ress," Mrs. Mason instructed them.
"No more riding behind that excited horse to-day, please."

"All right, Mother," said Walter, obediently. "Now, whenever you girls
are ready, I am at your service. It's lucky I know pretty well the poorer
localities in Chicago. Your calling district, Nan Sherwood, seems to
number in it a lot of shady localities."

However, it was only a poor neighborhood, not a vicious one, in which
Jennie Albert lived. Grace had accompanied the chums from Tillbury, and
the trio of girls went along very merrily with Walter until they came
near to the number Mr. Gray had given them.

This number they had some difficulty in finding. At least, four hundred
and sixteen was a big warehouse in which nobody lodged of course. Plenty
of tenement houses crowded about it but four hundred and sixteen was
surely the warehouse.

While Walter was inquiring in some of the little neighboring stores, Nan
saw a child pop out of a narrow alley beside the warehouse and look
sharply up and down the street. It was the furtive, timid glance of the
woods creature or the urchin of the streets; both expect and fear the
attack of the strong.

The Lakeview Hall girls were across the street. The little girl darted
suddenly toward them. Her head was covered by an old shawl, which half
blinded her. Her garments were scanty for such brisk winter weather, and
her shoes were broken.

"Oh, the poor little thing!" murmured Grace Mason.

Nan was suddenly excited by the sight of the child crossing the crowded
street; she sprang to the edge of the walk, but did not scream as the
little one scurried on. Down the driveway came a heavy auto-truck and
although the little girl saw the approach of this, she could not well see
what followed the great vehicle.

She escaped the peril of the truck, but came immediately in the path of a
touring car that shot out from behind to pass the truck. With a
nerve-racking "honk! honk!" the swiftly moving car was upon the child.

Bess and Grace _did_ scream; but Nan, first aware of the little one's
danger, was likewise first to attempt her rescue. And she needed her
breath for that effort. Other people shouted at the child and, from
either sidewalk, Nan was the only person who darted out to save her!

The driver under the steering wheel of the touring car did his best to
bring it to an abrupt stop; but the wheels skidded and--for a breathless
moment--it did seem as though the shawl-blinded child must