fter all.

Walter and his father were close chums. Grace and her mother were like
two very loving sisters. The smaller children were still with their
governess and nurse most of the time. But there were times in every day
when the whole family was together in private, with the rest of the
household shut out.

There was always something going on for the young folk. The day's
activities were usually planned at the general breakfast table. One day
Nan had two hours of the forenoon on her hands, while her chum and Grace
went shopping with Mrs. Mason. Nan did not like shopping--much.

"Not unless I can have lots of money in my pocket-book, and be
extravagant," she said, laughing.

"You never were extravagant in your life!" declared Bess, in
refutation of this.

However, Nan was left alone and Walter found it out. He had brought his
black horse down from Freeling with him. He sent for this and the cutter,
and insisted that Nan go with him through the park.

Nan went, and would have had a delightful time had it not been for a
single incident. As they turned back, suddenly there met them a very
handsome, heavy, family sleigh, the pair of horses jingling their
harness-bells proudly, and with tossing plumes and uniformed coachman
and footman.

"Goodness!" gasped Nan, as she saw a girl in furs lean far out of the
great sleigh and wave her muff to Walter.

It was Linda Riggs. Linda quite ignored Nan's presence behind the
black horse.

CHAPTER XVII

"A MOVING SCENE"

Nan did not refuse to go shopping every time her school friends went.
The big Chicago stores appealed to her just as much as to any country
girl who ever fell under their charm. In the Windy City the
department stores--that mammoth of modern commerce--is developed to
the highest degree.

It was like wandering through an Alladin's Palace for Nan to walk about
Wilson-Meadows, Galsig-Wheelwrights, or any of the other big stores. And
it was because she was so much interested in what she saw, that she
wandered one day away from her friends and found herself in the jewelry
department, where the French novelties loaded the trays and were
displayed in the cases.

Nan forgot her friends--and the flight of time. It was not alone the
pretty things displayed that interested her, but the wonderfully dressed
women who paraded through the aisles of the store.

She found herself beside a beautifully dressed woman, in a loose,
full-flowing fur garment, with f