86 THE KALLIKAK FAMILY 



most of her children are defective, but there are two by 

 unknown fathers who are normal. One of these, a 

 girl of considerable ability, supports herself and mother 

 in a decent way and is respected by her townspeople. 

 The mother is tall, lean, angular, much resembling 

 Jemima, except that the latter was even more mascu- 

 line. Many are the living inhabitants of B to whom 

 the old woman was a well-known figure, for she often 

 came down into the town bringing berries to sell, her 

 large feet shod with heavy boots, her skirts short, while 

 her sharp, angular features were hidden in the depths 

 of a huge sunbonnet. She thus formed a striking pic- 

 ture that could not easily be forgotten. 



A third daughter of Jemima had gone to Brooklyn to 

 live, and the question kept repeating itself, "What will 

 she be like ? " and thi's all the more because of the uncer- 

 tainty of the parentage on the father's side. Perhaps 

 he was a normal man. Perhaps this will prove to be 

 a normal woman and so break the dead monotony of 

 this line of defectives. 



In a back tenement, after passing through a narrow 

 alley, the home of this woman was found. It was about 

 ten o'clock in the morning. After climbing a dark and 

 narrow stairway, one came to a landing from which 

 a view could be had of the interior of the apartment. 



