nd
he's come all the way from Mifflin. I wish you'd been here earlier so
you could see how smart he is," timidly. "He knows such a lot of funny
tricks. Jimmie, will you have him do that one--"

"Your dog!" interrupted Mr. Wells, with a snort, and his fiery eyes
seemed to bore a hole right through Mary Rose, who was trying
desperately to remember that she had the right kind of eye and could
see nothing but good in the cross old man in front of her. "You know
very well that dogs are not allowed in this house. Take him away, boy,
and don't let me see either of you again."

"Oh!" Mary Rose's heart was full of indignation. So were her eyes.
She was too hurt to be afraid. "Aren't you ashamed of yourself, a
great big man like you to talk that way to a poor little dog who has
come all the way from Mifflin expecting to find friends here? He's my
dog and--"

But Mr. Wells would not let her finish. "You can't keep him here," he
snarled. He was furious at being spoken to in such a fashion by a
janitor's child and before a group of young people who did their best
to look serious. "You haven't any business here yourself. Children
and dogs are forbidden in this building."

Mrs. Donovan had come to the basement window just in time to hear this
angry outburst and she called hastily: "Mary Rose! Mary Rose!"

Mary Rose never heard her. "Why are you always picking at me?" she
demanded of Mr. Wells. "I'm only a little girl and you're a big man
but never once since I came to Waloo have you looked as if you wanted
to be friends with me. I don't mean to be impudent but you--you do
make it very hard for me to like you." Her lip quivered and she turned
quickly and hid her face against Miss Thorley's white skirt.

Miss Thorley's arm went around her and a thrill of emotion rarely
intense ran over the older girl. When she spoke her voice was strange
even to herself:

"Really, Mr. Wells, this is all very unnecessary. You have not been
annoyed by Mary Rose or her pets. I think you can trust to her and to
the Donovans--"

"Oh, you can!" Mary Rose's face came out again and she was so eager to
assure him that he could that she forgot how rude it is to interrupt.
"You shan't ever see Solomon unless you look out of one of the windows
in the white-faced wall. He's going to live with Mr. Jerry. I've made
all the arrangements. I never meant you to be bothered with him. But
I do wish you'd like him. He's a very friendly do