CHAPTER XXVII
JENNIE ALBERT—AND SOMEBODY ELSE
"Well! what do you know about that?" was Walter's comment, when he came back to the girls and found them surrounding the hungry looking little street waif, of whom he had already heard so much from Nan and Bess.
"We go out to shoot partridges and bring down a crow," he added.
"Goodness! what a hungry looking kid. There's a bakeshop over the way.
Bring her in and see if we can't cure this child of old Father Famine."
Inez looked at Walter askance at first. But when she understood that he was going to stand treat to coffee and cakes, she grew friendlier.
"Yep, I'm hungry," she admitted. "Ain't I always hungry? M-m—!" as the shop door opened and she sniffed the odors of coffee and food.
"Do, do hurry and feed the poor little thing," urged Grace, almost in tears. "Oh! I'm sorry I came with you girls. Hungry! Only think of being hungry, Walter!"
Inez looked at Grace as though she thought she was losing her mind.
"Aw, say," said she, "don't let it worry youse. I'm uster being empty, I am. And 'specially since me and me aunt had our fallin' out."
"Oh! we know about that, Inez," cried Bess. "We went there to look for you."