Dorothy's Tour Part 13

"No. But one can hardly tell. I should judge that with the capable fire service that New York has, so fully equipped and strictly up-to-date, that they could get it under entire control with possible danger to only a couple of floors," answered Jim.

"Then, maybe our floor will not be burned at all?" inquired Alfy.

"I hope not," answered Aunt Betty.

Just then Jim turned to look at the girl, for she stood directly in back of Aunt Betty, and catching sight of her he laughed outright.

"Why, Alfy, what have you there?" he exclaimed.

A funny sight, indeed, was Alfy, her little bedroom slippers of red just peeping out from under her bright pink kimona which she had slipped on over her night dress, and a bright red hat in her hand.

"My hat," answered Alfy. "My best new hat. I saw it lying on the table so I picked it up as I pa.s.sed. I couldn't bear to think of losing it.

It's my favorite color and here it is." She placed the hat on her head and laughed as she did so. Aunt Betty turned and laughed, too, and so did many of the people around them.

The girl looked funny indeed with the kimona and the hat. Her long, abundant growth of hair was braided down her back in two huge braids tied at the ends with blue hair ribbons which had long been discarded from day use. The red hat topping all looked as if the fire itself was there in their midst.

"Great heavens!" exclaimed Aunt Betty, suddenly. "Where is Dorothy?

Where is she?" Whereat faintness overcame her, and she dropped helpless upon the sidewalk. Jim caught and held her in his young strong arms, and carried her over to a chair that had been brought out of the hotel. Here he put her in the care of a young matron, who had kindly offered a.s.sistance, and was aiding Alfy. Being sure that she was safe and well cared for, he quickly began to look for Dorothy. In a few seconds he ran through the crowd, his heart sinking, as he could not locate her anywhere.

Then he thought she might have gone back to the burning building. The thought of her, the girl he loved, up there in that dangerous place nearly drove him frantic. Quickly he rushed past the fire lines, yelling to the policemen who would have delayed him perhaps, when every moment was precious. He must find her. His Dorothy must be saved.

"There is someone in there I must save!" he shouted to those he pa.s.sed.

He hurried on and ran into the building. First he went toward the elevator, but seeing no one there, turned and ran for the stairs.

Quickly he mounted them quickly--indeed he ran! Up those seven long flights of stairs he went with an energy he never called forth before.

As he neared their floor he saw that the fire had in some few places broken through to the seventh floor, and realized that he could go no higher, and had but a few moments more.

"Dorothy! Dorothy!" he called out. He thought he heard a very faint answer from her and rushed madly onward. He could not see, and was choked by the thickening smoke. Finding his way into the bath room he opened the window, then he picked up two large towels and hastily wet them with cold water. One of those he wrapped about his head, and then he called again. She answered faintly, and then he found the girl, her precious violin in her hands. She choked with the smoke, and was all out of breath from her long race up the many flights of stairs.

"Jim," she sobbed. "I just had to get this. I couldn't leave my violin up here," and fell into his arms.

"Come girl," said Jim, sternly. "Here, put this around your face, so,"

and he carefully adjusted the wet towel he had provided for the purpose.

"Now, follow me, and give me your hand."

Just outside the doors the smoke was very dense.

"Lay down and creep!" ordered Jim, "and give me your violin."

He took the violin and forced Dorothy down and beside him so that their heads would be close to the floor. As you doubtless know, smoke rises, and the place freest from smoke would be the lowest possible one. Thus they crept until they reached the stair.

"Stand up, now," commanded Jim, "and take the violin again." Then he took her in his arms and rapidly made his way down, till they had pa.s.sed the zone of danger. Here for one brief moment he held the girl in his arms, murmuring lowly, "Thank G.o.d, darling, you are safe now."

Then they quickly made their way to the place where he had left Aunt Betty and Alfy.

There sat Mrs. Calvert, pale but calm. On seeing her, Dorothy rushed into her aunt's arms, and explained, "Dear Aunt Betty, I just went back after my violin. I couldn't let it stay in there and get burned.

And Jim came after me and saved me."

