Mrs. Bracken called to her from her window as she passed and she went
in to be introduced to Mrs. Bracken's niece, Harriet White.

"She is going to live with us," Mrs. Bracken explained, her arm around
Harriet's waist. "Isn't she a big girl for thirteen? I meant to be
back yesterday so she could start in school today, but we were delayed.
I was just telling her there was another little girl, Mary Rose, in the
building."

Mrs. Donovan looked almost enviously at Harriet White who was thirteen
and who appeared at least two years older. How easy everything would
have been if Mary Rose had been as large. She sighed and then smiled,
for she knew that she would not change small Mary Rose for big Harriet
White if she had the chance. She gazed pleasantly at Mrs. Bracken,
whose face seemed to have found a new expression in Prairieville, and
said from the very depths of her heart:

"If you enjoy her half as much as we enjoy our niece you'll consider
yourself a lucky woman to have her."

"I know I'm a lucky woman," Mrs. Bracken answered heartily. "I never
realized what made this building seem almost depressing until Mary Rose
came into it. What is this Mrs. Schuneman tells me about Mary Rose's
bird? I'm so sorry. She was so attached to Jenny Lind. Do you really
think that Mr. Wells had anything to do with it?"

"Oh, Mrs. Bracken, how could any man with a heart steal a child's pet
bird!" Mrs. Donovan tried her best to be discreet as she told the
story.

"Of course, we all know that Mr. Wells is queer," Mrs. Bracken remarked
when she finished. "Mrs. Schuneman said she understood that he had
complained to Brown and Lawson, but don't you worry, Mrs. Donovan. Mr.
Wells is not the only tenant and I rather think the rest of us will
have something to say. If he objects to Harriet Mr. Bracken will tell
him quite plainly what he thinks. And there are others. We all like
Mr. Donovan. He's a good janitor, willing and pleasant, and we won't
let him be discharged without a protest. Perhaps I shouldn't tell you,
but Mr. Strahan has written out a petition to send to the owner and
everyone in the building will sign it, I know, except perhaps Mr.
Wells." And she laughed as if Mr. Wells' not signing the petition was
a joke. "One against twenty won't have much influence."

Mrs. Donovan put out her hand and touched Mrs. Bracken's white fingers,
something she would not have dared to do two months earlier. "Thank
you for tell