"'Cordin' ter what you thinks is nice. I 'spect _you'd_
like the Auditorium Annex better. But Mother Beasley's is pretty good
when you ain't got much to spend."

Bess looked at Nan curiously. The latter was eager to improve this
acquaintanceship so strangely begun, and for more than one reason.

"Could you show us to Mother Beasley's--if it isn't very far away?"
Nan asked.

"Aw, say! What d'ye think? I ain't nawthan' ter do but beau greenies
around this burg? A swell chaunc't I'd have to git any eats meself. I
gotter sell these posies, I have."

"But you can eat with us!" Nan suggested.

"Oh, Nan!" Bess whispered. "Do you s'pose we can find any clue to those
girls there?"

"I hope so," returned Nan, in the same low voice.

"Goodness! I'm just as excited as I can be," her chum went on to say.
"We'll be regular detectives. _This_ beats being a movie actress,
right now."

Nan smiled, but in a moment was grave again. "I'd do a great deal for
that lovely Mrs. Morton," she said. "And even funny old Si Snubbins had
tears in his eyes at the last when he begged us to find his Celia."

"I know it," Bess agreed sympathetically. "But I can't help being excited
just the same. If we should find them at this Mother Beasley's--"

"I don't expect that; but we may hear of them there," said Nan. "Here's
our new chum."

The flower-girl had darted away to sell one of her little bouquets. Now
she came back and took up the discussion where she had dropped it.

"Now about those eats," she said. "I ain't in the habit of eating at all
hours; it don't agree wid my constitootin, me doctor tells me. Fact is,
sometimes I don't eat much, if _any_."

"Oh!" gasped Bess.

"That's when I don't sell out. An' I got five posies left. I b'lieve I'd
better take ye up on this offer. Youse pay for me feed for the pleasure
of me comp'ny; hey?"

"That's the answer," said Nan, spiritedly. "We're going to be good
friends, I can see."

"We are if youse is goin' to pay for me eats," agreed the girl.

"What is your name?" asked Nan, as their young pilot guided the
chums across to the opening of a side-street. "Mine is Nan, and my
friend's is Bess."

"Well, they calls me some mighty mean names sometimes; but my real,
honest-to-goodness name is Inez. Me mudder was a Gypsy Queen and me
fadder was boss of a section gang on de railroad somewhere. He went off
and me mudder died, and I been livin' with me aunt. She's good enough
when she ain't got a