did like her. She
hadn't ever seen a canary bird before. I told her she could borrow
Jenny Lind for a while longer though I did want to bring her home
tonight. But I thought, Aunt Kate, that since George Washington's
supporting himself and I haven't spent the money I earned washing Mrs.
Bracken's dishes and playing with the squirrels with Grandma Johnson
I'd buy a bird for Becky for her very own. I'm going to let her keep
Jenny Lind until then. It seems as if I was always lending Jenny Lind,
doesn't it? Aunt Kate," she stopped suddenly and looked appealingly at
her aunt. "I'm so hungry! Can't I have some supper?"

"Haven't you had any?" Aunt Kate was horrified.

"I couldn't eat any at Mrs. Paulovitch's because she only had enough to
go around once and anyway I don't think I care for Russian cooking,
bread and lard. I'm an American, you know, and that's why I like
American cooking best."

Miss Thorley leaned over and took Mary Rose as Aunt Kate jumped up
murmuring: "Bread an' lard! My soul an' body!"

"Why didn't you come home before, Mary Rose?" Miss Thorley asked when
she had Mary Rose cuddled in her arms. She couldn't remember when she
had held a child before. It was odd but she had suddenly found that
she wanted to hold Mary Rose.

[Illustration: "'Why didn't you come home before, Mary Rose?' Miss
Thorley asked."]

"I got lost." Mary Rose blushed with shame. "I thought I was so smart
I could come right home but I turned the wrong corner. I was away over
on the other side of Waloo when a kind lady found me and put me on a
street car and gave me a nickel and told the conductor to keep his eye
on me. But I forgot to tell her it was East Twenty-sixth Street and
she sent me west. And then Jimmie found me."

"Good for you, James!" Mr. Jerry reached over to slap Jimmie on the
back. "How did you do that?"

"I was just looking round," Jimmie answered vaguely. "I couldn't sit
down and do nothing with Mary Rose lost. I had to look till she was
found and I was lucky and ran across her. Gee, Mary Rose, but you did
give me a scare! I was afraid you'd been kidnapped!"

"You know, Mary Rose, I told you always to come straight home from
school," called Aunt Kate from the kitchen.

"I know," in a shamed voice. "And I always did until today, and
today--why, I didn't. But I found Jenny Lind and I've made lots of new
friends. Mr. Strahan," she peered around at Bob Strahan, "how did that
story of An