Ordinarily the girls of Central High were perfect in "fire drill." But
then, when ever they practiced that maneuver, there was no fire. For a
hundred or more of them, however, to see the shooting flames and
blinding smoke, and to hear a teacher who had "lost her head" screaming
as loud as she could scream, was likely to create some confusion.
It was Mrs. Case who rang the fire alarm. This notified the janitor, if
he was in his basement quarters, of the situation of the fire, too. He
would come with an extinguisher to their rescue. But meanwhile the blaze
in the principal's office was increasing.
"That reckless girl!" shrieked Miss Carrington. "She shall pay for
this!"
And Laura, who had run down the room until she, too, was at the door of
the office, knew whom the teacher meant. Poor Bobby Hargrew! She and her
piece of burning punk-stick must be at the bottom of the catastrophe.
But Miss Carrington really spoke as though she thought Bobby had
intentionally set the fire.
"Oh, she never could have meant to do it," cried Laura, horrified.
The girls had run from the door into the corridor and nobody but Miss
Carrington and Laura were at the office door.
"What shall we do? What shall we do?" moaned the teacher, wringing her
hands.
"Can't we put it out?" demanded the girl.
"No, no! You'll be burned! Come back!" cried Miss Carrington.
But the smoke had cleared somewhat now and Laura could see just what
damage the fire was doing. It surely had started in the big wastebasket.
If Bobby had flung the burning punk into that basket she deserved
punishment--that was sure. Now the flames were spreading to the rug on
which the basket stood. And they were charring the corner of the desk.
Laura could smell the scorching varnish.
"Come back, Miss Belding!" commanded the teacher again.
But the girl thought she saw a chance to accomplish something. There was
no use in waiting for the janitor to come to put out the flames if they
could be quenched immediately. And no knowing how long before John would
reach the room. He was not very spry.
Besides, to allow the fire to spread was both reckless and foolish.
Laura saw just what should be done. She sprang into the room and passed
the flames in a single swift dash.
She reached the window and seized the heavy bowl of water in which the
gold fish swam. It was some weight for her, but she seized it firmly
with both arms, and staggered toward the burning basket.
The smoke was drawn away for a moment by the draught of an opening door
and she heard Miss Carrington scream again. But Laura shut both her eyes
tight and staggered on.
Her foot tripped on the edge of the rug, she felt the blast of fire in
her face, and then she overturned the full globe, fish and all, upon the
flames!
With a great hiss of steam, which rose in her face in a cloud, the water
struck the burning basket and the rug. There was enough water to
saturate the place where the fire had been burning the most briskly. Not
every spark was put out with this dash of water; but it took but a
minute to stamp out the remainder when the steam cleared away.
But the poor fish! All four lay dead upon the floor, either trampled
upon, or scorched by the flames.
"You are a very strong young girl, Miss Belding," said Mrs. Case,
hurrying in. "And a quick witted one."
Laura was thinking that it was the second fire she had put out that day!
Miss Carrington was still sputtering. She called Laura "a dear, good
girl--so bright and quick-witted!" And on the other hand she scolded
about Bobby Hargrew until one would have thought poor Bobby was a
monster of wickedness.
"Never mind the poor fish, Miss Agnew," cried the teacher, as the
doctor's tender hearted daughter expressed her sorrow over the fate of
those pretty creatures. "More fish can be bought--plenty more. And here
is the rug ruined--and Mr. Sharp's desk injured. But it shall be paid
for--yes, indeed! Clara Hargrew's father shall settle the bill. And Miss
Clara shall pay for it, too. Careless, reckless girl!"
"Oh, but Miss Carrington!" cried Laura. "Perhaps she didn't do it."
"Who could have done it, then?" demanded Gee Gee, almost tempted to be
angry with Laura for trying to defend the culprit.
"But nobody saw her----"
"I do not say she deliberately set the fire," said Miss Carrington,
angrily. "But she had the lighted punk. Naturally she tossed it
thoughtlessly into the basket. Behold the result!" finished Gee Gee, so
dramatically that her glasses hopped off her nose.
"Oh, I can't believe Bobby would have done so careless a thing,"
murmured Laura in the ear of her chum, Jess Morse, who appeared at this
juncture.
"But who else could be guilty?" demanded Jess, convinced against her own
will.
"It will just about finish Bobby for this half," groaned Laura.
"I should say it would!" returned Jess, as Mrs. Case called them back to
their seats, while old John, who had now arrived, remained to clean up
the debris.
The excitement had come very near breaking up the meeting. And it was
some time before the athletic instructor could obtain the undivided
attention of the girls.
The meeting was advanced far enough for a committee to be appointed to
report on constitution, by-laws, and the like, and the government of the
new organization. It was the intention of those backing the organization
that the girls of Central High should govern their athletics as much as
possible themselves. Too much interference by the faculty always spoils
a school society.
Laura Belding and her chum were both appointed on this committee; and
Hester Grimes and her friend Lily were likewise members. The committee
was to report in a week, and Mrs. Case was to meet with them and advise
them.
Miss Carrington burst out in her tirade upon the absent Clara Hargrew
just as soon as the meeting was closed. She said to Mrs. Case:
"One of my pupils you cannot have in your association, Mrs. Case! I
shall veto Miss Hargrew's entering into any sports, or taking any
'extras,' during the remainder of this term. And I shall take up the
matter with the principal, too. I am not at all convinced in my mind
that for such an offense a girl of her age should not be suspended."
"Why, don't you suppose it was entirely an accident, Miss Carrington?"
asked the athletic instructor, doubtfully.
"I don't know whether it could be called wholly an accident. I shall
look into it very closely," said the other teacher, shaking her head and
biting her lips.
"Poor Bobby!" repeated Laura Belding to her chum, as they went out of
the school building. "She is so enthusiastic over games and athletics,
too. It will be dreadful deprivation for her."
"Do you suppose she really threw that burning punk into the papers?"
asked Jess.
"Why--I suppose so. Of course, she'll be given a chance to say whether
she did or not. But how else could the fire have started?"
But Miss Morse had no answer to make to that.