Part 12 (2/2)

Aunt Kate stared at him. ”An' what'll you do, Larry Donovan? What'll you do then?”

”I'll tell them they know what they can do if they don't like it,” he answered gruffly. ”I've been a good man for the place. I've kept the peace with the tenants though, G.o.d knows, it's been no easy job. I've kept the bills down an' made a lot of the repairs myself an' if Brown an' Lawson want to fire me just because my niece, my wife's niece, an inoffensive little kid, is livin' with us why they can fire. That's what they can do. I'd be ashamed to stay an' work for them.”

”Larry,” Mrs. Donovan put her arms around her husband and kissed him.

”Larry Donovan, I'm that proud of you I can't see!” And she put her hand over her wet eyes. ”Then you like to have Mary Rose here?”

”I'll tell you the truth, Kate, dear. The little thing has made herself necessary to me. That's what she's done. We got along all right without her but that was because we didn't know what it was to have a kid in the house. No, sir, Mary Rose is one of the fam'ly and she stays with the fam'ly. She's good for the tenants, too. See what she's done for Mrs. Willoughby an' Mrs. Schuneman. The ol' lady called me in to hear her bird sing this very morning. An' Mrs. Bracken, who's so busy club workin' for other folks she hasn't any time for her home, tells me Mary Rose is the biggest kind of a help to her. I thought she was goin' to jaw me about fixin' that back window 't sticks a bit. I should have fixed it before but it clean slipped my mind, an' I up an'

asked her how Mary Rose was doing. She forgot the window to talk about the kid. 'Ain't she small for her age?' says she. 'I guess you don't know much about childern,' says I. 'Mary Rose's as big as she should be!' 'When I was fourteen,' says she, 'I weighed a hunderd an' ten poun's.' 'That's a good weight for a growing girl,' says I. 'I don't believe you weigh much more'n that now, Mrs. Bracken,' says I. And that ended it. She weighs a hunderd an' thirty if she weighs a pound.

An' then there's the Johnsons. Young Mrs. Johnson said this morning that it would be a blessed relief if Mary Rose'd get the ol' lady out every day. I guess there's a place for her here all right, whether ol'

Wells sees it or not.”

”Wouldn't it be just as well for you to tell Brown an' Lawson your story first?” asked Mrs. Donovan. ”Of course, when it's a tenant again' a janitor the janitor don't stand much show. But if you tell the agents that your wife's niece, a girl goin' on fourteen, is staying with you an' makin' herself useful to the tenants they won't come here with a lot of confusin' questions when Mr. Wells has had his say.

Seems if it was the one who spoke first who gets the mos' attention.

Haven't you any errand that could take you down there the first thing in the mornin'?”

Larry laughed scornfully. ”I have that. I can al'ys find a complaint to carry if I'm so minded. I guess you're right an' it won't do no harm to get our side in first. Where's Mary Rose now?”

”She's gone over to Mr. Jerry's. The cat's board's overdue.”

Evidently Aunt Kate thought that overdue board was a laughing matter for she chuckled. ”Mary Rose was horrified when she remembered she'd forgotten to pay but I said Mr. Jerry 'd understand that she wasn't used to business. So long as she paid in the end a little waiting wouldn't matter.”

Mr. Jerry had just driven into the garage when the delinquent Mary Rose slipped in at the back gate.

”Hullo, Mary Rose,” he called cheerily.

”I've come to pay George Was.h.i.+ngton's board,” importantly. ”I'm ashamed I'm late but I forgot. I'm not used to business,” she apologized, mortification dyeing her cheeks pink.

”That's all right. But if it's board you're going to pay we'd better go in and see my Aunt Mary.”

His Aunt Mary looked mildly surprised when Mary Rose announced that she had come to pay George Was.h.i.+ngton's board and she was sorry she was late. Aunt Mary pursed her lips in a way that made Mary Rose quake until she remembered that she was earning a lot of money and it really didn't matter if the board was more than fifty cents. And George Was.h.i.+ngton did have an awful appet.i.te.

Mr. Jerry's Aunt Mary was saying so. ”That cat is perfectly hollow.

It's amazing the milk he drinks. He has been here a little over a week, Mary Rose,” again mortification painted Mary Rose's cheeks, ”and in that time he has caught five mice. It is impossible to estimate the damage that five mice would have done if they hadn't been caught so I figure that George Was.h.i.+ngton has earned his own board.”

”Why, George Was.h.i.+ngton!” Mary Rose could scarcely grasp this but when she did she caught the cat to her in a rapturous hug. ”Isn't he the very smartest cat? Why, he's self-supporting, isn't he?” And she hugged him again. ”If he keeps on earning his board I can send for Solomon. I don't suppose you would want to board a dog, too? I think I'd almost feel as if I were in Heaven to have my animal friends with me again.”

”What kind of dog is Solomon?” Mr. Jerry asked carelessly. ”I've been thinking of buying a dog but perhaps I could rent old Sol.”

”Mr. Jerry! I'd be glad to let you have him for his board. He's splendid, a real fox terrier, and that clever. He can do lots of tricks. You couldn't help but love him. He's so affectionate and friendly.”

”It was a fox terrier that I thought of buying. Then we can consider that settled, Mary Rose. You send for Sol as soon as you please and I'll board him for the use of him. I think he would look well on the front seat of the car.”

Mary Rose had jumped to her feet and, with George Was.h.i.+ngton still in her arms, she threw herself on Mr. Jerry in a perfect spasm of delighted grat.i.tude that brought tears to the eyes of both of them for George Was.h.i.+ngton was not accustomed to being squeezed between a young man and a little girl.

”What a--what a splendid man you are!” cried Mary Rose. ”You're like King Arthur and Robin Hood, always succoring the friendless though I'm not friendless when I have you and your Aunt Mary and all the people over there.” She nodded across at the white face of the Was.h.i.+ngton.

”All the people?” questioned Mr. Jerry. He had heard of some of them who did not act friendly.

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