bottle by her, and me and her kids have good times.
But I gotter rustle for me own grub. We all haster."

Nan and Bess listened to this, and watched the independent little thing
in much amazement. Such a creature neither of the chums from Tillbury had
ever before heard of or imagined.

"Do you suppose she is telling the truth?" whispered Bess to Nan.

"I don't see why she should tell a wrong story gratuitously," Nan
returned.

"Come on, girls," said Inez, turning into another street--narrower
and more shabby than the first. "Lift your feet! I ain't got no time
to waste."

Nan laughed and hastened her steps; but Bess looked doubtful.

"Hi!" exclaimed the street girl, "are you sure you two ain't wantin' to
break into the movies, too?"

"Not yet," proclaimed Nan. "But we would like to find a couple of girls
who, I think, came to Chicago for that purpose."

"Hi! them two I was tellin' you about?"

"Perhaps."

"Their folks want 'em back?" asked the street child, abruptly.

"I should say they did!" cried Bess.

"Ain't they the sillies!" exclaimed Inez. "Catch me leavin' a place where
they didn't beat me too much and where the eats came reg'lar."

"Oh!" again ejaculated Bess.

Just then a little boy, more ragged even than their guide, approached. At
once Inez proceeded to shove him off the sidewalk, and when he objected,
she slapped him soundly.

"Why, goodness me, child!" cried the astonished Nan, "what did you do
that for? Did he do anything to you?"

"Nope. Never seen him before," admitted Inez. "But I pitch into all the
boys I see that I'm sure I can whip. Then they let me alone. They think
I'm tough. These boys wouldn't let a girl sell a flower, nor a newspaper,
nor nothin', if they could help it. We girls got ter fight 'em."

"The beginning of suffragism," groaned Nan.

"I never heard of such a thing!" Bess cried. "Fighting the boys--how
disgraceful!"

Inez stared at her. "Hi!" she finally exclaimed, "you wouldn't make much
if you didn't fight, I can tell ye. When I see a boy with a basket of
posies, I pull it away from him and tear 'em up. Boys ain't got no
business selling posies around here. That's a girl's job, and I'm goin'
to show 'em, I am!"

Nan and Bess listened to this with mingled emotions. It was laughable,
yet pitiful. Little boys and girls fighting like savages for a bare
existence. The chums were silent the rest of the way to the old brick
house--just a "slice" out of a three-stor