As she arose to her feet she found herself hemmed in by a jeering crowd.
"Ho! it's Pinky Swett!" cried a girl, pressing toward her.

"Hi, Pinky! what's the matter?
What's up ?" "Norah pitched her out! I saw it!" screamed a boy, one of the young thieves that harbored in the quarter.
"It's a lie!" Pinky answered back as she confronted the crowd.
At this moment another boy, who had come up behind Pinky, gave her dress so violent a jerk that she fell over backward on the pavement, striking her head on a stone and cutting it badly.

She lay there, unable to rise, the crowd laughing with as much enjoyment as if witnessing a dog-fight.
"Give her a dose of mud!" shouted one of the boys; and almost as soon as the words were out of his mouth her face was covered with a paste of filthy dirt from the gutter.

This, instead of exciting pity, only gave a keener zest to the show.

The street rang with shouts and peals of merriment, bringing a new and larger crowd to see the fun.