asleep. One dreamed of running away and being chased by a dog with a hat
on his head, who barked "Good-night" as fiercely as a bite. The other
dreamed of money and brown sugar. And all the while the rats were
treating themselves to nibbles of wood; but nobody heard them. Be
careful, old rats! Your teeth have done mischief before now! The night
wore on to the wee small hours, when a loud noise like a cannon startled
Mrs. Rosenberg; or was she dreaming? The house was shaken to its very
foundation, as if by an earthquake, and the room was full of smoke. She
was just running for the children, when the building fell together with a
crash, the roof was blown off into the street, the windows were shivered
to atoms, and tongues of flame leaped madly up from the ruins.

What did it mean? She was so stunned by the shock that she scarcely cared
whether one of her children was spared or not; she only thought in her
stupor that Mr. Parlin would not pay her for Dotty's lodging if the child
was blown to pieces.

"I know how it happened," said she, twitching at her own hair to arouse
herself. "Just as Abraham always said; the rats have been nibbling
matches in the store; they've burned a hole through the floor, and set
fire to that keg of gunpowder. Yes, that's it!"




CHAPTER VII.

PLAYING PRISONER.