"I think that an excellent thing. They want a comfortable home and they must have some one to help out that child. She ought to go to school. She's too little to keep house. I must go over and see her."
"Oh, do," I entreated. "It's hard to have her there alone."
"Yes, men as a general thing haven't much sense about rearing gals."
"Norman," began my father rather abruptly, "you go over to Hubbard's. I heard he wanted some help—a boy good at figuring. When I was twelve years old I turned out to work. You've had a pretty good chance at schooling."
My heart beat with a quick throb. Why, if I could get a situation there I could see the Little Girl every day!
"I'll go the first thing," I replied cheerfully.
"And you needn't stick out about wages. Boys nowadays think they are worth a heap of gold, but they're not. Be content to begin down to the bottom of the line, and thankful that you have the chance."
I was amused. I think I was a rather meek boy and not given to exalting myself.
The three younger ones went to school, and then it was from eight to five, seven months of the year, from nine until four through the winter months. It might have been hard on the teachers, but no one complained.
The next morning when I started out my mother said, "Go and see if that little Gaynor girl is well, and how they managed last night."