se, and Grace
paid her out of her own purse to look in on Jennie Albert occasionally
and see that she got her medicine and food.

For they were all determined not to leave little Inez in these poor
lodgings. "Goodness knows," Bess remarked, "if she gets out of our sight
now we may never find her again. She's just as elusive as a flea!"

The child looked at Bess in her sly, wondering way, and said: "Hi! I
never had nobody worry over what become of me 'fore this. Seems like it's
somethin' new."

CHAPTER XXVIII

WHAT HAPPENED TO INEZ

Walter, who had gone downstairs to wait after he had brought the doctor,
had a long wait in the cold court at the door of the lodging house in
which Jennie Albert lived. A less patient and good-natured boy would have
been angry when his sister and her school chums finally appeared.

He was glad that Grace took an interest in anything besides her own
pleasure and comfort. His sister, Walter thought, was too much inclined
to dodge responsibility and everything unpleasant.

He wanted her to be more like Nan. "But, then," the boy thought, "there's
only one Nan Sherwood in the world. Guess I can't expect Grace to run a
very close second to her."

However, when the girls did appear Grace was chattering just as excitedly
as Bess Harley herself; and she led Inez by the hand.

"Yes, she shall! She'll go right home with me now--sha'n't she, Walter?"
Grace cried. "You get a taxi, and we'll all pile in--did you ever ride in
a taxi, Inez?"

"Nope. But I caught on behind a jitney once," confessed the little girl,
"and a cop bawled me out for it."

"We're going to take her home, and dress her up nice," Bess explained to
Walter, "and give her the time of her life."

Inez seemed a bit dazed. In her own vernacular she would probably have
said--had she found her voice--that "things was comin' too fast for her."
She scarcely knew what these girls intended to do with her; but she had a
good deal of confidence in Nan Sherwood, and she looked back at her
frequently.

It was to Nan, too, that Walter looked for directions as to their further
movements, as well as for exact information as to what had gone on up
stairs in Jennie Albert's room.

"She's an awfully plucky girl," Nan said. "No; she's not very ill now,"
the doctor said, "but she does have a dreadful cough. However, the doctor
has given her medicine.

"It's odd," Nan added thoughtfully, "but she got this cold down at
Tillbury. The