The review. [volume] (High Point, N.C.) 1908-19??, 1915-08-12

Molly a long time. Was there ever {
better-hearted friend, or cheerfullel
worker? Look at poor Molly now!
She looks as sad as the East river or
winter day. It's no news to any Of
you or 1 wouldn't go into it. But Mol
ly's got no big brother, nor no heavy
listed father to look after her. AL
she had was herself to look after her
self and 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 Ii
cense for me and Molly to get mar
ried. It's four months old now, but
it's a perfectly good license; in per
fectly good working order. I fooled
her with it. That's what I did"
He turned abruptly to the girl at
his side.
81 don't ask you to forgive me now
Molly, not this moment I don't, not
l.
words and thoughtful deeds. But
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 we'll 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-looking girl said sud-
denly in a loud piercing voice:
81 smell smoke. I smell smoke!"
There was dead silence. And then
another voice spoke.
TITS coming through the floor. Look
at it! 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! Fire!"
Others took up the cry, and upon
the instant pandemonium broke loose.
There was no longer any doubt that
the building was really on fire. 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 fill his eyes with
tears. Celestial, after desperate eff
fort to calm the girls, had not moved.
It seemed almost as if she was wait
ing for Tommy to come and get her,
Come, Celestial he said, "1et's get
out of this"
AS he spoke a billow of smoke shot
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 it had flung herself
against it, of course, and tried to
make it open outward.
Tommy tried to fight his way to it.
He intended to get to it and fight the
be opened.
He forced his way to the middle of
the crowd, and then he had to give up.
1t 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 it's under side.
A glance at Celestia filed his heart
with pity that was almost intolerable.
She, too, it seemed, had gone mad
with terror. Along the walls of the
'oom were many fre-buckets half full
If water. Celestial had caught up one
IF them and was running toward the
struggling mass of humanity around
he door. But Celestia had not gone
lad. She was excited, but her mind
vas still capable of putting two and
wo together.
She hurled the contents of the
bucket into the thick of the crowd,
md raced off for another. The effect
If that sudden hard shower of cold
water was extraordinary.
Tommy got to the door at last and
ragged it open. That started another
stampede that had to be controlled
With more water and with more VIC
ence. But gradually Tommy at the
loor and Celestia in the crowd began
o bring a little order out of the
haos, and to herd the girls through
he doorway like sheep, not too many
It a time.
1t had been a slow business, and by |
low the floor was burning clear |