t reluctance, Mary
placed her darling in Mrs. O'Malligan's lap, and the process of
exhibiting and trying on the garments began at once.

For a time her small ladyship yielded graciously, until seeing her
pretty feet bared that the little stockings and half worn shoes might be
fitted, she suddenly cast her eyes about the circle of ladies, and won
by the pretty, dark beauty of young Mrs. Repetto, the Tenement's bride
of a month's standing, imperiously demanded that lady to take the pink
toes to market.

Overcome with having the public attention thus drawn upon her, pretty
Mrs. Repetto in the best Italian-English she could muster, confessed her
inability to either understand or comply, whereupon the baby, bearing no
malice in her present high good-humor, proceeded to take them herself.

"This little pig went to market," the angelic accents declared, while
her ladyship smiled sweetly upon Mrs. Repetto, and Mary Carew
breathlessly motioned for silence with all the pride of a doting
parent.

"This little pig stayed home--" the ladies on the outskirts pressed near
that they too might hear.

"This little pig had bread and cheese," whereupon Mrs. Repetto
recovering, went down on her knees to be nearer the scene of exploit.

"This little pig had none;" the interest now was breathless, and as the
last little pig went squeaking home the ladies nearest fell upon the
darling and covered her with kisses.

"An' it's jus' that smart she is, all the time," declared Mary Carew
proudly, "an' 'taint like she's showin' off, either, is it, Norma?"

When at last the trying on was over, and the Tony generosity was
sufficiently enlarged upon, the ladies, as is the way with the best of
the sex, fell into a mild gossip before separating. And while racy bits
of Tenement shortcomings were being handed around, the small object of
this gathering, too young, alas, to know the joys denied her because of
her limited abilities to understand the nature of the conversation,
slipped down from Mrs. O'Malligan's lap, and eluding Mary's absent
hold, proceeded to journey about the room, until reaching the open
door, she took her way, unobserved, out of the O'Malligan first floor
front and leaving its glories of red plush furniture and lace curtains
behind her, forthwith made her way out the hall door into the street.

The hot, garbage-strewn pavements and sunbaked gutters swarmed with the
sons and daughters of the Tenement. Directly opposite its five-s