"You're perfectly safe here. Try to control yourself. Do whatever Grandmother says."
But the child was too wretched to be of any assistance until Mrs. Emerson gave her a specified task.
"Take Dicky over to the Arcade," she directed, "and keep him there. Then I can go and help."
Ethel Blue obeyed miserably, for her very soul was ashamed of her fear. Her father a soldier and she this weeping, curled-up bunch of cowardice! She burst into tears again as she crossed the green. Dicky, whom Mrs. Emerson had only partially succeeded in quieting, broke into renewed cries and the two soon became the center of a group of women whose sympathy served to increase the children's demonstrations.
"Poor lambs, they're frightened to death," said a cool, sweet voice, and a pink-cheeked, white-haired woman made her way through the throng and spoke to Ethel Blue.
"Come in where it is quiet," she said. "Now drink this water and bathe your eyes and sit down here quietly. Show the little boy these pictures," she directed, and Ethel, having something definite to do, obeyed her.
"I shall be just outside here if you need me. There's nothing to be afraid of."
Back at the fire the helpers were increased by the arrival of the onlookers at the baseball game. They had come on the run from the lower end of the grounds, the two teams, the umpire, and the scorer bringing up the rear. Roger and James and Helen were with this crowd, and they dashed frantically into action when they found out what houses were involved. James helped the men who were recharging the chemical engines. Helen joined the procession carrying household goods to the Park.
"Where are the children?" Roger screamed into his grandfather's ear above the throb of the water from the hose wagons.
"There's Ethel Brown carrying those clothes. Your mother's in Miller Park. I don't know where the others are. I'm going in to find your grandmother," and while Roger rushed after Ethel to question her the old gentleman dashed into the burning cottage and straight up the stairs to his wife's room.