"Well, for a lot of reasons," said Mickey. "A fellow of my size doesn't often tackle a family, and when he does, if he's going to be square about it, he has got to do a lot of _thinking_. One thing was that it's hard for me to get Lily out my head like I first saw her. I guess I couldn't tell you so you'd get a fair idea of how dark, dirty, alone, and little, and miserable she was. Just with all my heart I was ashamed of her folks, and sick sorry for her; but I can't bear for anybody else to be! I didn't want any of them to see her 'til she was fed, and fatted up a lot, and trained 'til how nice she really is shows plain. It just hurt me to think of it." "Um-m-uh!" agreed Mrs. Harding, differing emotions showing on her face. "I see, Mickey." "Then," continued Mickey, "I'm sticking sore and mean on one point. I _did_ find her! She _is_ mine! I _am_ going to keep her! Nobody in all this world takes her, nor God in Heaven!" "Mickey, be careful what you say," she cautioned. "I don't mean anything wicked," explained Mickey. "I'm just telling you that nobody on earth can have her, and I'd fight 'til I'd die with her, before even Heaven gets her. I don't mean anything ugly about it. I'm just telling you friendly like, how I _feel_ about her." "I see Mickey," said Mrs. Harding. "Go on!" "Well, lots of reasons," said Mickey. "She wasn't used to folks, so they scared her. She was crazy with fear about the Orphings' Home getting her, while I wasn't any too sure myself. I flagged one Swell Dame, and like to got caught in a trap and lost her. Then my Sunshine Nurse helped me all I needed; so not knowing how much women were alike, I didn't care to go rushing in a lot on Lily just to find out. She was a little too precious to experiment with. "That Home business has been a big, grinning, 'Get-you-any-minute devil,' peeping 'round the corner at me ever since mother went. I could dodge him for myself, but I couldn't take any _risks_ for Lily. _These Orphings' Homes ain't no place for children_. 'Stead of the law building them, and penning the little souls starving for home and love in them, what it _should_ do is to make people who pay the money to run them, take the children in their _own homes_ and love and raise them _personal_. If every family in the world that has no children would take two, and them that has would take just one, all the Orphings' Homes would make good hospitals and schools; while the orphings would be fixed like Lily and I are. Course I know all folks ain't the same as you and Peter; but in the long run, children are _safer in homes_ than they are in _squads_. 'Most any kind of a home beats no home at all. You can stake your liberty-birds on that." "You surely can," agreed Mrs. Harding.