confidentially, "I used to wonder if I really was a girl.
You don't think it will make too much washing?" anxiously. "I
shouldn't want to be a burden to you. But I do love this skirt! I
wish Gladys Evans could see me!"

[Illustration: "'You can't ever know, Aunt Kate, how splendid it is to
wear skirts.'"]

She was still admiring her new clothes in the mirror when her Uncle
Larry came in.

"Hullo," he said in a loud cheery voice. "Who's this? Kate, Mrs.
Bracken wants to see you."

Mary Rose tore her eyes from the fascinating reflection in the mirror
that she could scarcely believe was herself, and looked at the big
broad-shouldered man in the doorway. He had been frowning but the
frown slipped away from his forehead when he gazed into Mary Rose's
blue eyes, so that he looked very kind and friendly. Mary Rose jumped
from the chair and ran over to him.

"I'm Mary Rose," she said a bit shyly. This unknown uncle was so big
and strong and he was janitor of this strange two-faced palace. A
janitor sounded powerful and important even if Aunt Kate had explained
that he wasn't, so that Mary Rose felt a little shy with him.

"Mary Rose, eh?" He picked her up and raised her in his arms until her
face was on a level with his. "Sure, I think you're more of a Rose
than a Mary," he added as he kissed the face that was as pink as any
flower.

Her arms met around his neck. "That's because I'm so happy to be with
you and Aunt Kate," she whispered. "You know, after daddy went to
Heaven there wasn't anyone in the whole world that belonged to me in
Mifflin but George Washington, and my dog that Jimmie Bronson borrowed,
and Jenny Lind, and now to have a great big uncle and a beautiful aunt
of my very own m-makes me very happy."

"Who's George Washington?" asked Uncle Larry as he found a chair and
sat down with her in his arms.

Mary Rose told him about her cat, which was boarding across the alley,
and Uncle Larry thought to himself that he would go over and make sure
that the cat was all right. It was a thundering shame the child
couldn't have her pet with her. He'd like to tell the owner of the
Washington a few things if he knew who he was and if there was no fear
of losing his job.

"And Jenny Lind," Mary Rose was saying eagerly. "I must show you Jenny
Lind." She slipped down and ran into the next room to come back with a
birdcage. "Aunt Kate says I may keep her here because there isn't one
word in that law a