Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1915-07-27
ccontiued from Yesterdays capital.l


tragic haunted dark eyes came for
ward.
Stand alongside of me Molly, and
turn SOS everybody can see you. Some
Of you" he vent on, have known
Molly long time. Was there ever a
better-hearted friend, or a cheerfuller
worker? Look at poor Molly now!
She looks as sad as the East river on
a winter day. It's no news to any OF
you or ] wouldn't go into il. But Mol
ly's got no big brother, nor no heavy
listed father to 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 / 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 a H.
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. / fooled
her with it. That's what / 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
till I've made good with you by kind
words and thoughtful deeds. But
do ask you 10 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
from the outskirts of the crowd
very young. sick-looking girl said sud
denly in a loud piercing voice:
Il smell smoke smell smokel'
There was a dead silence And then
another voice spoke.
Its coming through the floor. Look
at II! Look at it,"
Tommy, a 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 ill his eyes with
tears Celestia, after q desperate ef-
fort to calm the girls. had not moved.
1t 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 snot
up between two planks, and for the
first time the cracking of burning
wood could be heard.
BY this time really horrible things
we're happening at the pine-bound
door. II opened inward. The first
girl to reach II had flung herself
against 1t, 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
girls back from it so that 1t could
be opened.
He forced his way to the middle OF
the crowd, and then he had to give up.
It 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, II seemed, had gone mad
with terror. Along the walls Of the
room were many fire-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 off for another. The effect
Of that sudden hard shower Of cold
water was extraordinary.
Tommy got TO the door at last and
dragged it 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 Celestia in the crowd began
to bring a little order out OF the
chaos. and to herd the girls through
the doorway like sheep, not too many
at a time.
It had been a slow business, and by
now the floor was burning clear
through IN many places, 50 rnat some
Of the last girls TO pass through the
door to safety went with burned feet
Hurry. CeleEtia. called Tommy.
I'VE can go now.
She did uo* aneuer