The Mt. Sterling advocate., 1915-09-01

better-hearted friend, OF q cheerfullel
worker? Look at poor Molly nowl
She looks as sad as the East river or
a winter day. It's no news to any oi
you or wouldn't go into II. But Mol
ly's got no big brother, nor no heavy
fi5ted father 10 look after her. All
she had was herself to look after her
self and a heart that trusted every.
body. And you know as well as I do
as well as she does, what's come over
her eyes. that used to be so bright
and smiling, to make them look the
way they do. Look here
He took a much crumpled paper
from his breast pocket.
Girls" he said, this here is H.
cense for me and Molly to get mar
ried. It's four months old now, but
it's perfectly good license; in per-
fectly good working order. fooled
her with it. That's what did"
He turned abruptly to the girl at
| his side.
Il don't ask you to forgive me now,
Molly, not this moment ! don't, not
till I've made good with you by kind
words and thoughtful deeds. But l
do ask you to step out with me right
now to the office OF the nearest magis-
trate, and-and I'll always be good to
you"
Celestia stepped swiftly forward.
took the girls thin pretty face be-
tween her two hands and kissed her.
Il know you'll be happy" she said.
After Celestia, many others. some
crying with excitement, came forward
to kiss Molly and wish her well. And
then the manager made Molly take his
arm. and he led her the length of the
room, looking proud and manly, and
out Of the door.
From the outskirts Of the crowd a
from the outskirts of the crowd a
very young, sick-iooking girl said sud-
denly in loud piercing voice:
Il smell smoke. smell smoke!"
There was dead silence. And then
another voice spoke.
Its coming through the floor. Look
at IL! Look at it,"
Tommy, sudden great dread in his
heart. hurried toward Celestia He
had traversed half the length of the
room when the girl who had spoken
first screamed at the top OF her lungs.
"Fire Fret"
Others took up the cry, and upon
the instant pandemonium broke loose.
There was no longer any doubt that
the building was really on fre. Just
how the smoke got into the sewing
machine room you could not see. but
there was plenty OF it, enough to make
Tommy cough and to I'LL his eyes with
tears. Celestia, after a desperate ef-
fort to calm the girls, had not moved
II seemed almost as If she was wait
ing for Tommy to come and get her
Come, Celestial" he said. Tets get
out of this"
AS he spoke billow of smoke shot
up between two planks, and for the
first time the cracking Of burning
wood could be heard.
By this time really horrible things
were happening at the pine-bound
door. It opened inward The first
girl to reach IL had flung herself
against 1t. of course, and tried to
make 1t open outward.
Tommy tried to fight his way to 1t.
He intended to get to 1t and fight the
girls back from it SO that it could
be opened.
He forced his way TO the middle OF
the crowd, and then he had TO give up.
II was all he could do to fight his way
out again.
The other end of the room was in
flames. Through the soles Of his
shoes Tommy knew that the whole
floor was burning on its under side
A glance at Celestia filed his heart
with pity that was almost intolerable.
She, too. il seemed, had gone mad
with terror. Along the walls of the
room were many hre-buckets half full
OF water Celestia had caught up one
OF them and was running toward the
struggling mass OF humanity around |
the door. But Celestia had not gone
mad. She was excited. but her mind
was still capable of putting two and
two together.
She hurled the contents Of the |
bucket into the thick OF the crowd,
and raced on for another. The effect
of that sudden hard shower OF cold
water was extraordinary.
Tommy got to the door at last and
dragged 1t open. That started another
stampede that had TO be controlled |
with more water and with more yio-
lence But gradually Tommy at the
door and Celesiia In the crowd began
to bring little order out Of the
chaos, and TO herd the girls through
the doorway like sheep. not too many
at time.
Il had been q slow business, and by