"What would be best would be to have some other place just as pleasant, and warm, and free as Mason's,--some _good_ place." Alice sighed at this thought. "It can't be here at home, because it takes so much money to have it warm and light; and besides, his friends wouldn't feel free to come, and it would be lonely for him." "Alice, what _are_ you muttering about?" called Mrs. Rawson. "Nothing, mother; I'm only making a plan." "If I could get books and papers," she went on, closing the door, and starting for the kitchen; "but Jack is too tired to read much." Suddenly a new thought struck her, and she stood in the middle of the kitchen like a statue. "I wonder--I do wonder why a place couldn't be fixed--a room somewhere! I believe people would help if they only thought how good it would be for boys. That would be splendid!" And she looked anything but a statue now, for she fairly beamed with delight at the thought. "I don't suppose I can do much alone," she said later, as the plan grew more into shape; "but it's for Jack, and that'll help me talk to people, I'm sure, and at least I can try." She did try. Without troubling her mother with her plans,--for she knew she would be worried and think of a dozen objections to it,--in her delicate state of health,--Alice hurried through with her work, put on her things, and went to call first on Mr. Smith, a grocer. She happened to know that at the back of Mr. Smith's store was a room opening on a side street, which he had formerly rented for a cobbler's shop, but which was now empty. Alice's heart fluttered wildly a moment, when she stood before the grocer in his private office, where she was sent when she asked of the clerk an interview with Mr. Smith. "You are Rawson's daughter, I believe," was Mr. Smith's greeting. "Yes," said Alice, "I am Alice Rawson, and you'll think I am crazy, I'm afraid, when I tell you my errand," she went on, trembling. "But oh, Mr. Smith! if you remember my father before--before"-- "I do, child," said the grocer kindly, supposing she had come to ask for help. "Then you'll not wonder," she went on bravely, "that I am going to try every way to save my brother." "Is your brother in danger?" asked Mr. Smith. "And what can I do?" "He is in danger," said Alice earnestly, "of doing just as father did, and so are lots of other boys, and what you can do is to let me have Johnson's old shop, free of rent for a little while, to make an experiment--if I can get help," she added warmly. "But what will you do? I don't understand," said Mr. Smith. "What will I do? Oh, I'll try to make a place as pleasant as Mason's saloon, that shan't cost anything, and I'll try to get every boy and young man to go there, and not to Mason's. If they could have a nice, warm place of their own, Mr. Smith, don't you think they would go there?" she asked anxiously.