y was going to join a movie company."

CHAPTER XIV

THE FIRST CLUE

Nan and her chum were wildly excited. During their brief stay at
Tillbury over Christmas they had been so busy, at home and abroad, that
they had not thought much about Sallie Morton and Celia Snubbins, the
two runaways.

In Nan's case, not having seen her mother for ten months, she did not--at
the last moment--even desire to come away from her and visit her school
friends in Chicago.

There really was so much to say, so much to learn about Scotland and the
beautiful old Emberon Castle and the village about it, and about the
queer people Mrs. Sherwood had met, too! Oh! Nan hoped that she would
see the place in time--the "Cradle of the Blake Clan," as Mr. Sherwood
called it.

There had been presents, of course, and in the giving and accepting of
these Nan had found much pleasure and excitement--especially when she
found a box of beautiful new clothes for her big doll, all made in
Scotland by "Momsey," who knew just how precious Beautiful Beulah was in
her daughter's eyes.

With all her work and play at Lakeview Hall, Nan Sherwood had not
forgotten Beulah. The other girls of her age and in her grade were
inclined to laugh at Nan for playing dolls; but at the last of the term
Beautiful Beulah had held the post of honor in Room Seven, Corridor Four.

Nan's love for dolls foreshadowed her love for babies. She never could
pass a baby by without trying to make friends with it. The little girls
at Lakeview Hall found a staunch friend and champion in Nan Sherwood. It
was a great grief to Mrs. Sherwood and Nan that there were no babies in
the "little dwelling in amity." Nan could barely remember the brother
that had come to stay with them such a little while, and then had gone
away forever.

Nan's heart was touched by the apparent needs of this street girl who had
come to the rescue of Bess and herself when they arrived in Chicago. All
the time she and her chum were trying to learn something about the two
girls who had come to the great city to be moving picture actresses, and
listening to what the flower-seller had to say about them, Nan was
thinking, too, of their unfortunate little informant.

"Is that restaurant where you took those girls to eat near here?" she
suddenly asked.

"Aw, say! 'tain't no rest'rant," said the child. "It's just Mother
Beasley's hash-house."

"Goodness!" gasped Bess. "Is it a _nice_ place?"

The girl grinned.