losely built
combustible section. To-night there was a long narrow ribbon of flame
twisting in the wind, which in a few moments would leap from block to
block, licking up the flimsy dwellings as a cat licks up milk. Above the
ribbon flew a million sparks, turning the stars from gold to white.
Every moment the wind twisted the ribbon into wonderful fantastic
shapes, which beset Magdalena's brain for words as beautiful.

She listened intently. Some one was climbing a pillar of the balcony. It
was Helena, of course: she often chose that laborious method of entering
a house whose doors were always open to her. Magdalena opened the back
window and stepped out onto the balcony.

"Is that you, Helena?" she whispered.

"Is it? Just you wait till you see me!"

A moment later she had clambered over the railing and stood before the
astonished Magdalena.

"What--what--"

"Boys' clothes. Can't you see for yourself? I'm going to the fire, and
you're going with me."

"Of course I shall not. What possessed you--"

But the astute Helena detected a lack of decision in her friend's voice.
"You're just dying to go," she said coaxingly. "You adore fires, and
you'd love to see one close to. Put a waterproof on and a black shawl
over your head. Then if anybody notices you, they'll think you're a
_muchacha_ from Spanish town. As I am a boy, I can protect you
beautifully. We'll go to the livery stable and I'll make old Duff give
me a hack. I've a pocket full of boodle; papa gave me my allowance
to-day. Here, come in." She dragged the unresisting Magdalena into the
room, arrayed her in a waterproof, and pinned a black shawl tightly
about the small brown face. "There!" she said triumphantly, "you look
like a poor little greaser, for all the world. Don Roberto would have a
fit. Do you think you can slide down the pillar?"

"I don't know--yes, I am sure I can if you can." Her Spanish dignity was
aghast, but her newborn creative instinct stung her spirit into a sudden
overpowering desire for dramatic incident. "Yes, I'll go," she
whispered, closer to excitement than Helena had ever, save once, seen
her. "I'll go."

"Of course! I knew you would. I always knew you were a brick; come!
Quick! I'll go first." She slid down the pillar, which she could easily
clasp with her long arms and legs; and Magdalena, after a gasp,
followed, shivering with terror, but too proud to utter a sound. Before
she had reached the bottom she had lost all interes