"The poor family who live in the back street."
"I know nothing about them."
"No, I know you don't, Aunt Caroline, and that is why I want to tell you. They are very poor."
"Indeed!"
"And sometimes I am afraid that they are very hungry."
"Indeed!" said Miss Herrick again. "They had better come here for the cold scraps—that is, if they are deserving. How do you happen to know about them?"
"I met them in the alley," returned Elizabeth, composedly. "There are two very nice girls and four boys. One of them is a bootblack, and another is a newspaper-boy, and Tom is—"
"Heavens!" cried Miss Herrick, in horror. "Where did you pick these people up?" While Miss Rebecca, who was more frivolous, laughed aloud.
"In the alley, I told you," repeated Elizabeth. "I went out the back gate when I was playing in the garden one day, and met them. The alley is so interesting and the girls are so pleasant, though they do have rather dirty faces sometimes. But the boys—"
"Spare us any further details, I beg of you," said her aunt. "Your tastes must be extremely low, Elizabeth."