“You’ll walk or take a car to the address,” 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 go under the wheels of the vehicle.

Nan Sherwood seized the shawl and by main strength dragged its owner to the gutter.  The car slid past; both girls were safe!

“You lemme be! you lemme be!” shrieked the girl Nan had rescued, evidently considering herself much abused by the rough treatment her rescuer had given her, and struggling all the time to keep Nan from lifting her upon the sidewalk.