"Dear, dear child, don't you know how foolish that was to do? Why you are far more precious to me than any violin, no matter how priceless it may be."

Just then they heard a voice calling the crowd to attention. It was the manager of the hotel, making an announcement. He told the people that while the firemen had the fire well in control, it was considered safest for none of the guests to return to their rooms until the morning, when it would be entirely safe. The Hotel Breslin, he informed them, would accommodate them for the night, and was but a few doors away.

The people began to follow his instructions at once, and the clerks at the Hotel Breslin were soon very busy apportioning rooms to them. All were very shortly trying to overcome their worries sufficiently to enable them to regain the sleep they had lost.

The fire had been caused by the carelessness of some of the servants of the hotel in dropping lighted matches on the floor, the servants'

apartments being in the top of the building. It was therefore hoped that little damage had been done to the property of the guests.

CHAPTER X.

THE LOCKET.

The next morning, quite late, for it was nearly ten o'clock, Aunt Betty and the two girls arose. The hotel people had arranged to have the breakfasts sent up to all the unfortunate ones, and otherwise made them as comfortable as possible.

The trio breakfasted and Aunt Betty suggested, "Dorothy, dear, I think it would be a wise idea to telephone over to the hotel and find out if any of our things were left unharmed by the fire, and ask, too, if we might come back there now."

"Yes, Aunt Betty," answered Dorothy, as she started for the 'phone.

She talked over the wire for several minutes, then returning to her aunt and Alfy said, "They say that some of our things have not been spoiled at all, but that the rooms are a complete wreck, because the firemen broke all the windows when they stopped the fire at that point. We have been given a suite on the second floor, and all the things which belong to us have been moved down there."

"Ah," interrupted Alfy. "I am so glad there are some things left. I was afraid we would have to go about all day in blankets and look like Indian squaws."

"No, indeed," answered Dorothy. "They are going to send us in our coats, so that we can get to the carriage that they have placed at the disposal of the guests and be driven right to the door."

"They have certainly tried to be as considerate as possible to all their guests," said Mrs. Calvert.

"Here," said Dorothy, answering a loud knock at the door, "here are our coats now."

"Come, let us see what we have left, for I feel sure that we will have to hurry and get more clothes for you girls if we have to start for Was.h.i.+ngton very soon," rejoined Mrs. Calvert.

They all slipped on their outer garments, and very quickly were carried downstairs by the elevator. They hurried into their carriage and very soon were located in their new suite of rooms.

"Oh, just look, Aunt Betty!" exclaimed Dorothy. "See, the trunks we packed last night with all our good things are all right. The water never leaked through at all."

"That saves us a good deal of trouble and expense, doesn't it? I certainly thought that all three of us would have to be fitted out entirely again. I am very, very glad that we were so fortunate,"

answered Aunt Betty.

"Oh, dear!" exclaimed Alfy. "Oh, dear, just see! Isn't it too bad that I didn't stay home and pack instead of going to church with Jim last night. All I have in my trunk is the two white dresses you made me at Bellevieu before we started on the trip, and my raincoat. Oh! Oh! Oh!

And I forgot all about it. I intended to show it to you right away as soon as I reached Bellevieu. I begged Ma Babc.o.c.k so for it, and then to think I clean forgot it! Ah, she will be so disappointed to know I forgot it."

"Why, Alfy child," remonstrated Aunt Betty. "What are you talking about? There now, calm yourself and tell me."

"It's this," replied Alfy, holding up a piece of linen about a foot square, "this sampler. I found it in an old box in the closet of the spare room Ma had fixed up in the barn, when I was searching for my raincoat just before I left home. Ma said a school friend, a little Baltimore girl who was 'up Mounting' summering, and who fell ill and stayed all winter and went to school with Ma, made it for her." And Alfy handed the square of linen to Mrs. Calvert. Aunt Betty took it up and carefully examined it while Dorothy looked over her shoulder and tried to see it too.

"Why," exclaimed Mrs. Calvert, "this is beautiful work! Just beautiful! And what is the name? Dorothy dear, will you see if you can find my gla.s.ses? I put them in my work bag, which I put in the tray of the trunk. Yes, way down in the right hand corner."