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“And how old are you, little man?” continued Uncle Ben, placing a friendly hand on the urchin’s shoulder.

The touch and tone made Micky Finn brace his backbone with conscious pride as he replied:

“I’m mos’ twelve, sur, an’ I’ve been the bread-winner fer th’ fam’ly fer four years—ain’t I, Ikey?”

“Shure he has! An’ Nelly gits more’n lots of sick gals we know, ’cuz Finn won’t play craps ner match pennies like the udder boys do!” bragged Ikey, anxious to win a ticket for Micky.

“Well, let me see! Who will go with Nelly, to take care of her? Have you any other sisters or family to travel with her?” asked Uncle Ben.

“We had a sister two years older’n us but she disappeared one night an’ we never hearn tell of her agin. She worked in a tobacco-shop. Since then, I had all the supportin’ to do. That was last summer, she went wid anudder gal to Coney Island an’ never got back.”

“I’ll have to write down your address, Finn, and send a lady down to see Nelly. If everything is all right, she will arrange to take your sister to the country at once. I’ll make out the ticket myself. Now you can go out and spend week-ends with her if you like. And should you take a summer vacation, you can go to Happy Hills free of cost for two weeks,” explained Mr. Talmage.