“Where’d you get the money?” Danny demanded sharply.

“Found it after you ran home first to ask for fifty cents to see the circus,” Jerry explained.

“Gee, I never find nothing!” ejaculated Danny.  “How much was it?”

Jerry did not reply immediately and Celia Jane, watching him sharply, was at once full cry right on his trail.

“I bet it was a whole lot more’n five cents an’ he bought something for himself.  How much did you find, Jerry?”

“It was half a dollar,” Jerry stated, thus brought to bay.

“Half a dollar!” exclaimed Danny and Chris.

“Why, that’s fifty cents!” Celia Jane cried.

“Enough to buy a ticket to the circus!” Danny added.  “Where is it?  Let’s see it.”

“It’s all gone,” Jerry told his tormentors.

“Fifty cents!  And you spent all of it at once!” wailed Celia Jane.

“That must of bought a whole lot of candy,” said Danny.  “Fork out.  No fair holding any back.”

Jerry produced the small paper bag of cough drops and gave it to Mother ’Larkey.

“They’re cough drops with honey in ’em for Kathleen,” he said.  “I ain’t eaten one of them.”

“Give me one, Mother,” pleaded Celia Jane.

“They’re for Kathleen,” replied her mother.  “She needs them and you don’t.”

“Jerry’s Kathleen’s pet!  Jerry’s Kathleen’s little honey cough-drop boy!” chanted Danny.

“Jerry’s done more for Kathleen than her own brothers and sisters have ever done, unless it’s Nora,” declared Mrs. Mullarkey.  “It’s no wonder she loves him best.”

“That’s not fifty cents’ worth of cough drops,” Danny accused.  “Where’s the rest of the money?  Make him tell, Mother.”

Kathleen saved him the necessity of replying.

“Toff meddy,” she gurgled, looking up at the shelf where the bottle was kept.  “Tatleen want toff meddy.”

“It’s all gone, Kathleen,” her mother said soothingly.

“No,” said Kathleen, shaking her head and pointing up at the bottle.

“Mercy sakes!  It’s full!” cried Mrs. Mullarkey.  “I could have sworn I emptied it this morning.”

Then she looked at Jerry, a sudden softening coming over her face and into her eyes.

“Jerry, you went and spent every cent of that half-dollar on Kathleen, didn’t you?”

“You said there wasn’t any money in the house,” Jerry defended himself, “and that Kathleen needed more medicine because summer coughs are bad for babies.”

“The Lord love you, Jerry, I’m not scolding you.  It’s more apt to be crying I am at the big heart of you.  It’s as big as my Dan’s was.  You’re more like him in heart and disposition than any of his own children, unless it’s Nora.  That’s why I can’t ever let them take you away, ever.”

“Who wants to take Jerry away?” It was Nora’s startled voice that asked.

Jerry’s heart stood still.  Had the man with the red scar on his face found him at last?  He looked up at Mother ’Larkey, his lips starting to twist.