The men guffawed, and after a second the boys also.

Then a little fellow behind the ringleader offered additional testimony.
"He said he used to get up a private circus once a week, every Saturday, and charge ten cents a head, and made ten dollars a week," he said.

Then his voice of angry accusation ended in a chuckle.
Anderson kept his face quite grave, but all the others joined in the chorus of merriment.

The little fellow backed against the iron fence gave an incredulous start at the sound of the laughter, then the red roses faded out on his smooth cheeks and he went quite white.

The laughter stung his very soul as no recrimination could have done.