e, dearie," whispered Aunt Kate, whose ruddy cheeks
had lost their color under the cold stare of Mr. Wells. "We mustn't
make any disturbance here. Come down an' tell Uncle Larry. P'rhaps he
can help us."

"It's not--not knowing where she is or what's happened to her," Mary
Rose gulped. "If she was well and comfortable I'd--I'd try to be
resigned, but when I don't know, Aunt Kate! When I don't know!"

"Nothing has happened to her," Bob Strahan said promptly. "No one
would hurt Jenny Lind. She is a valuable bird. I expect she was
stolen and we'll find her at a bird store. The thief would be sure to
sell her right away, before he was caught. I'll look up the bird
shops."

"Do!" begged Miss Carter, who wished from the very bottom of her heart
that she had never asked Mary Rose to bring up her parcel post package.
"I have half a mind to go with you."

"Be generous and have a whole mind. Poor little kid," he looked after
Mary Rose as Aunt Kate half carried her down. "It's a thundering
shame. Lord! I'm almost ready to think old grouch Wells did have a
hand in this. Did you see his face? He's had it in for Mary Rose ever
since she came."

Aunt Kate sat down in the big rocker and drew Mary Rose close to her
heart. "Don't you fret yourself, Mary Rose," she said with her lips
against Mary Rose's tear-stained face. "We'll find Jenny Lind. Sure,
we'll find her. Just you pretend she's gone for a visit. You've
loaned her to 'most everyone in the buildin', just you pretend she's
loaned now."

"It's easy enough to pretend when you don't have to, Aunt Kate, but it
isn't so easy when you know the truth," sobbed Mary Rose.

When Uncle Larry heard what had happened he shut his jaws with a click
and a stern look came into his mild blue eyes.

"Of course someone took her," he said, patting Mary Rose's shoulder
with a comforting hand. "But don't you worry, Mary Rose. A janitor
can go into any flat in this building, so if someone is hiding her for
fun or meanness I'll find out. An' if it's anyone outside, well, what
are the police for if not to help folks? I'll just speak to Officer
Murphy to be on the safe side."

He seemed so helpful and confident that Mary Rose stopped crying and
tried to feel confident, also.

"Perhaps someone in the house did take her for company, but I think it
would have been more polite if they'd said something to me," she
murmured.

"It's more likely that one of the old cranks th