The man was a little inclined to rebel against this arrangement, for he seemed to think that they were still in danger from the fire; but Cliff assured him that the department were getting the flames under control, and they were in no danger, as the walls between the houses were fireproof.
As soon as he had made him comfortable, he went up-stairs again to bring down the clothing he had saved, and arranged it neatly in his closet and an empty trunk of his own; after which he had a bath and put on dry garments.
Although the engines continued to play for more than an hour after this, the worst was over, no lives had been lost, although much personal property was destroyed, and the excitement soon subsided.
But when morning broke Squire Talford was raving in the delirium of fever. Clifford felt it his duty to act upon his own responsibility, and immediately called a physician, who at once declared that the man must either go to a hospital, or have a trained nurse where he was, for he was very sick, and liable to have a tedious illness. Knowing the squire's horror of incurring heavy expenses, Clifford did not quite like to send him to a hospital, while the cost of a trained nurse in the house, with her board to be paid, would very soon amount to an appalling sum.
The man was in no condition to plan for himself, and so, after thinking the matter over seriously, and consulting with his landlady, who was a kind-hearted, sensible woman, Clifford decided to send for Maria Kimberly to come and take care of her master.
Mrs. Woodruff, the owner of the house, had a couple of empty rooms which she was very glad to rent—one on the same floor and another above—and Clifford said he would take one and Maria could have the other.
So, about the middle of the forenoon, while Mrs. Kimberly was ironing the last parlor curtain—which, after it was hung, would complete her house-cleaning for that season—a messenger-boy appeared at the door with a telegram for her.
It was Cliff's message, briefly telling of the squire's illness, and bidding her come to nurse him. She was to take the earliest possible train for New York, wire Clifford when she reached that city what hour she would leave for Washington, and he would meet her upon her arrival.
It was the first telegram that the woman had ever received in her life, and it naturally gave her quite a shock, but she was equal to the emergency, and after reading the message through twice, her mind began to act vigorously.
"Goodness gracious me!" she ejaculated as she drew a long breath. "It's come like a clap of thunder! But of course I've got to go. Yes, and—I'm sure it's another dispensation of Providence—I shall take that box belonging to Cliff along with me."