And Mickey liked Miss Putnam.  He found she was very fair about time and reasonable about the amount of work she expected him to accomplish.  The fact that he was barefooted did not seem to bother her and she treated him exactly as though his clothes were whole instead of torn and poorly patched.

Now when she asked him why he had thrown the tar, it was hard for him to tell the truth.  But he did.  When Mickey once made up his mind to do a thing, he always went through with it.

“It was ’count of the barbwire,” Mickey explained in a low voice.  “I didn’t know you put it up, and I climbed the fence one night, to scare you through the window, and I thought you’d run out and chase me.  And I tore my coat on the wire and scratched my face.  So after that I was always looking for a chance to get even.”

“When I saw the tar, I came back after supper and made Nina carry it for me while I slung it—­we had a tin bucket.  I’m awful sorry, Miss Putnam; honest I am!”

“But—­did you let me send a policeman to the Morrison’s house?” asked Miss Putnam uncertainly.

“I never knew about that till just before I came here to work,” said Mickey earnestly.  “And ever since I’ve felt mean as dirt, not telling.  Nina is just as old as Betty.  It wasn’t her fault—­ Nina’s, I mean; she does whatever I tell her to.”

“Well, I’ll go call on Mrs. Morrison this afternoon,” said Miss Putnam briskly.  “And then I’ll take down that wire.  I don’t need it now anyway, for the children don’t bother me since you’re here.  I guess they’re afraid you’d catch them if you should chase them,” she smiled grimly.

“And I can go right on working?” suggested Mickey anxiously.

“Of course, child.  Why not?” said Miss Putnam.

That settled Mickey’s last worry.  With a hurried “thank you,” he dashed away, out through the yard and up the street.  He wanted to find Brother and Sister and tell them what he had done.

“My goodness, I think you’re ever so brave,” said Sister when she had heard his story.  “I’d be scared to death to tell Miss Putnam like that.”

“Pooh, she’s all right,” answered Mickey.  “I like her.  And now I have a lot of time to make up—­most half an hour.”

“School begins two weeks from today,” announced Brother, watching Mickey tackle an onion row.  “You’re sure you’re going, Mickey?”

“Of course,” said Mickey proudly.  “I’ll stop for you the first morning just to prove it.”

“And we’ll go every day and never be late once, will we?” chimed in Sister.

But whether they were able to keep this good resolution or not remains to be seen.  If you are interested to know you will have to read the next book about them, called “Brother and sister’s school days.”

THE END