"G'wan kid," she said. "I can stand a lot. I been knocked round somepin awful. She dragged me by one hand or the hair when she was tight, and threw me in a corner an' took the"--Peaches glanced over the bed, refusing to call her former estate by the same name--"took the _place_ herself. You ain't hurting me. You can jerk me a lot." "I guess you've been jerked enough, Lily Peaches," he said. "I guess jerkin' ain't going to help your back any. I think we better be easy with it 'til we lay up the money to Carrel it. He put different legs on a dog, course he can put a new back on you." "Dogs doesn't count only with rich folks 'at rides 'em, an' feeds 'em cake; but where'll you find 'nother girl 'at ull spare her back for me, Mickey-lovest?" asked Peaches. "Gee, Lily!" he cried. "I didn't _think_ of that--I wish I hadn't promised you. Course he could _change_ the backs, but where'd I get one. I'll just have to let him take mine." "I don't want no boy's back!" flashed Peaches. "I won't go out an' sell papers, an' wash you, an' feed you, an' let you stay here in this nice bed. I don't want no new back, grand like it is here. I won't have no dog's back, even. I won't have no back!" "Course I couldn't let you work and take care of me, Lily," he said. "Course I couldn't! I was just thinking what I _could_ do. I'll write a letter and ask the Carrel man if a dog's back would do. I could get one your size at the pound, maybe." Peaches arose at him with hands set like claws. "You fool!" she shrieked. "You big damn fool! '_A dog's back!'_ I won't! You try it an' I'll scratch your eyes out! You stop right now on backs an' go hell-bent an' get my breakfast! I'm hungry! I like my back! I will have it! You----" Mickey snatched his pillow from the floor, using it to press the child against hers. Then he slipped it down a trifle at one corner and spoke: "Now you cut that out, Miss Chicken, right off!" he said sternly. "I wouldn't take no tantrums from a dog, so I won't from you. You'll make your back worse acting like that, than beating would make it, and 'sides, if you're going to live with me, you must be a lady. No lady says such words as you used, and neither does no gentleman, 'cause I don't myself. Now you'll either say, 'Mickey, please get me my breakfast,' and I'll get you one with a big surprise, or you'll lay here alone and hungry 'til I come back to-night. And it'll be a whole day, see?" "'F I wasn't a pore crippled kid, you wouldn't say that to me," she wailed.