"Do you suppose these other houses will have to go
too?"
"I hardly think so," answered Mr. Hamilton. "They are beginning to
get the fire under, and they are keeping the other roofs wet."
"Stay here with the girls and Mr. Hamilton, Dolly," said Mr. Marshall
suddenly. "I want to go over and talk to some of these people."
A little crowd had collected around the door of one of the cottages,
and as Mr. Marshall walked toward them the girls looked after him
with eyes that were frankly curious.
"I remember coming up here with Aunt Mary the day before Christmas,"
said Ruth. "And she left a Christmas basket at this very same
brown house, if I'm not mistaken. Yes, I'm sure of it, and there
were five or six children in the family. Oh, I hope they all got
out safely."
"Lucky that it was early in the evening," observed Charlotte,
stamping her feet to get some warmth into them. "I can't stay much
longer, girls; I'm so cold that--"
"Here comes Mr. Marshall," interrupted Betty eagerly. "Wait a
minute, Char, and we'll all go."
Mr. Marshall, who had been inside one of the houses, came toward
them with something clasped in his arms, and as he drew near they
could see that it was apparently a baby rolled in a heavy shawl.
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