dear enemy-第43章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



I　drummed　on　Betsy's　and　Miss　Matthews'　and　Miss　Snaith's　doors；　just　as　Mr。　Witherspoon；　who　had　also　been　wakened　by　the　light；　came　tumbling　upstairs　three　steps　at　a　time；　struggling　into　an　overcoat　as　he　ran。

〃Get　all　the　children　down　to　the　dining　room；　babies　first；〃　I　gasped。　　〃I'll　turn　in　the　alarm。〃

He　dashed　on　up　to　the　third　floor　while　I　ran　to　the　telephoneand　oh；　I　thought　I'd　never　get　Central！　　She　was　sound　asleep。

〃The　John　Grier　Home　is　burning！　　Turn　in　the　fire　alarm　and　rouse　the　village。　　Give　me　505；〃　I　said。

In　one　second　I　had　the　doctor。　　Maybe　I　wasn't　glad　to　hear　his　cool；　unexcited　voice！

〃We're　on　fire！〃　I　cried。　　〃Come　quick；　and　bring　all　the　men　you　can！〃

〃I'll　be　there　in　fifteen　minutes。　　Fill　the　bathtubs　with　water　and　put　in　blankets。〃　　And　he　hung　up。

I　dashed　back　to　the　hall。　　Betsy　was　ringing　our　fire　bell；　and　Percy　had　already　routed　out　his　Indian　tribes　in　dormitories　B　and　C。

Our　first　thought　was　not　to　stop　the　fire；　but　to　get　the　children　to　a　place　of　safety。　　We　began　in　G；　and　went　from　crib　to　crib；　snatching　a　baby　and　a　blanket；　and　rushing　them　to　the　door；　and　handing　them　out　to　the　Indians；　who　lugged　them　downstairs。　　Both　G　and　F　were　full　of　smoke；　and　the　children　so　dead　asleep　that　we　couldn't　rouse　them　to　a　walking　state。

Many　times　during　the　next　hour　did　I　thank　Providenceand　Percy　Witherspoonfor　those　vociferous　fire　drills　we　have　suffered　weekly。　　The　twenty…four　oldest　boys；　under　his　direction；　never　lost　their　heads　for　a　second。　　They　divided　into　four　tribes；　and　sprang　to　their　posts　like　little　soldiers。

Two　tribes　helped　in　the　work　of　clearing　the　dormitories　and　keeping　the　terrified　children　in　order。　　One　tribe　worked　the　hose　from　the　cupola　tank　until　the　firemen　came；　and　the　rest　devoted　themselves　to　salvage。　　They　spread　sheets　on　the　floor；　dumped　the　contents　of　lockers　and　bureau　drawers　into　them；　and　bundled　them　down　the　stairs。　　All　of　the　extra　clothes　were　saved　except　those　the　children　had　actually　been　wearing　the　day　before；　and　most　of　the　staff's　things。　　But　clothes；　bedding　everything　belonging　to　G　and　F　went。　　The　rooms　were　too　full　of　smoke　to　make　it　safe　to　enter　after　we　had　got　out　the　last　child。

By　the　time　the　doctor　arrived　with　Luellen　and　two　neighbors　he　had　picked　up；　we　were　marching　the　last　dormitory　down　to　the　kitchen；　the　most　remote　corner　from　the　fire。　　The　poor　chicks　were　mainly　barefooted　and　wrapped　in　blankets。　　We　told　them　to　bring　their　clothes　when　we　wakened　them；　but　in　their　fright　they　thought　only　of　getting　out。

By　this　time　the　halls　were　so　full　of　smoke　we　could　scarcely　breathe。　　It　looked　as　though　the　whole　building　would　go；　though　the　wind　was　blowing　away　from　my　west　wing。

Another　automobile　full　of　retainers　from　Knowltop　came　up　almost　immediately；　and　they　all　fell　to　fighting　the　fire。　　The　regular　fire　department　didn't　come　for　ten　minutes　after　that。　　You　see；　they　have　only　horses；　and　we　are　three　miles　out；　and　the　roads　pretty　bad。　　It　was　a　dreadful　night；　cold　and　sleety；　and　such　a　wind　blowing　that　you　could　scarcely　stand　up。　　The　men　climbed　out　on　the　roof；　and　worked　in　their　stocking　feet　to　keep　from　slipping　off。　　They　beat　out　the　sparks　with　wet　blankets；　and　chopped；　and　squirted　that　tankful　of　water；　and　behaved　like　heroes。

The　doctor　meanwhile　took　charge　of　the　children。　　Our　first　thought　was　to　get　them　away　to　a　place　of　safety；　for　if　the　whole　building　should　go；　we　couldn't　march　them　out　of　doors　into　that　awful　wind；　with　only　their　night　clothes　and　blankets　for　protection。　　By　this　time　several　more　automobiles　full　of　men　had　come；　and　we　requisitioned　the　cars。

