ran down the stairs with the ten cents in her hand. The coin
dropped on the landing and rolled away. She was looking for it when
Mr. Wells came up and almost walked over her. Mary Rose was on her
feet in a flash.

"Good morning," she said politely. "I'm looking for the dime I
dropped. I earned it walking with Grandma Johnson. We had the
grandest time in the park. Did you know that there are pets there for
people who can't have them in their homes? They're squirrels and the
Lord put them there. Oh, here's my dime. Good-by." And she ran on
while Mr. Wells stood and stared after her as if he thought he or she
had lost their wits and he was not sure which.

He went on up and met Larry Donovan.

"Donovan," he said sharply. "I thought children were not allowed in
this building?"

"No more they are, Mr. Wells," Larry tried to speak pleasantly.
"There's a clause in every lease that says so."

"Then why do you allow a child to run all over the place?" Mr. Wells
wanted to know and he scowled fiercely.

Larry straightened himself and a dull red crept up into his face. "If
you mean my niece by your remarks," he said stiffly, "she isn't a
child. She's--she's," he stumbled, "she's goin' on fourteen."

"She has a long time to go before she ever reaches fourteen," grimly.
"Do Brown and Lawson know you have a child living with you?"

"They do not." Larry's tone was as short and crisp as pie crust.

"H-m," was all Mr. Wells said to that but he looked at Larry before he
went into his apartment and slammed the door.

"The ol' chimpanzee 'll tell Brown an' Lawson," Uncle Larry told Aunt
Kate when he came down and found her in the bedroom. "That's what
he'll do. He's goin' to complain about Mary Rose."

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, God 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