Danny set out towards home on a run without having answered the
question.

"Where're you goin'?" asked Chris, with a tinge of suspicion in his
voice.

"I'm goin' to ask mother and see."

"That's no fair!" cried Chris. "You can run the fastest and 'll get to
ask her first."

"She can't give fifty cents to all of us," replied Danny and kept on
running.

"Danny Mullarkey! You're a mean old thing!" called Nora.

Already Chris was racing after Danny; the contagion soon spread and
first Nora and then Celia Jane were running with all their might after
their brothers.

Jerry started to run after them, but it was a half-hearted run and he
brought up a very laggard rear. He never tried to get anything for
himself that the clannish Mullarkey brood had in their possession, or to
which they could with any shred of justice lay claim. If he did, he knew
by experience that they would all unite against him--all except Mother
'Larkey, who, trying to earn money to support them all, could not always
know what was going on under her tired, kindly eyes, much less the
things that took place behind her back. And baby Kathleen, who was too
little to feel the claims of the Mullarkey blood and who loved
everybody.