all the work of her small home so long that she had forgotten how it
felt to have younger hands helping her, began to look forward to
Mickey's coming every day.

And Mickey liked Miss Putnam. He found she was very fair about time and
reasonable about the amount of work she expected him to accomplish. The
fact that he was barefooted did not seem to bother her and she treated
him exactly as though his clothes were whole instead of torn and poorly
patched.

Now when she asked him why he had thrown the tar, it was hard for him
to tell the truth. But he did. When Mickey once made up his mind to do
a thing, he always went through with it.

"It was 'count of the barbwire," Mickey explained in a low voice. "I
didn't know you put it up, and I climbed the fence one night, to scare
you through the window, and I thought you'd run out and chase me. And I
tore my coat on the wire and scratched my face. So after that I was
always looking for a chance to get even."

"When I saw the tar, I came back after supper and made Nina carry it
for me while I slung it--we had a tin bucket. I'm awful sorry, Miss
Putnam; honest I am!"

"But--did you let me send a policeman to the Morrison's house?" asked
Miss Putnam uncertainly.

"I never knew about that till just before I came here to work," said
Mickey earnestly. "And ever since I've felt mean as dirt, not telling.
Nina is just as old as Betty. It wasn't her fault--Nina's, I mean; she
does whatever I tell her to."

"Well, I'll go call on Mrs. Morrison this afternoon," said Miss Putnam
briskly. "And then I'll take down that wire. I don't need it now
anyway, for the children don't bother me since you're here. I guess
they're afraid you'd catch them if you should chase them," she smiled
grimly.

"And I can go right on working?" suggested Mickey anxiously.

"Of course, child. Why not?" said Miss Putnam.

That settled Mickey's last worry. With a hurried "thank you," he dashed
away, out through the yard and up the street. He wanted to find Brother
and Sister and tell them what he had done.

"My goodness, I think you're ever so brave," said Sister when she had
heard his story. "I'd be scared to death to tell Miss Putnam like that."

"Pooh, she's all right," answered Mickey. "I like her. And now I have a
lot of time to make up--most half an hour."

"School begins two weeks from today," announced Brother, watching
Mickey tackle an onion row. "You're sure you're going, Mickey?"

"Of cour