Mrs. Barclay smiled.
"Oh, no, my dear. The big shops and wholesale places buy hundreds of blouses that they sell off cheap, and that is what they pay for the making of them. What is that noise?" she broke off.
"It's rats!" opined Stewart, shyly.
But it was Kate Kearney scratching at the door. When she was let in she came, wriggling and wagging, lifting great pathetic eyes to the faces of her own people.
"You bad little K.K.," laughed Nell. "What door did you get in at, I wonder?"
Kate Kearney trotted sedately over to the Atom's corner, and Stewart followed her with a piece of cake.
"Mind she doesn't bite!" jeered the Atom, rudely.
He flushed, but did not answer. He gave K.K. two pieces of cake, then turned politely to Sheila Pat:—
"Would you like to give her some?"
He held out the cake.