. The flames did not touch her, but they _did_
ignite the curtain at the window.

There was a great squealing as the girls ran. Nobody dared tear down the
blazing curtain, and the flames leaped higher and higher each instant.

Then one of the most frightened of the company jerked open the door, put
her head out into the corridor, and shrieked "Fire!"

CHAPTER XXIV

ROBERTO FINDS HIS VOICE

That settled it! There was a full-fledged panic in that quartette room
in an instant. It bade fair, too, to spread to the whole building.

Ruth, who had been busy distributing cakes before the accident, sprang
to the open door, seized the girl who had yelled, and literally "yanked"
her back into the room. Then she banged the door to and placed her back
against it.

"Stop!" she cried, yet in a low voice. "Don't be foolish. It's only a
little fire. We can put it out. Don't rouse the whole house and frighten
everybody."

"Oh, Ruth! I can't reach it!" wailed Helen, who was really trying to
pull down the curtain.

Ann ran with a bowl of water and tried to splash it over the burning
curtain. But the bowl tipped backwards and part of the water went over
Heavy, who was just trying to struggle to her feet.

"Oh! oh! wow!" gasped the plump girl. "I'm drowning! Do you think I'm
afire, Ann Hicks?"

Some of the others were sane enough to laugh, but the more nervous girls
were already in tears, and the fire _was_ spreading from one curtain to
the other. There was a smell of scorching varnish, too. The window frame
was catching!

In the very midst of the confusion, when it seemed positive that the
whole school must be aroused, there came a commanding rap upon the
window pane. It was not the gentle signal of the tick-tack--no, indeed!

"Will you hear _that_?" gasped Belle Tingley. "Miss Picolet's up."

"No!" cried Ruth, from the other end of the room. "Open that window,
Ann! It's Roberto. He's climbed the fire-escape."

"My goodness me!" gasped The Fox. "I never was so glad to see a boy in
all my life! Let him in--do!"

No sooner said than done. The girl from Silver Ranch had her wits about
her. She snapped open the catch and raised the sash.

Into the room bounded the Gypsy lad. He had seen the flames from the
ground and he immediately knew what to do when he got inside.

He seized a chair, leaped up into it, and with his long arms was enabled
to tear down the blazing hangings. These he thrust into the bowl of
water.