Produced by Brendan Lane, Richard Prairie and PG Distributed Proofreaders _MICHAEL_ _O'HALLORAN_ _Gene Stratton-Porter_ Copyright 1915, 1916 _Contents_ PAGE I. Happy Home in Sunrise Alley II. Moccasins and Lady Slippers III. S.O.S. IV. "Bearer of Morning" V. Little Brother VI. The Song of a Bird VII. Peaches' Preference in Blessings VIII. Big Brother IX. James Jr. and Malcolm X. The Wheel of Life XI. The Advent of Nancy and Peter XII. Feminine Reasoning XIII. A Safe Proposition XIV. An Orphans' Home XV. A Particular Nix XVI. The Fingers in the Pie XVII. Initiations in an Ancient and Honourable Brotherhood XVIII. Malcolm and the Hermit Thrush XIX. Establishing Protectorates XX. Mickey's Miracle CHAPTER I _Happy Home in Sunrise Alley_ "_Aw_ KID, _come on! Be square!_" "_You look out what you say to me._" "_But ain't you going to keep your word?_" "_Mickey, do you want your head busted?_" "_Naw! But I did your work so you could loaf; now I want the pay you promised me._" "_Let's see you get it! Better take it from me, hadn't you?_" "_You're twice my size; you know I can't, Jimmy!_" "_Then you know it too, don't you?_" "_Now look here kid, it's 'cause you're getting so big that folks will be buying quicker of a little fellow like me; so you've laid in the sun all afternoon while I been running my legs about off to sell your papers; and when the last one is gone, I come and pay you what they sold for; now it's up to you to do what you promised._" "_Why didn't you keep it when you had it?_" "_'Cause that ain't business! I did what I promised fair and square; I was giving you a chance to be square too._" "_Oh! Well next time you won't be such a fool!_" Jimmy turned to step from the gutter to the sidewalk. Two things happened to him simultaneously: Mickey became a projectile. He smashed with the force of a wiry fist on the larger boy's head, while above both, an athletic arm gripped him by the collar. Douglas Bruce was hurrying to see a client before he should leave his office; but in passing a florist's window his eye was attracted by a sight so beautiful he paused an instant, considering. It was spring; the Indians were coming down to Multiopolis to teach people what the wood Gods had put into their hearts about flower magic.