"Hullo, honey; don't you know us?" Nan asked her.
"Hi!" exclaimed the street waif. "If it ain't me tony friends from
Washington Park. Say! youse got ter excuse me. I didn't know youse."
"Why, Inez!" exclaimed Nan, kindly. "You have a dreadful cold."
"Say! if I don't have nothin' worse than that I'll do fine," croaked the little girl, carelessly. "But I never expected to see youse tony folks again."
"Why, Inez!" exclaimed Bess. "And we've been hunting all over for you."
"Goodness me!" burst out Grace Mason. "You don't mean to say that this is the poor little thing we've been in such a fuss about?"
"Of course she is," Bess replied.
"This is positively Inez," laughed Nan, squeezing the little one's cold hand in her own. "Aren't you glad to see us, child?"
"I dunno," said Inez, doubtfully. "Youse ain't come to take me back to me aunt, have youse?" and she looked around for a chance to escape. "I ain't goin' to live with her no more—now I tell youse!" and she became quite excited.
Nan sought to reassure her. "Don't you be afraid, honey. We wouldn't see you abused. We only want to help you. That is why we have been searching for you."