ts to meet the family."

"H'm!" murmured Terry. "He's not like your old friend, Mr. Hawes, is he,
Ellen?"

Ellen flushed. "No, Terry, he's not a bit like Mr. Hawes."

Small Jack piped up unexpectedly. "Is he like Jarge, Ellen?"

"No, he's not like George, either."

"Can he fight?"

Ellen tossed her head. "I should hope not! Harry Long is a gentleman!"
Seeing that this was not a very strong recommendation to her brothers,
she added: "But, unless I'm very much mistaken, he's plenty able to take
care of himself. He's a fine swimmer, too."

"Is he a sport, Ellen?" Terry asked.

"He's certainly an elegant dresser, if that's what you mean. Just you
wait and see."

Friday's letter put Ellen into something of a flurry.

"Ma, Harry thinks it would be awful nice if you would invite him to
supper tomorrow night. He's coming to the shop in the morning. Then
he'll take me out to lunch and we'll go somewheres in the afternoon, and
he wants to know if we can't come back here for supper. He thinks that
would be a good way for him to meet the whole family."

"Mercy on us!" Mrs. O'Brien wailed. "With all I've got to do, how can I
get up a fine supper for a sporty young gent like Mr. Harry? Can't you
keep him out, Ellen? I don't see why he's got to meet the family. We're
just like any other family: a father, a mother, and five children."

"But, Ma, he makes such a point of it. I don't see how we can refuse.
Besides, you know he's been pretty nice to me taking me out to dinner
and things."

"If he was only Jarge Riley now," Mrs. O'Brien mused, "I wouldn't mind
him at all, at all, for he wouldn't be a bit of trouble. Poor Jarge was
always just like one of the family, wasn't he?"

Ellen drew her mother back to the subject of the moment. "So can I tell
him to come?"

Mrs. O'Brien sighed. "Oh, I suppose so. That is, if Rosie'll help me. I
tell you frankly, Ellen, I simply can't manage it alone."

Mrs. O'Brien called Rosie to get the promise of her assistance. Rosie
listened quietly, then, instead of answering her mother, she turned to
her sister.

"Ellen, I want to know one thing: Have you told this Harry about Jarge
Riley?"

Ellen frowned. "I don't see what that's got to do with tomorrow's
supper."

Rosie took a deep breath. "It's got a lot to do with it if I'm going to
help."

For a moment the sisters measured each other in silence. Then Ellen
broke out petulantly:

"Well, then, Miss Busybody, if you've got to kn