children! And pets, too! Dogs and cats!
It has, Uncle Larry! I've seen them with my own eyes. Lots and lots
of children! Babies and all kinds!" Her cheeks were scarlet. "I
couldn't believe it myself at first but Anna Paulovitch said it was
true and that it had always been like that. I asked her all about it
so I could tell you, Uncle Larry, and you could tell the owner of the
Washington. He can't know!"

"Never mind that, Mary Rose." Aunt Kate gave her a shake. "I want to
know where you've been. Why didn't you come straight home from school
as I've told you to, time an' again? You've frightened us all to death
stayin' away so long."

Mary Rose looked regretfully at the people she had frightened to death
and then she smiled radiantly.

"Well, you see it was this way. You know there was a story in the
newspaper last night about Anna Paulovitch's bald head and when she
went to school the boys made fun of her and teased her to show them if
she really was bald. It hurt her feelings dreadfully and she was
afraid to go home alone so I said I'd go with her. It's a long way
from here but I'm glad I went because I helped my friend and I found
Jenny Lind."

"You found Jenny Lind!" Everyone was as astonished as Mary Rose could
wish.

Bob Strahan and Miss Carter looked at each other and Bob dropped the
piece of brass wire he had found in Mr. Wells' kitchen.

"Yes, I did. Isn't it just like a fairy story? You see if you do a
kind thing a kind thing's done to you. I've told all of you that and
you wouldn't believe me but now you've got to. Anna Paulovitch lives
in this big friendly house I was telling you about. It isn't splendid
and beautiful like this but it is friendly and there are a lot of
children and pets. The law lets them live there. I didn't suppose
there was a house like that in all Waloo! Anna's mother goes out
washing and her father's dead like mine. She has seven brothers and
sisters that Mrs. Paulovitch has to find clothes and bread for. It's a
good deal for one woman she said and I think it is, too. And right
across the hall from the Paulovitch's, just like across the hall from
Mrs. Bracken's to Mrs. Schuneman's, lives John Kalich. He's a
messenger boy and his sister Becky's been in bed for seven years.
She's nine now and Johnny's crazy about her. He came here with a
message and when he saw Jenny Lind all by herself in the hall he
thought how much Becky would like her. And Becky