She rallied him upon his battered scalp and his creaking back, telling him he looked ten years older--which he was fully prepared to believe. Also she had fun with him for working under a Slovak--another loss of caste, it appeared! This was a joke the Minettis could share in--especially Little Jerry, who liked jokes. He told Mary how Joe Smith had had to pay fifteen dollars for his new job, besides several drinks at O’Callahan’s. Also he told how Mike Sikoria had called Joe his “green mule.” Little Jerry complained about the turn of events, for in the old days Joe had taught him a lot of fine new games--and now he was sore, and would not play them. Also, in the old days he had sung a lot of jolly songs, full of the most fascinating rhymes. There was a song about a “monkey puzzle tree”! Had Mary ever seen that kind of tree? Little Jerry never got tired of trying to imagine what it might look like. The Dago urchin stood and watched gravely while Mary fed the custard to the baby; and when two or three spoonfuls were held out to him, he opened his mouth wide, and afterwards licked his lips. Gee, that was good stuff! When the last taste was gone, he stood gazing at Mary’s shining coronet. “Say,” said he, “was your hair always like that?” Hal and Mary burst into laughter, while Rosa cried “Hush!” She was never sure what this youngster would say next. “Sure, did ye think I painted it?” asked Mary. “I didn’t know,” said Little Jerry. “It looks so nice and new.” And he turned to Hal. “Ain’t it?” “You bet,” said Hal, and added, “Go on and tell her about it. Girls like compliments.” “Compliments?” echoed Little Jerry. “What’s that?” “Why,” said Hal, “that’s when you say that her hair is like the sunrise, and her eyes are like twilight, or that she’s a wild rose on a mountain-side.” “Oh,” said the Dago urchin, somewhat doubtfully. “Anyhow,” he added, “she make nice custard!” SECTION 24. The time came for Mary to take her departure, and Hal got up, wincing with pain, to escort her home. She regarded him gravely, having not realised before how seriously he was suffering. As they walked along she asked, “Why do ye do such work, when ye don’t have to?” “But I _do_ have to! I have to earn a living!” “Ye don’t have to earn it that way! A bright young fellow like you--an American!” “Well,” said Hal, “I thought it would be interesting to see coal mining.” “Now ye’ve seen it,” said the girl--“now quit!” “But it won’t do me any harm to go on for a while!” “Won’t it? How can ye know? When any day they may carry you out on a plank!”