Mr. and Mrs. Maynard had been very kind to them, and the Maynard children had often carried gifts of food or clothing to the needy family. Learning, then, that it was the Simpsons’ house that was burning, King and Marjorie started on a dead run, and Kitty followed, as fast as Rosy Posy’s toddling steps would allow.
“Oh,” cried Marjorie, as she ran; “the poor, dear people! I think only rich folks’ houses ought to burn down, not poor widows’, who haven’t any other shelter.”
“She isn’t a widow,” returned King, for he and Midget were running hand in hand.
“It’s all the same,” she responded. “Mr. Simpson is in the hospital, so she’s as poor as a widow, anyway. We must do all we can to help them, King.”
“’Course we must. If Father and Mother were only here, they’d do lots. We must do whatever they’d do.”
By this time, they were nearing the burning house. A rather inefficient fire department was doing its best, but it was easily to be seen the whole house was doomed.
A crowd of men and boys were excitedly rushing about, jostling each other as they tried to save some of the furniture from the flames. But the broken and battered chairs and tables seemed scarcely worth saving, and their efforts were mostly expended in shouting orders to each other, which were never, by any chance, carried out.
Kingdon was indignant at their actions, and, throwing off his coat, began at once to lend whatever aid a fourteen-year-old boy could compass, and inspired by his enthusiasm, others began to do better work, and many of Mrs. Simpson’s poor belongings were saved from destruction.
Marjorie went straight to the poor woman, herself, and found her sitting in a broken rocking-chair, with two children in her lap. She was watching the destruction of her forlorn home, and the tears ran down her pale cheeks, as she realized the magnitude of this, her latest disaster.
“There, there,” said Marjorie, patting her shoulder, “don’t cry so, Mrs. Simpson. Be thankful you and the children escaped with your lives. You might have all been burned to a black, you know!”