Knowltop　had　providentially　been　opened　for　the　week　end　in　order　to　entertain　a　house　party　in　honor　of　the　old　gentleman's　sixty…seventh　birthday。　　He　was　one　of　the　first　to　arrive；　and　he　put　his　entire　place　at　our　disposal。　　It　was　the　nearest　refuge；　and　we　accepted　it　instantaneously。　　We　bundled　our　twenty　littlest　tots　into　cars；　and　ran　them　down　to　the　house。　　The　guests；　who　were　excitedly　dressing　in　order　to　come　to　the　fire；　received　the　chicks　and　tucked　them　away　into　their　own　beds。　　This　pretty　well　filled　up　all　the　available　house　room；　but　Mr。　Reimer　（Mr。　Knowltop's　family　name）　has　just　built　a　big　new　stucco　barn；　with　a　garage　hitched　to　it；　all　nicely　heated；　and　ready　for　us。

After　the　babies　were　disposed　of　in　the　house；　those　helpful　guests　got　to　work　and　fixed　the　barn　to　receive　the　next　older　kiddies。　　They　covered　the　floor　with　hay；　and　spread　blankets　and　carriage　robes　over　it；　and　bedded　down　thirty　of　the　children　in　rows　like　little　calves。　　Miss　Matthews　and　a　nurse　went　with　them；　administered　hot　milk　all　around；　and　within　half　an　hour　the　tots　were　sleeping　as　peacefully　as　in　their　little　cribs。

But　meanwhile　we　at　the　house　were　having　sensations。　　The　doctor's　first　question　upon　arrival　had　been：

〃You've　counted　the　children？　　You　know　they're　all　here？〃

〃We've　made　certain　that　every　dormitory　was　empty　before　we　left　it；〃　I　replied。

You　see；　they　couldn't　be　counted　in　that　confusion。　　Twenty　or　so　of　the　boys　were　still　in　the　dormitories；　working　under　Percy　Witherspoon　to　save　clothing　and　furniture；　and　the　older　girls　were　sorting　over　bushels　of　shoes　and　trying　to　fit　them　to　the　little　ones；　who　were　running　about　underfoot　and　wailing　dismally。

Well；　after　we　had　loaded　and　despatched　about　seven　car　loads　of　children；　the　doctor　suddenly　called　out：

〃Where's　Allegra？〃

There　was　a　horrified　silence。　　No　one　had　seen　her。　　And　then　Miss　Snaith　stood　up　and　SHRIEKED。　　Betsy　took　her　by　the　shoulders；　and　shook　her　into　coherence。

It　seems　that　she　had　thought　Allegra　was　coming　down　with　a　cough；　and　in　order　to　get　her　out　of　the　cold；　had　moved　her　crib　from　the　fresh　air　nursery　into　the　store　roomand　then　forgotten　it。

Well；　my　dear；　you　know　where　the　store　room　is！　　We　simply　stared　at　one　another　with　white　faces。　　By　this　time　the　whole　east　wing　was　gutted　and　the　third…floor　stairs　in　flames。　　There　didn't　seem　a　chance　that　the　child　was　still　alive。　　The　doctor　was　the　first　to　move。　　He　snatched　up　a　wet　blanket　that　was　lying　in　a　soppy　pile　on　the　floor　of　the　hall　and　sprang　for　the　stairs。　　We　yelled　to　him　to　come　back。　　It　simply　looked　like　suicide；　but　he　kept　on；　and　disappeared　into　the　smoke。　　I　dashed　outside　and　shouted　to　the　firemen　on　the　roof。　　The　store　room　window　was　too　little　for　a　man　to　go　through；　and　they　hadn't　opened　it　for　fear　of　creating　a　draft。

I　can't　describe　what　happened　in　the　next　agonizing　ten　minutes。　　The　third…floor　stairs　fell　in　with　a　crash　and　a　burst　of　flame　about　five　seconds　after　the　doctor　passed　over　them。　　We　had　given　him　up　for　lost　when　a　shout　went　up　from　the　crowd　on　the　lawn；　and　he　appeared　for　an　instant　at　one　of　those　dormer　windows　in　the　attic；　and　called　for　the　firemen　to　put　up　a　ladder。　　Then　he　disappeared；　and　it　seemed　to　us　that　they'd　never　get　that　ladder　in　place；　but　they　finally　did；　and　two　men　went　up。　　The　opening　of　the　window　had　created　a　draft；　and　they　were　almost　overpowered　by　the　volume　of　smoke　that　burst　out　at　the　top。　　After　an　eternity　the　doctor　appeared　again　with　a　white　bundle　in　his　arms。　　He　passed　it　out　to　the　men；　and　then　he　staggered　back　and　dropped　out　of　sight！

I　don't　know　what　happened　for　the　next　few　minutes；　I　turned　away　and　shut　my　eyes。　　Somehow　or　other　they　got　him　out　and　halfway　down　the　ladder；　and　then　they　let　him　slip。　　You　see；　he　was　unconscious　from　all　the　smoke　he'd　swallowed；　and　the　ladder　was　slippery　with　ice　and　terribly　wobbly。　　Anyway；　when　I　looked　again　he　was　lying　in　a　heap　on　the　ground；　with　the　crowd　all　running；　and　somebody　yelling　to　give　him　air。　　They　thought　at　first　he　was　dead。　　But　Dr。　Metcalf　from　the　village　examined　him；　and　said　his　leg　was　broken；　and　two　ribs；　and　that　aside　from　that　he　seemed　whole。　　He　was　still　unconscious　when　they　put　him　on　two　of　the　baby　mattresses　that　had　been　thrown　out　of　the　windows　and　laid　him　in　the　wagon　that　brought　the　ladde