When they arrived at the Corcoran house, which was achieved by dodging around groups of untidy women gossiping with their neighbors, and children playing on the dirty pavements, with the occasional detour caused by a heap of old tin cans, and other débris, Mr. King drew a long breath. “I don't know that I ought to have brought you young people down here. It didn't strike me so badly before.”
“But it's no worse for us to see it than for the people to live here, father,” said Jasper quickly.
“That's very true—but faugh!” and the old gentleman had great difficulty to contain himself. “Well, thank fortune, the Corcoran family are to move this week.”
“Oh, Grandpapa,” cried Polly, hopping up and down on the broken pavement, and “Oh, father!” from Jasper.
“Polly Pepper,” exclaimed Alexia, twitching her away, “you came near stepping into that old mess of bones and things.”
Polly didn't even glance at the garbage heap by the edge of the sidewalk, nor give it a thought. “Oh, how lovely, Alexia,” she cried, “that they won't have but a day or two more here!”
“Well, we are going in,” said Alexia, holding her tightly, “and I'm glad of it, Polly. Oh, misery me!” as they followed Mr. King into the poor little house that Jim the brakeman had called home.
The little widow, thanks to Mr. King and several others interested in the welfare of the brakeman's family, had smartened up considerably, so that neither she nor her dwelling presented such a dingy, woe-begone aspect as on the previous visit. And old Mr. King, being very glad to see this, still further heartened her up by exclaiming, “Well, Mrs. Corcoran, you've accomplished wonders.”
“I've tried to,” cried the poor woman, “and I'm sure 'twas no more than I ought to do, and you being so kind to me and mine, sir.”
“Well, I've brought some young people to see you,” said the old gentleman abruptly, who never could bear to be thanked, and now felt much worse, as there were several spectators of his bounty; and he waved his hand toward the representatives of the two clubs.