nd Inez to seize
Grace's hand.

"Pluck up your courage, Sis!" he cried, his voice rising cheerfully above
the turmoil. "We'll get out all right."

"But _how_?" demanded Bess, in great anxiety. "Oh! see those sparks fly!"

"I see," said Nan, trying to speak calmly.

"They're falling right on those poor people--do, do look!" gasped Bess.

There was an open space between the young folks from the Mason house and
the crowd that was wedged into the exit at the head of the main aisle.
Upon this mob was pouring smoke and sparks. The flames ate up the bunting
with which the balcony rail and pillars were decorated. The burning cloth
floated down upon the heads of the excited people and threatened to set
the dresses of some afire.

Pearl Graves had actually fainted in her seat. Linda lay across her
cousin, sobbing and groaning. The rest of their party, whoever they were,
had deserted the two girls.

"What under the sun shall we do, Nan?" whispered Walter, and Nan read the
words on his lips rather than heard them; for the burning theatre was by
this time a scene of pandemonium.

CHAPTER XXX

A FRESH OUTLOOK

Nan had already made up her mind what they must do. Despite the spread of
the fire--and the heat of the flames already scorched their faces--she
saw there was no escape for them by the front door of the building. And
the chair-backs shut them off from the side exit.

"Get over the seat-back, Walter," Nan commanded. "Haul your sister and
Bess over. I can climb over myself and take little Inez with me."

"Don't leave us to burn up!" shrieked Linda, wildly, starting up again.
Her ears were keen enough.

"Pearl Graves has fainted," Walter said, hesitatingly.

"If we could only break down these seat-backs," cried Nan. "There are
four rows between us and the side aisle."

"We _can_ break them down," responded Walter, and immediately flung his
weight against the back of the chair in which he had been sitting, glad
to have some line of positive action suggested to him.

The boy's second attempt broke the back of the seat short off; it was
built none too strong. He leaped over into the next row and quickly
smashed his way through that.

"Come on, girls! I'll get you out," he cried, more cheerfully.

His sister and Bess climbed through the first aperture. Nan lifted Inez
through and was about to follow, when Linda seized upon her jacket.

"You let me get out, Nan Sherwood!" she commanded, trying to pull Nan