Judy agreed. As soon as Peter stopped the car she sprang out and started toward the orphanage. The windows glowed with a weird red light. The whole interior must be ablaze. Oh, Judy hoped all the children were out! Her one thought was to find Meta Hanley and tell her Danny was safe.
“Where’s the matron?” she asked a group of frightened orphans who were huddled together watching the firemen as they worked to keep the fire from spreading to the woods. They had been too late to save the building. Tongues of flame leaped through the upper windows and suddenly burst through the roof.
“It’s going to burn to the ground!” one small girl wailed. “Then where will we live?”
“I don’t know. Miss?” The group turned to Judy without answering the child’s question. “What’ll we do if the firemen can’t save anything? All our clothes are in there. We were in the dining room when it happened. Ma wouldn’t let us go back upstairs.”
“It’s a good thing she wouldn’t,” an older boy put in. “We’re all safe, but where will we live?”
“They’ll find you a place,” Judy replied hopefully.
“That’s right,” the orphans agreed. “Ma will think of something.”
“Where is she?” Judy asked.
“Over there!” The oldest orphan pointed. “She’s trying to keep that man from going back into the building. He helped carry the babies out. Why do you think he wants to go back?”
“I’ll find out,” Judy promised.