t's the old mill that is afire. Will Somers has left the key of
the store here and gone to the fire. I can forgive him this morning,
though I did think his duties as a fireman began to interfere with his
duties as an apothecary. Let me see! I'm all ready, I believe--guess I
must go up to the fire. Tell your aunt I have gone to the fire and I'll be
back--when I arrive."

Off went the doctor. Bertha delivered the message to her aunt and went
down stairs. Then she looked out of the window and watched the people on
their way to the fire.

"Guess I'll go to the fire, too," said Bertha, "if aunt is willing."

"Och," said Biddy, as she watched the departing Bertha, "we'll all be fur
goin' up to see Sophia. The saints defind us!"

The fire had started in the waste room of the old mill. Somebody had once
insisted on isolating this quarter as much as possible, and brick
partitions had been put up that happily interfered with the spread of the
fire and allowed all the operatives a chance to escape. The fire finally
reached an elevator. It then darted with startling rapidity to the top of
the building, shooting up like an arrow sent by a destructive hand below.
The flames were now spreading every-where in the highest story. People
gathered from the town, and the engines soon were working.

"Get every body out of the building!" said a commanding voice, owned by a
man who had just arrived.

"Of course! That's what we have just been doing," said a second.

The cry now arose, "Two boys in the mill!"

Some one said that the boys had made their escape with the other
operatives, but had gone back into one of the lower stories after their
overcoats.

"Boys in the mill!" rang out the fearful cry.

The owner of the commanding voice rushed forward into the lower entry of
the mill, swinging an ax. Will Somers found him at the door trying to cut
round the latch.

"What's that for?" asked Will.

"Want to get 'em out, you fool!"

"Have you tried the door?"

"N--n--o."

Will seized it, pulled it, and open it came!

Will was brave, and, in such an emergency as the present, generally took
his wits with him. The room was full of smoke. He stepped in and shouted,
but there was no response. While at the door of the first room, he heard
some one behind saying, "Boys in the next story, they say." Will turned
and sprang up stairs. Just ahead was the person who had recently spoken.
The proprietor of the commanding voice was now retreati