"They ain't nobody else!" said Peaches. "There is too!" contradicted Mickey. "Mary said Junior would rub your feet! Well he _won't!_ It's nix on Junior! _He's only a boy! He ain't got a family. He hasn't had experience. He doesn't know anything about families! See?_" "He carries Bobbie, an' I bet he's heavier 'an me." For the first time Mickey lost his temper. "Now you looky here, Miss Chicken," he stormed. "I ain't saying what he _can_ do, I'm saying what he _can't!_ See? You are mine, and I'm going to keep you! He can lift me for all I care, but he can't carry you, nor rub your feet, nor nothing; because he didn't find you, and you ain't his; and I won't have it, not at all! Course he's a good boy, and he's a nice boy, and you can play with him, and talk to him, I'll let you just be awful nice to him, because it's polite that you should be, but when it comes to carrying and rubbing, it's nix on Junior, because he's got no family and doesn't understand. See?" "Umhuh," taunted Peaches. "Well, are you going to promise?" demanded Mickey. "Maybe," she teased. "Back you go and never see a cow at all if you don't promise," threatened Mickey. "Mickey, what's the matter with you?" cried Peaches suddenly. "What you getting a tantrum yourself for? You ain't never had none before." "That ain't no sign I ain't just busting full of them," said Mickey. "Bad ones, and I feel an awful one as can be coming right now, and coming quick. Are you going to promise me nobody who hasn't a _family_, carries you, and rubs you?" Peaches looked at him in steady wonderment. "I guess you're pretty tired, an' you need to sleep a while, or somepin," she said. "If you wasn't about sick yourself, you'd know 'at anybody 'cept you 'ull get their dam-gone heads ripped off if they touches me, nelse _you_ say so. _Course_, you found me! _Course_, they'd a-got me, if you hadn't took me. _Course_, I'm yours! _Course_, it's nix on Junior, an' it's _nix_ on Peter if you say so. Mickey, I jus' love you an' love you. I'll go back now if you say so, I tell you. Mickey _what's_ the matter?" She stretched up her arms, and Mickey sank into them. He buried his face beside hers and for the first time she patted him, and whispered to him as she did to her doll. She rubbed her cheek against his, crooned over him, and held him tight while he gulped down big sobs. "Mickey, tell me," she begged, like a little mother. "Tell me honey? Are you got a pain anywhere?" "No!" he said. "Maybe I _was_ kind of strung up, getting you here and being so awful scared about hurting you; but it's all right now. You are here, and things are going to be fine, only, will you, cross your heart, _always and forever remember this: it's nix on Junior, or any boy, who ain't got a family, and doesn't understand?_"