s were run off before the first scene of "A Rural
Beauty" was shown. It was a very amusing picture, being full of country
types and characters, with a sweet little love story that pleased the
girls, and some quite adventurous happenings that made a hit with Walter,
as he admitted.

Sallie Morton and Celia Snubbins were in the picture and the chums easily
picked the runaways out on the screen. Sallie was a pretty girl, despite
the fault her father had pointed out--that she was long-limbed. Nan and
Bess knew Celia Snubbins because she _did_ look like her father.

The two girls had been used in the comedy scene of "A Rural Beauty" as
contrasts to the leading lady in the play, who was made up most
strikingly as the beautiful milkmaid who captured the honest young farmer
in the end.

There was a buzz of excitement among the Masons and those of their
friends who had heard about the runaways over the appearance of Sallie
and Celia when they came on the screen. As the party reached the lobby
after the end of the last reel, Walter expressed his opinion emphatically
regarding the runaway girls.

"I declare! I think those two girls awfully foolish to run away from
home if they couldn't do anything more in a picture than they did in
that one."

Nan was about to make some rejoinder, for Walter was walking beside her,
when somebody said, back of them:

"Why, you must know those girls ahead. They go to Lakeview Hall with
Gracie Mason."

"Goodness! they are not staying with Grace and Walter, are they?"
demanded a shrill and well remembered voice. "Why, I saw Nan Sherwood in
trouble in one of the big stores the other day, for taking something from
one of the counters."

Nan turned, horrified. The speaker was Linda Riggs.

CHAPTER XX

NAN ON THE HEIGHTS

Mrs. Mason had not chaperoned the party of girls and boys to the motion
picture show; but Miss Hagford, the English governess, was with them.
Including the young hosts and Nan and Bess, there was almost a score in
the party, and they made quite a bustling crowd in the lobby as they came
out, adjusting their outer garments against the night air.

Walter and Nan were in the lead and when Linda Riggs' venomous tongue
spat out the unkind words last repeated, few of the party heard her.
Pearl Graves, her cousin, was beside the purse-proud girl who had been
Nan's bitter enemy since the day they had first met. Pearl was a
different kind of girl entirely from Linda; in fa