Louise was silent. She was thankful—thankful! God had been very good to her. It had been given to her to do this thing. She had not meant to do it—she had not known what she did; enough that it was done.
“It was Louise,” spoke up Mary, “and I—tried to hold her back!” So she accused herself.
“But I didn’t do it on purpose,” said Louise, with shining eyes. “I—I—”
“Yes, you—” prompted Gordon, looking at her with tender intentness.
“I guess I was trying to come after you,” she confessed. “It was very—foolish.”
The rear grounds were rapidly filling up. Like children following a band-wagon, the crowd surged toward the new excitement of the discovered extension of the fire. Gordon drew a long breath.
“I thank God for your—foolishness,” he said, simply, smiling the smile his friends loved him for.
[CHAPTER XIX—AN UNCONVENTIONAL TEA PARTY]
As the flames broke through the roof, Langford came rushing up where the group stood a little apart from the press.
“Dick! I have been looking for you everywhere,” he cried, hoarsely.