Never did a five-passenger automobile hold more happiness than that car
of Mr. Jerry's as it was driven slowly back to the Washington that
wonderful September evening. And never did the Washington look more
pleasant. A little group of tenants, Mrs. Schuneman, Mrs. Willoughby,
Mrs. Matchan and Miss Carter, were standing out in front talking of
what had happened the night before. Mary Rose waved her hand to them
and to Bob Strahan, who was hurrying up the street.
"Say!" he called. "I've found out who owns the Washington. It's old
Wells!"
"Mr. Wells!" They stared from him up to the windows of Mr. Wells'
apartments which were wide open.
"Yep! I had to dig up some stuff over at the building inspector's and
ran plump against the fact that the owner of the Washington has always
been Horace J. Wells. No wonder he acted as if he owned it."
"But he told me he was a friend of the owner," objected Mary Rose, when
she understood.
"I guess he isn't a friend to anyone but himself," murmured Bob Strahan.
Mary Rose sat there in the car and tried to think it out. If Mr. Wells
really did own this strange two-faced building why hadn't he told her
so when she had asked him to plead for her? She supposed that he had
made up his mind that she would have to leave, that the law never would
let children live there, and hated to tell her. Mary Rose felt as if a
black cloud had fallen over this day that had been so happy and she
winked rapidly to keep the tears from her eyes. She even tried to wave
her hand to Aunt Kate when she came to the window.
Contrary to custom Aunt Kate did not wave back but ran out. She had a
letter in her hand and looked very, very much pleased.
"You've heard good news, Mrs. Donovan. Who's died and left you a
million?" asked Bob Strahan. "Your face looks like a Christmas tree,
all decorated and lighted."
"Have you?" Mary Rose asked and she jumped from the car and stood
beside her aunt. "Have you heard good news, Aunt Kate? Has anyone
left you a million?"
Aunt Kate stooped and put her arms around Mary Rose. "It's worth more
'n a million to me, Mary Rose. I've had the best of news. Larry's had
a letter from Brown an' Lawson." She stood up and looked from one to
the other of the people who had gathered around her. There were tears
in her eyes. "They say we can keep Mary Rose. That so long as the
tenants are willin' an' because she's gettin' older every day they
won't insist on the rule of the house bein' enforced. They say Mary
Rose can stay as long as we want to keep her."
"Hurrah for Mary Rose!" cried Bob Strahan and he flung his hat into the
air.
"Hurrah for Mary Rose!" echoed Jimmie Bronson, who had run around the
corner to stand grinning at Mary Rose.
Mary Rose stood quite still and stared at her aunt. Her blue eyes were
very large and as bright as stars. "I can stay," she said softly,
almost unbelievingly. "I can really stay? Oh, where's Mr. Wells!
Where is Mr. Wells! I want to tell him this very minute how much
obliged I am. Oh, there he is!"
For Mr. Wells had actually come up the street and was about to slip
grumblingly past the little group that blocked the walk. Mary Rose ran
to him.
"I can't thank you," she said in a trembling voice, although the
radiance in her face should have thanked anyone. "But I do think you
are the very friendliest man that God ever made!"
Friendly! Mr. Wells actually blushed. He tried to frown but the
attempt was a wretched failure for Mary Rose had dropped a soft kiss on
the hand she had clasped. "See that you do what I promised the owner
you'd do," he grunted, making a failure, also, of his attempt to speak
crossly. "See that you grow older every day."
"Oh, I will!" promised Mary Rose. "I will!" she repeated firmly and
she squeezed his hand as she looked up at the big red brick building
that could now be her home. The spell had been removed from it, too.
There were tears in her blue eyes as she dropped Mr. Wells' hand and
put out her arms as if she would take them all into her embrace. Her
face was like a flower, lifted to the sun, as she cried from the very
depths of her happy, grateful heart:
"I--I just knew this beautiful world would be full of friends if I felt
friendly!"