CHAPTER XX
THE DISCOVERY
A FEW moments after Bobbin's disappearance inside the house MollieO'Neill had suddenly torn herself away from the people closed about herin their effort to hide from her eyes the possible destruction of herhome.
She looked searchingly around her.
"Polly!" she called, "Polly!" For the first moment since the firestarted, she seemed to be losing her self-control. For all at once ithad come to her in a terrifying flash that she had not caught a glimpseof her sister since the moment when she had gone up-stairs at eighto'clock to retire to bed.
Nevertheless Polly must be somewhere near by. She must have heard hercalling and she had had plenty of time to escape, more than any oneelse, as she had no one else to look after save herself. Yet it was notlike Polly not to have come at once to her aid with the children!
Mollie ran here and there about the yard, still crying out her sister'sname, horror and conviction growing upon her at every step.
At last she caught sight of her husband directing half a dozen men andcaught hold of his arm.
"Billy, Polly is still inside the house, locked in her own room. Don'task me how I know it, I do. We have got to go in and get her." AndMollie started quickly toward the front porch, until her husband flunghis arms about her.
"Wait here, Mollie," he said sternly. "You will do no good, only makethings harder for me. If Polly is inside the house, as you say, I'llhave her out in a jiffy."
Then he called to one of the men. "Keep Mrs. Webster here. On no accountlet her follow me," he commanded, and glancing about in every directionas he ran, he too made for the house.
Assuredly Mollie was right. Neither had he gotten even a passing glimpseof Polly since the alarm of fire. But was it going to be so simple amatter to rescue her as he had pretended to his wife? For certainly ifPolly had heard nothing of the tumult and danger surrounding her shemust be already hurt and unconscious.
Once inside his own hall Billy Webster squared his great shoulders. Theway ahead of him now looked like a pathway of flame and yet the smokewas harder to endure than the heat. Nevertheless go through it he must,since Polly's room lay at the head of the stairs.
She must be saved. Billy had a sudden vision of Polly from her girlhooduntil now; her wilfulness, her charm and her great talent. How stupidlyhe had opposed her desire to be an actress in the days when he hadsupposed himself in love with Polly O'Neill instead of her twin sister!Well, now they understood each other and were friends and she should notcome to grief in his house.
In his pocket there was a wet handkerchief. Indeed, all his clothes werefortunately damp from the water that had been splashed upon him in thework outdoors. Quickly the man tied the handkerchief about his mouth.Then he took a few steps forward and paused. There was a noise ofsomething falling from above; possibly some of the timbers of the oldhouse were beginning to give way. Could they be under Polly's room?
But even while he thought, Billy Webster fought his way deliberatelyforward until he at last reached the bottom of the stairs and then hisfeet struck something soft and yielding. Stooping down, he caught up twofigures in his arms, not one!
For in that moment at the head of the stairs when Polly had lostconsciousness Bobbin had managed to half carry, half drag her on a partof the way. Then realizing that her own strength was failing, withinstinctive good sense and courage she had flung them both forward, sothat they both slid inertly down to the bottom of the stairs.
Instantly and without feeling their weight the man carried the woman andgirl out of doors.
Poor Bobbin, whom in these last terrible moments they had forgotten! Yetshe it was who had remembered better than them all!
Nevertheless, although both Polly and Bobbin were unconscious, neitherof them was seriously burned. Yet Mollie was dreadfully disturbed. Pollyhad come to visit them on account of her health, and there was no way offoretelling what effect this night's experience might have upon her.Here she was in her night dress, outdoors in the cold, when the rest ofthem were warmly clothed.
However, in another moment Polly was comfortably wrapped in a long coatand carried to the nearest house of one of the farm assistants. Bobbintoo was equally well looked after, and as soon as she had been in thefresh air for a few moments the girl's breath had come back to her andshe was soon almost herself again.
Yet by this time all the women and children had grown tired, for therewas nothing that they could do. Five minutes before, Mollie's two boysand little girl and nurse had been taken away and put to bed by one ofthe farmer's wives. Moreover, real assistance was arriving at last.
In the excitement some one had been intelligent enough to get to thetelephone in the dining room before the fire had crept in thatdirection. The town of Woodford had promised to send help. Even now thevolunteer fire department of the village with an engine and hosecarriage was trampling over the snow-covered lawns of the old Websterhomestead.
A quarter of an hour later a physician appeared and also Betty andAnthony Graham. Afterwards actually there were dozens of Mollie's andBilly's friends who drove out in their motor cars to take the familyhome with them, or to do whatever was possible for their relief andcomfort.
By this time the fire in the old house had been vanquished and the earthwas filled with the cold grayness of approaching dawn.
Mollie would see no one but Betty, who stayed on with her and thephysician in the room given up to Polly. Mrs. Wharton had been persuadednot to come, and Anthony Graham had gone back to town to make thingsclear to her.
"It is just like Polly to be such a ridiculously long time in coming toherself," Betty explained to her frightened friend. "I don't think itmeans anything in the least alarming." Yet all the time she was wishingthat the physician who held Polly's thin wrist, counting her pulse,would not look so deadly serious.
However, no matter what she might fear herself, Mollie must bestrengthened and comforted. Her nerves had given way under the recentstrain and fright. It was almost impossible for her to keep her teethfrom chattering and she was unable to stand up. Notwithstanding, nothingwould persuade her to leave her sister's room.
"For if anything serious is the matter with Polly, of course if will bemy fault and I shall never forgive myself," she would repeat over andover. "You see, I forgot Polly; it was only Bobbin who remembered."
Finally, however, there was a sign from the doctor by Polly's bedsidewhich Betty managed to intercept. Without a word to Mollie she slippedacross the room to find Polly's eyes wide open and staring in perplexityat her.
"What on earth has happened, Betty?" she demanded impatiently, althoughher voice was so faint it was difficult to hear. "What are you andMollie and I doing in a room I never saw before, with me feeling as if Ihad been out of the world and then gotten only half-way back into itagain?"
At the sound of her sister's voice Mollie had also moved toward the bed.She was distressingly white, her soft blue eyes had dark circles aroundthem and she seemed utterly spent and exhausted.
Quickly Polly reached out her weak hand.
"What is it, Mollie Mavourneen?" she asked nervously, using the name oftheir childhood.
Then before either woman replied: "Oh, I remember," she said faintly."There was a dreadful lot of smoke in my room and I got to the doorsomehow. Bobbin was there and I can't recall anything else."
This time Polly's fingers clung tightly.
"Was any one injured? Was your lovely house burned down?" she inquired.
But Mollie could only shake her head, while the tears ran slowly downher soft cheeks.
However, Betty spoke reassuringly. "It is all right, Polly dear. No oneis in the least hurt. We were afraid for a while you had been stifledby the smoke, but you are perfectly well now. And Billy says the househas been saved. Of course, it has been a good deal damaged inside, butthat can soon be restored."
Polly smiled. "Then for goodness sake do put Mollie to bed! She lookslike a ghost and I am terribly sleepy myself. I have been ever si
nceeight o'clock last night and I've no doubt it is now nearly morning."
Yet, as her sister and friend were tiptoeing softly away, Polly beckonedBetty to come back to her.
"Bobbin saved my life, didn't she?" she inquired gently. "I don't thinkI should ever have gotten down that dreadful smoke-filled hall exceptfor her."
Silently Betty nodded; for the moment she did not feel able to speak,because the story of Bobbin's courage and devotion had touched her verydeeply.
"It is like bread cast upon the waters, isn't it?" Polly murmuredfaintly. "It returns to one buttered."