  Guests don’t pay,” Mrs. Brown said, smiling at the strangers.

“Oh!” exclaimed Lucile.  “That is—­it’s very kind of you,” she said.

“You poor thing!  You’re cold!” exclaimed Bunny’s mother.  “No wonder, sitting here without a jacket!  Where’s your cloak?”

“I—­I guess it’s with our other baggage,” was the girl’s answer.  “The boarding house kept it because we couldn’t pay the bill when the show failed!” and tears came into her eyes.

“Never mind!  We’ll look after you,” said motherly Mrs. Brown.  “Come along, Bunny and Sue.  Mrs. Newton will be at our house by this time.”

As the five of them started down the street Bunny stopped suddenly.

“What’s the matter?” asked his mother.

“I—­I forgot something,” he said.  “I’ve got to see Mr. Winkler!” and he started off on a run.

CHAPTER VI

GENERAL WASHINGTON

Mart Clayton, the boy who had climbed the tree to get down Mr. Winkler’s monkey, looked first at funny Bunny Brown, who was trotting downstreet, and then he looked at Bunny’s mother.

“Shall I run after him and bring him back?” asked Mart.

“O, no.  Bunny will come back if I call him,” was the answer.  “But I wonder why he is in such a hurry to see Mr. Winkler?  I’ll find out,” she went on.  Then, making her voice louder, she called:  “Bunny, come back here, please, come back.”

“But, Mother, I’ve got to see Mr. Winkler!” exclaimed Bunny, as he paused and turned around.  “It’s about our show.”

“That will keep until later,” said Mrs. Brown with a smile.  “I want you to come back with me now and help entertain the company,” and she smiled and nodded to Mart and Lucile Clayton.

“Oh, yes.  I—­I didn’t mean to be impolite,” said Bunny, as he walked slowly back.  “But I wanted to ask Mr. Winkler if we could have his monkey in our show.”