ushed and tried to escape notice, but the guests surrounded him
and overwhelmed him with congratulations. One little girl, the intimate
friend of Rose, even threw her arms round his neck and kissed him,
which caused Fred to blush more furiously then ever. But upon the whole
he bore himself so modestly that he won golden opinions from all.

The incident put an end to the party. As soon as it was understood that
Rose was in no danger, the guests began to take their leave.

George Swain and Fred went out together.

"Fred, you have shown yourself a hero," said his friend warmly.

"You would have done the same thing," said Fred.

"Perhaps I should, but I should not have acted so promptly. That was
the important point. You had your wits about you. I was sitting beside
you, but before I had time to collect my thoughts you had saved Rose."

"I acted on the impulse of the moment."

"How did you know just what to do--making her lie down, you know?"

"I read an account of a similar case some months since. It came to me
in a moment, and I acted upon it."

"If I ever catch fire, I hope you'll be on hand to put me out."

"Oh, yes," laughed Fred. "I'll stand you on your head directly."

"Thank you! It's a good thing to have a considerate friend."

"Did you have a pleasant evening, Fred?" asked Mrs. Fenton. "Are you
not home earlier than you expected?"

"Yes, mother. There was as an accident that broke up the party."

He described the affair, but said nothing of his own part in it.

The next morning, after Fred had taken breakfast and gone to business,
a neighbor came in.

"I congratulate you, Mrs. Fenton," she said. "You have a right to be
proud of Fred."

"Thank you," said the widow, puzzled. "I'm glad you think well of him."

"There's few boys that would have done what he did."

"What has he done?" asked Mrs. Fenton, stopping short on her way to the
pantry.

"You don't mean to say you don't know? Why, it's in all the papers."

"I am sure I don't know what you are talking about."

"Didn't I tell you how he saved the little girl from burning to death?"

"Was it Fred who saved her? He didn't tell me that."

"Of course it was. Read that, now!"

She put in the hand of the widow a copy of the _Sun_ in which the whole
scene was vividly described.

"What do you say now, Mrs. Fenton?"

"That I am all the more proud of Fred because he did not boast of what
he did," and a look of pride shone in the widow's eyes.