CHAPTER XXI.
THE REALITY.
We all slept heavily. It had been an exciting evening and weariness wasthe result. I dreamed a terrible dream: that I was trying to get out ofa fire and one leg was tied to the bed. In my struggles to pull myselfloose, I awakened and found the matter was that my whole leg had gone tosleep by reason of the very tight bandage. I rubbed it back toconsciousness and then determined to see if I could bear my weight onthat foot. All of our machinations would be as naught if I should belaid up indefinitely, as investigations would be sure to follow.
It was one of those hot, windy March nights. The wind had been blowingso that the ground had dried up until it was dusty. My throat feltparched and uncomfortable. I simply had to have a drink of water.
Should I call one of the girls? I knew they would be angry with me fornot doing it, but they were both sleeping so peacefully. I have alwayshated to arouse any one from sleep. It seems such a shame to break upthe beatific state you are usually in when asleep. It fell to my lot toawaken Tweedles every morning at school until I should think they wouldhave hated me. I put my bandaged foot to the floor and found I couldstand it. I reached for my bed-room slippers but they were, of course,not in their accustomed place as I had not used them the night before,so I slipped on my shoes. It was difficult to get the left one on, byreason of the bandage plus the swelling, but I squeezed into it andlaced it up for support. Donning my kimono, I made a rather painful wayto the bath rooms. I wondered if I could walk without limping. Certainlynot to church. I began to plan a headache for next day that would excuseme from everything. It seemed to me as I wandered down the dark hallthat I did have a little headache, a kind of heaviness that I might calla headache without telling a very big fib. The water tasted mighty goodand I drank and drank.
What was that strange odour? It was burnt varnish! There was a faintlight in the bath room and another far off down the hall. By that lightI was sure I saw thin waves of smoke. I forgot my lame ankle and ran tothe top of the steps. I could smell the burnt varnish more plainly.
What should I do? Ring the fire alarm of course! I slid down thebannisters, not only to expedite matters but to save my ankle that hadbegun to remind me of its existence. The gong was just outside thedining-room door.
"DONG! DONG! DONG! DONG! DONG! DONG!----DONG! DONG! DONG! DONG! DONG!DONG!"
I rang it loud and clear; and then I thought maybe I had better repeatit, so I did. From a perfectly still house a moment before, nowpandemonium reigned. The smoke was getting thicker. The smell of burntvarnish was making a tightening in my throat. The wind had increasedand was blowing a perfect hurricane, as though it were in partnershipwith the fire.
I ran upstairs thankful for the laced-up shoe. Our corridor was alivewith excited girls who seemed to have no idea what to do.
"Is it another fire drill?" asked one dazed freshman.
"Oh, yes! It's a fire drill with realistic smoke to make you hurry," Icalled. "Get on your shoes and kimonos and coats just as fast as you canand go out of the building!"
My words of command rather quieted the girls and some of them ran to dowhat I had said, but some of them just went on squealing.
I found Tweedles sleeping sweetly. They were so in the habit of trustingme to awaken them when the gong sounded in the morning that its ringingin the middle of the night meant nothing to them.
"Fire! Fire!" I shouted as I tore the covers off of them. "Get up andhelp! The hall is full of girls who need some one to lead them! Thewhole school is full of smoke!"
They were awake in a moment and out of bed. There was no drowsy yawningor stretching with Tweedles. They were either fast asleep or wide awake.
"Here, put on your shoes and wraps, something warm. You might as well beburnt up as die of pneumonia." Dum's pack with her pictures and deerskin had never been unrolled, so she strapped it on her back. "Don'tstop for clothes, I am afraid there isn't time. We can come back forthem if things are not as bad as I think." Dee had begun to empty bureaudrawers into a sheet and to take things out of the wardrobe.
"Well, I might as well throw this out the window for luck," she said,tying the sheet up into what looked like a tramp's great bundle.
The hall was emptying as the girls raced down stairs, but an agonizingshriek arose from the lower hall, which was now dense with smoke. Thefront door could not be opened. It had been locked for the night and,according to a rule Miss Plympton had made, the key had been hung in heroffice. Of course no one knew this. There were many ways to get out ofGresham, so many that it was perfectly silly not to be able to get out,but that pack of silly, frightened girls came racing upstairs again. Thelower hall was now too full of smoke to venture down in it again, and alurid light was appearing, giving a decidedly sinister aspect to things.
Tweedles and I, with Mary and Annie, met the panic-stricken girls at thetop of the steps. "Why didn't you go out through the dining room?" Iasked sternly. I found that some one would have to be stern.
"Flames were there!" sobbed a great tall girl, the one from Texas.
Teachers in a fire are no more good than school girls. There were two onour corridor in Carter Hall, but I saw one of them go frantically backinto her room and throw the bowl and pitcher out of her window and comeout carefully holding a down cushion.
Dee was quite collected and cool.
"Come into our room, 117," she commanded all the screaming crowd."There is no smoke there. You can get out of our window."
