rotten of me not to be more pleased about it,
I suppose."

While Carl fumbled with his cap the man at the desk tilted back in his
chair, regarding him narrowly.

"Your school work can't leave you very much time for anything else,"
remarked he.

"Oh, yes, it does," the lad hastened to retort. "I have Saturdays
and--and--spare hours at night. I'd even work Sundays if there was
anything I could do."

"At that rate I am afraid you would not find much time for skating or
baseball. People have to have fresh air and exercise, you know, to keep
well."

"I don't have to play," protested Carl with great earnestness. "Anyhow
I get heaps of exercise and fresh air doing errands. Besides, we live
up five flights."

His listener turned aside his head.

"If it comes to exercise I get all I want right at home," persisted the
boy. "I've a crew of little brothers and sisters, too, and when I'm not
busy I help take care of them so Ma can sew. Just you try doing it once
if you are looking for exercise. And then I wheel the baby out."

There was a twinkle in the eye of the man at the desk but he said
gravely:

"Isn't it going to bother them at home if you take a position? How does
your mother feel about it?"

"I haven't had a chance to ask her," Carl blurted out with honesty.
"All last evening she was rushing to finish that spangled thing; and
this morning she had the kids to dress and I had errands to do. It's
awful hard to get a chance to talk to Ma by herself. Some of the
children are always clawing at her skirts and bothering her."

"You do believe, though, in talking things over with your mother."

"Sure! We always tell Ma everything if we can get a chance. So does all
Mulberry Court, for that matter. Ma's that sort."

The stranger toyed with an ivory letter-opener thoughtfully.

"Now I'll tell you what we'll do," began he at last. "To-day is
Saturday, isn't it?"

Carl nodded.

"Well, if your friends, the Harlings, are not straightened out by
Monday morning I will let you begin a week from to-day as errand boy in
this office."

"Bully!" cried the delighted applicant.

"If, on the other hand," continued the gentleman at the desk, speaking
slowly and evenly, and not heeding the interruption, "Miss Harling
finds work and the family do not need your aid, you must agree to put
in your free time at home helping your mother as you have been doing in
the past. Is that a bargain?"

"Y-e-s."

"What's the matter?"

"