y. Gloria gazed down into the
boy's face with a sort of fascination. He was so small, yet had such a
protecting way with the baby.

"What is your name, little man?" she asked. "Dinney. What's the name o'
youse?"

Gloria ignored the question.

"Is this your little brother?" gently.

"Well, I guess!" said the boy.

"Can he walk?" more gently still.

"Yep, o' course--I mean when his legs gets stronger he'll walk, won't
youse, Hunkie? De doctor-woman says as wot he needs is plenty o' milk.
Wid its coat on--Hunkie ain't never had none wid its coat on till de
doctor-woman come."

"Its coat on?" murmured Gloria. Then by an inspiration she knew that
the boy meant cream--milk with the cream on. A sob rose unannounced in
Gloria's throat as she looked again at the mite in the cart who would
walk when his legs were stronger.

"Who is the doctor-woman?" she asked; but as she asked the question she
knew the answer and said, "Is she the District Nurse?"

"Yes, she is. She's good to my mother, and Hunkie's the baby. Rosy does
nice things, too. She showed Rosy how to be nice. Me mother's got de
consumption." The boy spoke as though discreetly proud of the fact.

"And who is Rosy?" Gloria asked.

"Sure--de girl wot lives 'cross de hall. She's got eyes like your eyes,
she has."

Across the hall on Treeless Street. A girl with eyes like hers! It was
like finding herself there. Gloria shivered. She had a sudden inward
vision of herself living in Treeless Street.

A little crowd of interested children had gathered. One, bolder than
the rest, had drawn unpleasantly close, and was smoothing Gloria's soft
white dress with timid little fingers. Gloria wondered why she did not
draw away, but stood still instead.

"Are youse a doctor-woman? W'ere's yer bag? Yer ain't t'rew yer bag
away?"

[Illustration: "And who is Rosy?"]

"Huh! She ain't no doctor-woman." This from Dinney, who had the
advantage of early acquaintance. "She's on'y a cuttin' roun' de street.
Youse better not be smudgin' up her dress, Carrots--gwan off, now! All
o' youse gwan an' let de lady 'lone. Me 'n' Hunkie's de on'y ones as she
wants roun'."

Dinney and Hunkie escorted Gloria to the end of the street and back.
Gloria returned on the opposite side with the idea of more thoroughly
exploring. But she might as well have kept to the one side; both sides
were alike in tenements and children--dreariness and poverty. There was
no choice. It was with a long brea