leen's little honey cough-drop
boy!" chanted Danny.
"Jerry's done more for Kathleen than her own brothers and sisters have
ever done, unless it's Nora," declared Mrs. Mullarkey. "It's no wonder
she loves him best."
"That's not fifty cents' worth of cough drops," Danny accused. "Where's
the rest of the money? Make him tell, Mother."
Kathleen saved him the necessity of replying.
"Toff meddy," she gurgled, looking up at the shelf where the bottle was
kept. "Tatleen want toff meddy."
"It's all gone, Kathleen," her mother said soothingly.
"No," said Kathleen, shaking her head and pointing up at the bottle.
"Mercy sakes! It's full!" cried Mrs. Mullarkey. "I could have sworn I
emptied it this morning."
Then she looked at Jerry, a sudden softening coming over her face and
into her eyes.
"Jerry, you went and spent every cent of that half-dollar on Kathleen,
didn't you?"
"You said there wasn't any money in the house," Jerry defended himself,
"and that Kathleen needed more medicine because summer coughs are bad
for babies."
"The Lord love you, Jerry, I'm not scolding you. It's more apt to be
crying I am at the big heart of you. It's as big as my Dan's was. You're
more like him in heart and disposition than any of his own children,
unless it's Nora. That's why I can't ever let them take you away, ever."
"Who wants to take Jerry away?" It was Nora's startled voice that asked.
Jerry's heart stood still. Had the man with the red scar on his face
found him at last? He looked up at Mother 'Larkey, his lips starting to
twist.
"Nobody's going to take him away!" said Mrs. Mullarkey almost fiercely.
"Just let anybody try it!"
"Why didn't you tell us you had fifty cents?" asked Danny. "I bet you
was going to spend it all for yourself for a ticket to the circus."
"Mr. Barton told me not to tell," replied Jerry. "He said you'd get it
away from me if you knew I had found it and for me to go to the circus
all by myself."
"And you gave that up just for Kathleen?" queried Mrs. Mullarkey.
"I guess Kathleen's cough is much more important than any old circus,"
said Jerry.
Mother 'Larkey thereupon gathered Jerry up in her arms and kissed him.
CHAPTER III
THE WIDTH OF AN ELEPHANT'S TAIL
Jerry tried all the next day and the next to think what it was that the
picture of the elephant jumping the fence almost made him remember, but
it just wouldn't come and finally he gave up trying. After playing
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