CHAPTER IV

THE PRINCE OF FAR-AWAY


No. 19 McDougle Street had been chosen as a likely market by a
"hokey-pokey" man, who had wheeled his cart to the curb before the
entrance. There, despite Mrs. Hastings' coach-man's peremptory
appeal, he continued to dispense stained ice-cream to the little
denizens of No. 19 and the other houses in the row. The brougham,
however, at once proved a counter-attraction and immediately an
opposition group formed about the carriage step and exchanged
penetrating comments upon the livery.

"Mrs. Hastings, you and Miss Holland would better sit here,
perhaps," suggested St. George, alighting hurriedly, "until I see if
this man is to be found."

"Please," said Miss Holland, "I've always been longing to go into
one of these houses, and now I'm going. Aren't we, Aunt Dora?"

"If you think--" ventured Mr. Frothingham in perplexity; but Mr.
Frothingham's perplexity always impressed one as duty-born rather
than judicious, and Miss Holland had already risen.

"Olivia!" protested Mrs. Hastings faintly, accepting St. George's
hand, "do look at those children's aprons. I'm afraid we'll all
contract fever after fever, just coming this far."