When Mary Rose went to school the next morning Mrs. Donovan had half a
mind to walk with her and make sure that she arrived there safely.
After the day before it seemed to her that many dangers might lie in
wait for Mary Rose and Mrs. Donovan had discovered that Mary Rose was
very rare and precious. She watched her from the window and her eyes
opened wide in astonishment when she saw Mary Rose stop and wait for
Mr. Wells. He looked twice as grim and twice as cross as he had ever
looked before to Mrs. Donovan as he came down the steps. But it was no
wonder that he looked grim and cross. His experience of the night
before, when he learned how his neighbors regarded him, could not have
been pleasant. A cold shiver ran the full length of Mrs. Donovan's
spine as she remembered that experience. If she had had any hope of
remaining in the cozy basement flat and keeping Mary Rose, it vanished
at the sight of that scowling face. Mr. Wells would surely insist on
having Larry discharged. She just knew he would.
Even Mary Rose's staunch and friendly soul was a bit daunted by Mr.
Wells' very unfriendly appearance but she tried to speak to him as
usual.
"Good morning, sir."
He looked down at her and his shaggy brows drew nearer together. Mary
Rose had thought he could not look crosser but he managed to look
considerably crosser as he grunted: "So you're back?" It almost
sounded as if he wished she hadn't come back.
She blushed. "Did you hear that I was lost? I was so ashamed. I
thought I could find my way anywhere in Waloo just as I could in
Mifflin. But you couldn't get lost in Mifflin, no matter how hard you
tried. You'd be sure to find yourself in the cemetery or at the post
office or the lumber yard." She looked up at the cross face and
ventured a smile. "You'll be glad to hear that I've found Jenny Lind,"
she said joyfully. "I knew all the time you hadn't borrowed her and I
guess now other people will be sorry they thought you stole her." She
laughed and nodded to let him see how very glad she was that his
innocence was proved.
Mr. Wells was too amazed to add anything to his scowl. "You've found
your bird?" he asked stupidly.
"Yes, I have. I'll tell you all about it. Are you going my way?
Usually I go up the other street, that's the shortest, but today I'm
going over this way to meet Anna Paulovitch and walk with her so the
boys won't tease her." And she told him about Anna Paulovitch and her
yellow curls which had led to the discovery of Jenny Lind. "And I'm
going to buy Becky a bird of her own with the money I've earned,
because I don't have to pay a cent of board for George Washington.
He's self-supporting, you know. Isn't it wonderful to be
self-supporting? Mrs. Paulovitch has seven children and only one of
them can earn anything. He's Mickey and he sells papers after school.
If I were a gentleman and bought papers I'd always buy them of Mickey,"
she hinted delicately. "The other Paulovitches who are over six have
to go to school. It takes a lot of washing to make bread enough for
them but Mr. Strahan thinks he has found friends to help Anna. Aren't
you glad you were born in America instead of Russia?" She told him why
he should be glad as they walked along.
He looked down at her curiously out of the tail of his eye but he said
never a word. Indeed, Mary Rose gave him little opportunity for speech
as she had so much to say. When they reached the corner where Anna
Paulovitch waited across the street like a stolid figure of Patience,
Mary Rose waved her hand. Anna Paulovitch responded like a semaphore.
"That's Anna! That's Anna Paulovitch," Mary Rose said eagerly. "Isn't
her hair beautiful?" Mary Rose admired the long yellow curls
immensely. "It seems a pity they couldn't have grown on her own head
when she would have appreciated it so but I expect the Lord knew best.
I'm awfully glad I met you so that I could tell you about Jenny Lind.
You don't have to worry another minute for everyone knows now that you
never touched her."
"Here, wait a minute!" Never had Mr. Wells' voice been gruffer nor his
frown blacker. "How much is a canary? Can you get one for this?" He
took a bill from his pocket and offered it to Mary Rose.
"Mr. Wells!" Mary Rose took his hand and squeezed it. "That's a lot.
I'm sure you can get a splendid bird."
"Well, get one then," snapped Mr. Wells.
"You mean for Becky?" Mary Rose could scarcely believe her two small
ears. "I'll be glad to." She regarded him with an admiration that
should have made him feel enveloped in a soft warm mantle. "I'll tell
her it's a present from a kind gentleman who wants to be her friend.
Sometime I'll take you to see her. What shall we name her bird? You
think and I'll think and then tonight we can choose. It must have
something to do with music, you know. Good-by." She squeezed his hand
again and started across the street but ran back. "I forgot to tell
you something that's most important," she said in a low voice. "Did
you ever imagine there would be a flat-house right here in Waloo where
the law lets children live? The Paulovitchs live in one. They do
really. I saw them! And cats and dogs, too. I did! It wasn't like
the Washington but it was a flat-house. It seemed such a friendly
place. I thought you didn't know and now you can tell your friend who
owns the Washington. I don't suppose he knows either. You haven't
heard anything from him about me, have you?" She looked up wistfully.
"I'd--I'd hate to have to go away to an orphan's home now," she
whispered and there were tears in her blue eyes.
He looked down at her and coughed before he answered. "No, I haven't
heard anything."
"If you see him today will you tell him of that friendly house I was
telling you about? That there are flat-houses in Waloo where children
can live? It might make him willing to let them live in his house.
And please!" she clung to his hand, "please tell him that I'm growing
older every single day I live!"