It's all dark over on her side of the hall. There! There's someone turning the front door key now. Perhaps she has come!" said Phyllis in sudden alarm, and they all stood breathlessly still and listened. Then the front door shut with a bang that only a boy could give it, and an eager breathless boy at that.

"It's only Bob!" said Rosalie. "Oh, I'm glad he's come!" And she rushed to open the door for him.

"Oh boy!" said Bob, rushing in and thumping down a big basket on the floor. "Whaddaya think I got? Guess!"

Rosalie stood with her hands clasped under her chin, her eyes fixed upon her brother's face and a look of breathless radiance.

But Bob could not wait for them to guess.

"A beefsteak!" he shouted. "A real beefsteak, thick as yer foot and big as they make 'em. It's all red and juicy. Oh boy! Lead me to it. All I had t'day is one banana! Who's goin' ta cook this spread?"

"A beefsteak!" breathed Rosalie with starry eyes.

Phyllis received the precious brown paper bundle, soft and damp, and looked down at the basket, which was still fairly full.

"What else is there, Bob?" asked Melissa, stooping down. "Where did you get them all? These things must have cost a lot of money. You didn't go and charge anything, did you?"

"Naw, I didn't charge anything, Funny-face! Where'dya think I'd find anybody ta charge things to, I'd like ta know? I earned 'em, all righty. That's why I'm sa late. I dunno what all's there. I told him ta put in a lotta things, p'tates and t'mates, and cheese and crackers. I guess there's onions there, too, an' parsley--"

"Onions!" exclaimed Rosalie, her face aflame with joy. "Oh, onions, Phyllis!"
"But how did you get them, Bob?" asked Phyllis, "You couldn't have sold enough papers to buy all those things."

"Sold enough ta get a pound o' butter," said Bob indignantly. "Had Tom's route and mine both tanight. And then when I went ta Brady's ta buy a pound a butter, he asked me could I do him a favor. He'd just had a phone call from a good customer of his wanting an order sent away out in the country and his boy was gone, and he couldn't leave the shop, so I said course I'd go. I hadta take a trolley and change twice, and, gee, I thought I'd never get back! He didn't say what he'd pay me. I thought it might be a quarter, but boy! When I got back, didn't he have this basket all fixed up for me to take home, and a whole dollar besides, and he said he'd never forget it, because it was late and this was an awful good customer, and he wanted ta please her, because she buys a lot and she was awful anxious ta get the things there tanight."

"There's a glass of jelly, and some olives," announced Melissa, who had been rooting in the basket.

Then suddenly, as they all stood gazing at the wonderful basket, the mother dropped down into a little heap by the fireplace, and in dismay they turned their attention to her.

"Quick! Melissa! Put her on the davenport!" commanded Phyllis. "I'll get her a cup of tea. She's done out! Oh, we shouldn't have let her wait so long. She's had nothing to eat all day!"

"Oh, gee! Wait!" said Bob as he saw the tea being poured. "I'll run and get a bottle of milk and some cream. I've got money enough left for that."

"Yes, go," said Phyllis, "but I can't wait for that. We must get something hot into her stomach at once. Or wait, Bob. See if she revives.