noon
This day was not very much different from the preceding one so far as the manner of Mr. Lord and his partner toward the boy was concerned ; they seemed to have an idea that he was doing only about half as much work as he ought to , and both united in swearing at and abusing him as much as possible . So far as his relations with other members of the company were concerned , Toby now stood in a much better position than before . Those who had witnessed the scene told the others how Toby had led in the monkeys on the night previous , and nearly every member of the company had a kind word for the little fellow whose head could hardly be seen above the counter of Messrs. Lord and Jacobs 's booth . At noon Toby was thoroughly tired out , for whenever any one spoke kindly to him Mr. Lord seemed to take a malicious pleasure in giving him extra tasks to do , until Toby began to hope that no one else would pay any attention to him . On this day he was permitted to go to dinner first , and after he returned he was left in charge of the booth . Trade being dull -- as it usually was during the dinner hour -- he had very little work to do after he had cleaned the glasses and set things to rights generally . When , therefore , he saw the gaunt form of the skeleton emerge from his tent and come toward him he was particularly pleased , for he had begun to think very kindly of the thin man and his fleshy wife .