“It might turn out all right and it might not. Somebody would be overcome with smoke, perhaps, or stay too long, and after all, life is of more importance. I was in an awful fire once at a hotel, and we just had time to get out. I’ve always said since then that I was going to keep my jewelry and money in a little bag right by my pillow, but I forget to do it. I always know where my flashlight is, though.”
“Let’s ask somebody how things are going,” said Cathalina. The girls were now looking out of the windows, where ever it was possible, toward the Hall. “Look! I do see some flames in the back part!” Everybody crowded up, the teachers, too.
“Take a look around, Betty,” whispered Juliet. “Did you ever see such costumes worn by our revered faculty before? Could you ever have imagined Dr. Carver’s hair looking like that?”
While they watched, the old-fashioned fire-engines arrived from Greycliff, with a capable band of men from their fire department. But it seemed hours to the tired girls, whose excitement soon died down, before the cause and extent of the fire was discovered by the firemen and the fire under control. It was found to be entirely in the back part of the building. This part shut off, the rest of the building was cleared of smoke and the girls taken back to their beds. A guard was kept all night, while the firemen worked, and assured that they were to be awakened at once if there was any more danger, most of the girls slept soundly.
“What next?” said Helen to Eloise, as they crept into their cots once more.
“I am too sleepy to think,” replied Eloise, “but the year has been lively enough so far, hasn’t it?”
For several days there was more or less discomfort or inconvenience in arrangements at Greycliff. The trouble was found to have originated in the electric wiring, all of which was most thoroughly gone over. But work and recitation went on and the routine duties were accomplished.
CHAPTER XIII.
HOME WITH HILARY.
To school girls there is something especially exhilarating about the Christmas holidays. The long stretch at the beginning of the school year has been accomplished. The glorious time of celebrations and gift giving is at hand, with all the mysteries and secrets of the season. Home people never seemed more desirable than after so many weeks of separation. Good times have been planned for the “long vacation,” as the two weeks at Christmas time are often called. A new year will have begun before the girls see each other again.
On Lakeview corridor they all were packing, running back and forth with different articles, talking, laughing, joking. “Give Reginald my love, Eloise,” said Lilian mischievously, looking over her shoulder as she started out of the room. “Reginald” was the fabled name of some mysterious admirer of Eloise, who lived in her home town. Numerous letters had arrived, addressed to Eloise in a bold, manly hand, and as she would not say a word about them or their source and seemed more annoyed than pleased upon the arrival of each missive, the other girls could not resist making an occasional teasing remark. “O, there’s a letter from Reginald,” one of the suite-mates would say, pointing to the mail upon the table. Or, “We’ve received no communication from Reginald for a week or two,—can he be ill?” another would remark in tones of concern. Eloise would sometimes part her lips as if to speak, but only smiled an amused smile and kept her own council. Possibly she confided in Helen, the girls thought, but if so, Helen never betrayed any knowledge.