na's curls get into the newspaper? Did you write it?"

Bob Strahan blushed until he was redder than any tomato that ever
ripened. "Yes, Mary Rose, I did," he acknowledged. "I thought it was
a dandy little story of a brave girl and that it would be good for
people to read."

"Of course, you didn't know that it would hurt Anna Paulovitch's
feelings. She says she can't ever hold up her head again but I told
her she hadn't done anything to be ashamed of and I'd stand by her."

"I'll stand by her, too!" Bob Strahan promised quickly. He had never
thought of a story but as a story. The consequences it might have had
not occurred to him. "And a lot of other people will stand by her.
You should see the letters that came to the office to day with offers
of help for Anna and her mother."

"Did they!" Mary Rose was delighted. "Then Mrs. Paulovitch won't have
to work so hard. Oh, Miss Thorley," she drew the red-brown head down
so that she could whisper in a pink ear, "if you could just talk to
Anna's mother for a minute you'd know you wouldn't have to stop work to
make a home for a family. She says it takes more than one pair of
hands no matter how busy you keep them. Will you go with me when I
take the bird to Becky and talk to Mrs. Paulovitch?"

"Perhaps I will," stammered Miss Thorley, as she kissed the eager
little face, feeling that the room was suddenly filled with Jerry
Longworthy's eyes.

"Oh," Mary Rose jumped down and stood looking from one to the other,
"but I am glad to be home again! It does seem a hundred years since I
had my dinner. I don't think any girl ever had such a nice home or
such nice friends as I have and it's just because I have a friendly
heart!"

CHAPTER XXV

When Mary Rose went to school the next morning Mrs. Donovan had half a
mind to walk with her and make sure that she arrived there safely.
After the day before it seemed to her that many dangers might lie in
wait for Mary Rose and Mrs. Donovan had discovered that Mary Rose was
very rare and precious. She watched her from the window and her eyes
opened wide in astonishment when she saw Mary Rose stop and wait for
Mr. Wells. He looked twice as grim and twice as cross as he had ever
looked before to Mrs. Donovan as he came down the steps. But it was no
wonder that he looked grim and cross. His experience of the night
before, when he learned how his neighbors regarded him, could not have
been pleasant. A cold shiver ran