that house, and how he is to get good food, are more than
I can tell."

"Good cheer!" cried Dick. "He'll not lack for company. How many has she
now, mother? A couple of dozen, more or less?"

"There are thirteen of them already, poor thing."

"Thirteen! That's an unlucky stopping place. Let us hope she won't allow
the figure to remain at that."

"Indeed, I am thinking it will not," said his mother, speaking with the
confidence of intimate knowledge.

"Well," replied Dick, with a judicial air, "it's a question whether it's
worse to defy the fate that lurks in that unlucky number, or to accept
the doubtful blessing of another twig to the already overburdened olive
tree."

"Ay, it is a hard time she is having with the four babies and all."

"Four, mother! Surely that's an unusual number even for the prolific
Mrs. Fallows!"

"Whisht, laddie!" said his mother, in a shocked tone, "don't talk
foolishly."

"But you said four, mother."

"Twins the last twice," interjected Barney.

"Great snakes!" cried Dick, "let us hope she won't get the habit."

"But, mother," inquired Barney seriously, "what's to be done?"

"Indeed, I can't tell," said his mother.

"Listen to me," cried Dick, "I've got an inspiration. I'll undertake the
'good cheer.' I'll impress the young ladies into this worthy service.
Light conversation and song. And you can put up the food, mother, can't
you?"

"We will see," said the mother quietly; "we will do our best."

"In that case the 'food department' is secure," said Dick; "already I
see Ben Fallows making rapid strides toward convalescence."

It was characteristic of Barney that within a few days he had all three
departments in full operation. With great tact he succeeded in making
Mrs. Fallows thoroughly scour the woodwork and whitewash the walls in
Ben's little room, urging the doctor's orders and emphasizing the danger
of microbes, the dread of which was just beginning to obtain in popular
imagination.

"Microbes? What's them?" inquired Mrs. Fallows, suspiciously.

"Very small insects."

"Insects? Is it bugs you mean?" Mrs. Fallows at once became fiercely
hostile. "I want to tell yeh, young sir, ther' hain't no bugs in this
'ouse. If ther's one thing I'm pertickler 'bout, it's bugs. John sez to
me, sez 'e, 'What's the hodds of a bug or two, Hianthy?' But I sez to
'im, sez I, 'No bugs fer me, John. I hain't been brought up with bugs,
an' bugs I cawn't an' won't 'ave.'"

It was only