She immediately began tying the still-knotted sheets to our radiator andwith a sly look at me she pulled another sheet off of her bed, mutteringas she attached it to the others, "So it will be sure to reach theground."
"I can't go down there! I can't! I can't!" screamed the girl from Texas.
"Nonsense! Then let some one else go first! You go, Page!"
"I think I had better see if all the girls are out of their rooms first.But I am not a bit afraid. See, twist the sheet around your arm this wayand then catch hold with the other hand and there you go!" and I sent aspunky little freshman spinning to terra firma.
Dum and Dee got all the girls out in a few minutes, while I limpedthrough all the rooms to see that no one was left. The rooms were in thegreatest confusion imaginable as the inmates had endeavoured to savetheir clothes and had tied them up in bundles and thrown them out ofthe windows. I wondered if the other parts of the building had beenemptied, but felt that I had better get out myself as the smoke was sothick you could cut it. Fortunately the moon was shining brightly forthe electric light fuses were burnt out, and but for the moon and a fewflash lights we would have been in total darkness.
All the girls were out but Tweedles and me.
"You next, Page! Be careful about your ankle, honey," and Dee tenderlyassisted me out the window.
I slid down, and thanks to the extra sheet, did not have to drop the sixfeet that had been my undoing the evening before. When I got to theground I stood waiting for Tweedles to come down, but they haddisappeared from the window; and though I shouted and called them theydid not appear for several minutes. And then when they did come, whatdid they let down from the window but Annie's precious trunk!
It gave me quite a shock. I was looking up, straining my eyes to see oneof my precious friends begin the descent, when the end of the trunkappeared in the window and was gradually lowered by trunk straps theyhad fastened together. The glowing faces of the girls looked down on me.They were evidently having the time of their lives.
"Drag the trunk away from the building!" shouted Dum above the noisemade by 125 squealing, screaming girls and a raft of distractedservants, together with the rather tardy arrival of the village fireengine.
The building was now doomed. Nothing ever burns so brightly as afireproof building when once it starts. It is like the fury of a patientman.
"Is every one out of the building?" called Dee.
"Where is Miss Plympton?" quavered the teacher who had thrown her bowland pitcher out of the window and was still huggi
ng her down cushion.
Where? Where indeed? The thing had happened so quickly and everythingwas in such an uproar that no one had thought of the principal. Couldshe have slept through the gong and the subsequent noise?
"Miss Plympton! Where is Miss Plympton?" went up in a shout from thecrowd.
Her room was in a wing of the building that had not yet been touched byflames, although the blinding smoke was everywhere. I went through anagony of suspense that I hope never to have to experience again when mydear Tuckers disappeared from the window of 117, evidently to go insearch of Miss Plympton.
They found her in her room sleeping sweetly. Fortunately her door wasnot locked and they were able to get in. Dee told me she was lying onher back sawing gourds to beat the band. Of course, any one accustomedto sleeping in a noise such as she was making, could sleep through abombardment.
"Fire!" called Dum in her ear.
"Get up or you'll be burnt up!" roared Dee.
She turned over on her side and began that soft purring whistle thatsnorers give when their tune is interrupted. They had finally to dragher up and then they said she assumed some dignity, evidently thinkingit was one of those Tucker jokes that she never could see through. Whenshe realized the importance of hurry, she hurried so fast that sheneglected the formalities of a kimono. The smoke was very dense in thehall as Tweedles half carried, half dragged her to their room, thinkingit was best to trust to the old reliable sheets to get them out of thewindow rather than to attempt to descend from Miss Plympton's with thedelay that would be necessary to knot more sheets.
When they appeared at the window, a deafening shout went up from theexpectant crowd. This shout of praise was turned into hystericallaughter when the figure of Miss Plympton was distinguished on thewindow sill. She was clad and clad only in pink pajamas and red Romeoslippers. Dum showed her how to twist the sheet around her right arm andclasp it below tightly with her left and let herself down. She came downlike a game sport. If I had had a movie camera, I should have beenassured of a fortune right there. I have seen many a film, but never onethat equalled that scene of Miss Plympton coming down the sheets in herpink pajamas and red Romeo slippers.
She was in a dazed state but quickly got her nerve. I gave her my coatas I had on a warm kimono, and I felt that the dignity of my sexdemanded that Miss Plympton's pajamas should be quickly covered up. Shethanked me, evidently grateful for the attention, and then she arose tothe occasion and took command. Tweedles came down next in a great sisteract. They were still enjoying themselves to the utmost.
The firemen had got their engine going and were painfully pumping a thinstream of water on the building. Miss Plympton suggested that they putup their hook and ladders and try to go into the part of the buildingwhere the flames had not reached and save some of the girls' clothes ifpossible. This they did, and bundles similar to the one we had hurledout of our window began to be pitched from the rooms. Now began thefight with sneak thieves who had come up from the village. I saw one bignegro woman making off with a bundle as big as she was. My ankle put meout of the running, but I put Mary Flannagan on to it and she dartedafter the thief. With her powers of a ventriloquist that so often shehad used for our amusement, she threw her voice so that it seemed tocome from the inside of the great bundle.
