"Yes, oh, yes, we helped them. I think if Margaret could have had her way we should have marched through the streets to the tune of 'See the conquering hero comes,' distributing new dresses and frosted cakes with unstinted hands; but I finally convinced her that such assistance was perhaps not the wisest way of going about what we wanted to do. At last I had to keep her away from the Alley altogether, it affected her so. I got her interested in looking up a new home for the Whalens, and so filled her mind with that." "Oh, then the Whalens have a new home? Well, I'm sure Margaret must have liked that." Mrs. Kendall smiled wearily. "_Margaret_ did," she said; and at the emphasis the doctor raised his eyebrows. "But, surely the Whalens----" "Did not," supplied Mrs. Kendall. "Did not!" cried the doctor. "Well, 'twas this way," laughed Mrs. Kendall. "It was my idea to find a nice little place outside the city where perhaps Mr. Whalen could raise vegetables, and Mrs. Whalen do some sort of work that paid better than flower-making. Perhaps Margaret's insistence upon 'grass and trees' influenced me. At any rate, I found the place, and in high feather told the Whalens of the good fortune in store for them. What was my surprise to be met with blank silence, save only one wild whoop of glee from the children. "'An' sure then, an' it's in the country; is it?' Mrs. Whalen asked finally. "'Yes,' I said. 'With a yard, some flower beds, and a big garden for vegetables.' I was just warming to my subject once more when Mr. Whalen demanded, 'Is it fur from the Alley?' "Well, to make a long story short, they at last kindly consented to view the place; but, after one glance, they would have none of it." "But--why?" queried the doctor. "Various reasons. 'Twas lonesome; too far from the Alley; they didn't care to raise vegetables, any way, and Mr. Whalen considered it quite too much work to 'kape up a place like that.' According to my private opinion, however, the man had an eye out for a saloon, and he didn't see it; consequently--the result! "Well, we came back to town and the basement kitchen. Margaret was inconsolable when she heard the decision. The Whalen children, too, were disappointed; but Mr. Whalen and his wife were deaf to their entreaties. In the end I persuaded them to move to rooms that at least had the sun and air--though they were still in the Alley--and there I left them with a well-stocked larder and wardrobe, and with the rent paid six months in advance. I shall keep my eye on them, of course, for Margaret's sake, and I hope to do something really worth while for the children. Patty and the twins are still with them at present." "But wasn't Margaret satisfied with that?" asked the doctor.