nose opened the door; and then, at the sound of Avrillia's voice,
there swarmed out from the rooms on both sides of the hall a crowd of
the most unattractive children! They fairly mobbed Avrillia, all
talking at once and snatching at the bottles which they could see
sticking out of Avrillia's basket. They had the reddest faces Sara had
ever seen, and no manners at all; for without even asking permission
they began to drink out of the bottles, quarreling among themselves
into the bargain.

Sara drew as far away from them as she could; and while Avrillia was
talking kindly to the woman and the children (who didn't listen to her),
and also to an old man who sat hunched over a stove in the corner,
she whispered to Pirlaps, "Who are they?"

"Why, the Measles, of course," said Pirlaps. "I told you we were
coming to see them! They live with their mother, Mrs. Sneeze, and
their grandfather, Old Man Cough. Avrillia thinks she can help them,
but they're a shiftless lot. Haven't a particle of get-up-and-go!
Always waiting for somebody to take 'em!"

Avrillia was too much interested to notice what Sara and Pirlaps were
doing. "Now, children," she was saying kindly but severely, "I shall
expect to find you better the next time I come. No, you can't have
that bottle--that's for the Mumps."

Sara found, as they left the house, that the Mumps were an old couple
who lived only a few doors down the same street. Old Mr. Mump had once
made a fortune in the pickle-business; but he had had reverses, and
was now very old and poor.

They found the old couple sitting in front of their rickety grate,
with their jaws tied up in red flannel. The old man evidently had a
vicious temper, but he was plainly glad to see Avrillia. The old lady
was more mild and tearful; and both were overjoyed to get the
medicine.

As they went out into the street again, Sara gave a sigh of relief;
but Avrillia looked quite rapt and uplifted.

Sara was anxious to see if any mishap had overtaken Yassuh and the
Baby; but when they had hurried back to the restaurant they found
Yassuh still awake and the Baby still asleep. Pirlaps took off the
sticky paper and handed him, as clean as ever, back to Sara, who was
very glad that she had not exposed him to those dreadful diseases.

They caught the scallop-shell boat, though they had to run for it, and
they were quite quiet all the way home. Avrillia sat by the rail,
watching the gulls, and dreaming; and Sara strained