They had
seen how poor people have to live in the city, and were going back to
their country homes with an appreciation of how much better off they
were there.
First, however, Nan forgot to buy her gloves; and instead took Sallie and
Celia back to the Mason house with her. When she explained the situation
to Walter and sent him out to telegraph to Mr. Morton, the boy laughingly
nick-named the big Mason home, "The Wayfarers' Inn."
"If you stayed here a month longer, Nan Sherwood, you'd have the house
filled with waifs and strays," he declared.
Sallie and Celia that evening divided interest with the masquerade party.
The next day at noon, however, the fathers of the two girls arrived and
took them home.
The farmers were grateful--loquaciously so on Mr. Si Snubbins' part--to
Mr. and Mrs. Mason for housing the runaways over night; but neither could
properly express the feeling he had for Nan Sherwood.
Mrs. Morton did that later in a letter, and Nan keeps that much-read
letter to this very day in the secret box in which she locks her medal
for bravery. She thinks a great deal more of the letter from the grateful
farmer's wife than she does of the Society's medal.
Before Nan Sherwood returned to Tillbury she saw Jennie Albert again, and
finally made a special call upon Madam, the famous film actress, to beg
that kind, if rather thoughtless, woman, to take the girl under her own
special and powerful protection.
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