Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1914-12-13
Drawn by BARKER.

when returned. and Lorimcr was al
ways trying TO pick Il fuss. but man
aged to avoid him. ! knew any more
trouble would send me away for good
so | laid low and waited for some
| thing to happen---which it did
One night we boys in tho Keats
house were awakened by the ringing
of bclls-tirc bells. Yes. 1t was the
school alarm. Out of our beds we
tumhlcd. and down the stairs. Way
across the campus the girls Quarters
"cre III flames. with heavy smoke roll
ing from every window and door. II
did not take us five moments to arrive
on the scene. but 1t seemed as if the
building was doomed. Where was Val?
Though heard the cry that every one
was out, Il could not help the lump
that rose In my throat, and "a mist
came before my eyes more binding
than the smoke. | must have called
her, for felt a touch OH my arm. ana
she stood shivcring in the autumn
moonlight, With "a kimona held tightly
around her. ".
Here | ann" she said oh, isn't 1t
awful. .Ierry? Take my coat said
AND suddenly remembered had not
brought ii. And then II cry was raised.
i Baby Blue WAS missing. Could she
stiil he in that burning building, and
alive? II seemed impossible. We
/ stood aghast for II moment and then
there was rush for the door, for
we had all liked Eaby Blue But
/ Lorimcr. and were The first. and,
masking our faces with our handker-
chiefs. we dashed straight into that
wall of flame. Most of the fire escape.
being iron, was still intact, but the
intense. heat burned through our shoes.
and III some places where tho flames
reached too near ladders were sent to
MS But We were mt the top at last,
| and had reached Baby Blues door AS
We: the flames had not touched the
room, but the smoke was dense.
Baby, Baby" we called. come on
| out, Open the door, Baby Blue, or
! you'll get burned TO DEATH" Shut up
and go away she called in n muiiied
| voice. I won't come out can't!' And
/! then She began crying Historically.
l3had never seen OF heard a girl with
mysteries before, and was n, little
| scared. Come on said to Lorimer
/ we've got TO break; in," and took a
/ blackened window sill anC hammered
ut the door, panel Inside the screams
! Increased.
Don't" begged Lorimcr, shell be
angry" was incenscd. .
"Piflc!"I said, you're too nice. Go
| on in YOU idiot. You'd like her to burn
! to death, reckon" Another blow and
| the door was smashed, and both of us
| tuinbled in. My first glimpse of Baby
| Blue through the smoke appalled, me.
! With her mouth full of hairpins, she
| Stoou before the dresser, taking down
| her hair, which was up in countless
I crimps And I hate to tell 1t, but I
must; it's necessary to the story: her
| face WAS swathed in bandages. such as
! YOU see advertised to remove wrinkles
and supertluous flesh" And that poor
girl was willing to burn to death be-
! fore she'd come down like that. | took
/ her. despite her struggles. and was
/ hurrying out, Lorincr behind me, and
| right ut the door | met Val with a
| blanket i'm her hands, which she
wrapped all around Rahy Blue, her
! head Included.
"Shc'i never have heard the last OF
| ii If the others had seen her like this
she said. ;Sed never have received
I another compliment about her look s,
(! either. But come on. The boys are
| to take the tents and go over on the
| campus tonight, and the girls are to
| have tho Keats house"
You angel" I said how did you
! get hcrc?' II followed you," she re-
! piled, but this time l followed her
down the ladders they had placed for
us. for by. this time the escapes were
| too hot for use. We all went over to
my room At Keats, and there Lorimer
| and left them, hut the next morning
| was the first TO run over and see how
they were. Rather, | thought | was,
but Lorimcr had been ahead of me, Nan
Berkely said and they had gone to