ulling his baby teeth, mending his ragged clothes, teaching
him to cook and do housework, feeding him kosher dainties, and--for
reasons better hinted at than made plain--keeping a sharp lookout in the
matter of his bright hair.

In the beginning, when trouble had assailed him, her lap had received
him like the mother's lap he could not remember; her arms had cradled
him tenderly, her kisses had comforted, and he had often wept out his
rage and mortification on her bosom.

However, long since he had felt himself too big to be held or kissed.
And as for his hair, she understood what a delicate subject it had come
to be with him. She would have liked to stroke it now; but she contented
herself with patting gently one thin arm. Behind her was old Grandpa,
peering into the dim closet.

"Oy! oy! oy!" mourned Mrs. Kukor, wagging her round head. "Ev'rytink
goes bat if some peoples lives by oder peoples w'ich did-ent belonk mit.
Und how to do? I can't to say, except yust live alonk, und see if
sometink nice happens maype."

Johnnie moved, with a long, dry sob, and very tenderly she leaned down
to turn his face toward her. "Ach, poor Chonnie!" she cried. "Come! We
will wash him, und makes him all fresh und clean. Und next--how do you
t'ink? Mrs. Kukor hass for you a big surprises!"

He sat up then, wearily, but forbore to seem curious, and she coaxed him
into the kitchen, to bathe the dust and tears from his countenance, and
stitch up some rents in the big shirt, where Big Tom had torn it. All
the while she talked to him comfortingly. "Ach, mine heart it bleets
over you!" she declared. "But nefer mind. Because, _oh_, such swell
surprises!"

Now Johnnie felt he could properly show interest in things outside the
morning's trouble. "What, Mrs. Kukor?" he wanted to know. "Is it--is it
noodle soup?"

And now both burst out laughing, for it was always a great joke between
them, his liking for her noodle soup. Old Grandpa laughed loudest of
all, circling them, and pounding the floor with his cane. "What say?" he
demanded. "What say?" Altogether the restoration to the flat of peace
and happiness was made so evident that, to right, left, and below,
windows now began to go down with a bang, as, the Barber row over, the
neighbors went back to their own affairs.

"It wass not noodle soup," declared Mrs. Kukor. "It wass sometink a
t'ousand times so goot. But not for eatink. No. _Much_ better as. Und!
Sooner your work wass finished,