"Good girl!" murmured Mrs. Tellingham. "Go out quietly and then run and
tell Tony. Do you know where he is?"

"Lighting the lamps," whispered Ruth.

"Good. Tell him to go right up there and see what can be done. Warn Miss
Scrimp. I will telephone to town, and Miss Brokaw will take charge and
march the pupils to the big hall to call the roll. I hope nobody is in the
dormitories."

Mrs. Tellingham had pushed back her chair and dropped her napkin; but her
movements, though swift, were not alarming. She passed out by a rear door
which led to the kitchens, while Ruth walked composedly down the room to
the main exit.

"Hey! what's the matter, Ruthie?" called Heavy, in a low tone. "Whose old
cat's in the well?"

Ruth appeared not to hear her. Miss Brokaw, a very capable woman, came
into the dining hall as Ruth passed out. Miss Brokaw stepped to the
monitor's desk at one side and tapped on the bell.

"Oh, mercy!" gasped Heavy, the incorrigible. "She's shut us off again. And
I haven't had half enough to eat."

"Rise!" said Miss Brokaw, after a moment of waiting. "Immediately, girls.
Miss Stone, you will come, too."

A murmur of laughter rose at Jennie Stone's evident intention to linger;
but Heavy always took admonition in good part, and she arose smiling.

"Monitors to their places," commanded Miss Brokaw. "You will march to the
big hall. It is Mrs. Tellingham's request. She will have something of
importance to say to you."

The big hall was on the other side of the building, and from its windows
nothing could be seen of either dormitory.

Meanwhile, Ruth, once alone in the hall, had bounded to the chief
entrance of the building and opened one leaf of the heavy door. It was a
crisp night and the frost bit keenly. The wind fluttered her skirt about
her legs.

She stopped for no outer apparel, however, but dashed out upon the stone
portico, drawing the door shut behind her. That act alone saved the school
from panic; for it she had left the door ajar, when the girls filed out
into the entrance hall from the dining room some of them would have been
sure to see the growing red glow on the second floor of the West
Dormitory.

To Ruth the fire seemed to be filling the room in which it had apparently
started. There was no smoke as yet; but the flames leaped higher and
higher, while the illumination grew frightfully.

A spark of light coming into being at the far end of the campus near the
East Dormitory, showed Rut