aby!" she fled.

Rosie, crushed and miserable, wept on. Terence put an awkward hand on
her shoulder.

"Say, Rosie, I'm awful sorry, honest I am. I wish I could give you a
quarter, but I can't this week. They've cleaned me out. Here's a nickel,
though."

Rosie did not want the nickel; at that moment she did not want anything;
she took it, however, because Terry wished her to.

"Thanks, Terry. It wasn't your fault. You're not a sneak and a thief.
I--I'm glad some of my relations are honest."

Little Jack, who had been listening gravely, snuggled up with a sudden
suggestion: "Say, Rosie, if you want me to, I'll kick her in the shins
when she comes in."

Rosie wiped her eyes sadly. "No, Jackie, I don't see how that'll do any
good."

"Do you want me to spit in her eye?"

Rosie gave Jack a tight hug, for his sympathy was sweet. Then she shook
her head reprovingly. "You mustn't talk like that, Jackie, and you
mustn't do things like that, either. You don't want to be a mucker, do
you?"

For this once Jack thought that perhaps he did, but, when Rosie
insisted, he promised to behave.

From babyhood he had been Rosie's special charge, so now, when the time
came, she took him upstairs and saw him safely to bed. Then she herself
slipped down to the front porch and there on the steps, in the dark
electric shadow, she waited for her friend, George Riley.

CHAPTER V

GEORGE RILEY ON MUCKERS

Rosie had not long to wait, as George's run ended at nine o'clock.

"Sst! Jarge!" she called softly as he bounded up the steps and would
have passed her in the dark.

"Is that you, Rosie?"

"Sit down a minute, Jarge. I want to ask you something."

George mopped his head with his handkerchief and drew a long breath.
"Whew, but I'm tired, Rosie! I rang up over seventy-five fares three
times tonight."

Rosie opened with no preliminary remarks. "Say, Jarge, can you lend me
twenty-five cents until tomorrow night? You know I get paid tomorrow."

"Sure, Rosie. What for?"

"I want to go to the Dog Show matinee."

George paused a moment. "But, Rosie, you don't need twenty-five cents
for that. You told me it was ten cents."

"I know, Jarge, but I want to take Jackie and Janet."

"Why, Rosie!"

"Well, if I don't, poor Janet'll never get there. She never gets
anywhere. You know her father boozes every cent. And I just got to take
Jackie if I go myself. Besides, he'll only cost me five cents and that
will let me use the