Mr. Rose gave each of the girls a match, and as they were about to strike them, he showed them where to touch the protruding ends of paper, which he had purposely arranged.
“Now,” he said, “One, Two, Three, Go! May joy attend all who surround the Hearthstone fires of Treasure House!”
The matches blazed, caught the paper, ignited the kindling, and flames shot up with a glow and a crackle.
It was an exciting moment for the two girls. They fell into each other’s arms, and while Dotty was shouting “Hooray!” at the top of her lungs, the tears were rolling down Dolly’s cheeks.
“You Goosie!” cried Dotty. “What under the sun are you crying about?”
“ ’Cause I’m so happy. And anyway, it’s my own house, I’ve got a right to cry in it, if I want to.”
But she was smiling now, the tense moment had passed, and together they danced wildly round the room.
“I’ll have to be going,” said Mr. Rose, looking at his watch, “you two Apache Indians had better calm down and get to work. There’s a lot to be done, I’m thinking.”
“But we’ve got all our lives to do it in,” said Dolly, laughing. “There’s no hurry, and I must get my eyes used to it a little first.”
Mr. Rose went off, and the two girls stood looking about, as if they never could look enough.