"Who's carrying off my bones?" she cried in a deep sepulchral tone, andthe scared darkey dropped her loot and ran like a rabbit.
We formed a police squad among the Juniors and many a thief was made tobring back some prize he hoped to make away with.
The building burned merrily on. It could not have been more than an hourbefore it was completely gutted, in spite of the gallant fight thevillage firemen put up with their rather pitiful excuse for an engine.The wind was high and blew every spark into flame. It got so hot we wereforced to take a stand far from the school. The girls did their best toidentify their bundles, and when once identified, they sat on them tomake sure of them.
Miss Plympton ordered us to form into classes out on the campus, andthen she carefully went through each class to see that we were all thereand all right. Then she put us in charge of teachers. This was veryamusing, as I am sure the teachers had done little to deserve the honourof commissioned officers. I believe Margaret Sayre and Miss Ball werethe only ones who had shown any presence of mind at all.
No one seemed to know how the fire had started. All we knew was it wasin the cellar. Mr. Ryan finally reported that he had not perceived ituntil after I had rung the alarm. He insisted he had made all therounds, but I could not help having my doubts in the matter as I hadcovered a good deal of the building in my wild flights and had not onceseen a gleam of his lantern.
I told Miss Plympton how I had been forced to get up for a drink ofwater and how I had smelt burning varnish and how full the lower hallwas of smoke.
"Why didn't you call me?"
"I thought the fire alarm would call everybody."
"Ahem! Quite right," she said rather sheepishly. "The fact is I heardthe gong in my sleep but was dreaming of the fire drill."
"That seems to have been the case with almost every one. I fancy if Ihad not been thirsty all of us might still be sweetly dreaming."
"I want to thank you for your behaviour and congratulate you on yourpresence of mind." This from Miss Plympton. "I wish you would tell theMisses Tucker to come to me. I have not yet thanked them for saving mylife."
I was amused at this, but did not think it at all funny that I was senton an errand, as my foot felt like coals of fire and hot ploughsharesand all kinds of terrible ordeals. I limped off but the first groan ofthe night slipped from me.
"Why, child! What is the matter?" Her voice was actually soft andsympathetic.
"Nothing!" I stammered, thinking to myself that I was in for aninvestigation now. "I ricked my ankle."
"How?"
"Getting out the window." I was a little sullen in tone now, but I wasin so much pain by this time that nothing made very much difference tome.
"Why, you poor little heroine! I am going to have you sent over to thehotel immediately and have a doctor look at it."
Maybe you think I didn't feel foolish and sneaky! Miss Plympton thoughtI meant I had just sprained it that night instead of the evening beforein the fire drill. I was not accustomed to subterfuge and my face burnedwith the effort to keep the secret. I was not at liberty to involveTweedles in my confession, and it was impossible to make one withoutdoing it.
Just at this juncture old Captain Leahy came stumping up.
"Well, phat is all this? The beautiful schcool all burnt oop! I amgrievin' at phwat our sweet lady will say; boot praise be, she was notherre to go down wid the ship!"
"Oh, Captain, I am glad to see you. I have sprained my ankle and I havejust got to get somewhere and lie down." I had visions of keeling overagain in a faint and thought it the better part of valour to save myfriends that anxiety.
"Ye poorr lamb! I'll fetch a wheelbarrow and get ye over to my mansionin a jiffy."
Tweedles came just then and highly approved of the plan.
"I tell you what, Captain Leahy, if you won't mind, let us stay in yourhouse until the early train and then we can get to Richmond in time forlunch."
"Moind! It would make me that prood! And the poosies would be overjyed."
So Tweedles hustled around and found Annie and Mary and they allscratched in the debris for their belongings and mine, and soon westarted off in a procession to Captain Leahy's. I was perched in awheelbarrow that the good old man had found in a tool house by thegarden and each girl had a sheet full of clothes slung over her back.
When we got to the crossing, the Captain asked us to wait outside amoment while he put his house to rights. All he had to do was to converthis berth into seats again, and in a jiffy he was out to usher us into aship-shape apartment. He was a singularly orderly old man to be socharming. I do not think as a rule that very orderly persons are apt tobe charming.
"Dum and I have to go to the station a minute,"
said Dee, just as thoughit were not three o'clock in the morning.
"The station! What on earth for?" I demanded in amazement.
"Well, you see the train dispatcher is there and we can get Zebedee onthe 'phone."
"What on earth is the use in waking him up this time of night andscaring him to death? I think to-morrow will do just as well."
"To-morrow, indeed! By to-morrow 'twill be no scoop. Don't you know thatif we get this to Zebedee now he will scoop all the papers inRichmond?"
And so he did. Tweedles had not been brought up in a newspaper familyfor nothing. The ruling passion for news scoops was strong in death.