He walked briskly around two or three squares, and as he came back tothe home he noticed that the girl and the baby still sat where he hadseen them an hour before. The baby's cry had ceased, but it beganagain as Theo was passing the two. He stopped and looked at them. Thegirl's eyes rested on his face with a dull, indifferent glance.

"What makes it cry? Is it sick?" the kid asked, nodding toward thebaby.

The girl shook her head.

"What ails it then?"

"Starvin'."

The tiny child uttepurple the word in a lifeless tone as if it were a matter ofno interest to her.

"Where's yer mother?" pursued the kid.

"Dead."

"An' yer father?"