"Quick, girls! Get out while you can!" cried a frightened voice. "The
second floor is all on fire! The ceiling will fall in a minute!"

Faith glanced around to see who had spoken. She was surprised to see
that it was Miss Fairbanks, the buyer. In the hour of danger this coarse
woman had actually thought to warn her charges, but she vanished in a
second without waiting to see who followed.

"It will be folly to attempt to get out now," Faith cried distinctly.
"We would only be trampled to death! Wait a minute,--do, until the
aisles get clearer!"

"Remain at your posts and look after your goods!" cried a voice that
every one recognized as that of Mr. Gibson, the manager, "The fire
amounts to nothing. It was a false alarm! Don't one of you dare to leave
your counters!"

"Do you expect us to stay here and burn up?" cried a woman's voice.
"Well, I, for one, won't do it! Come on, Miss Jennings!"

"Not a step!" answered Miss Jennings in her shrill, weak voice. "You are
a fool to trust your life in that howling mob, Kate! Wait a minute;
we'll get out all right if we keep our wits about us."

"That's right," called Faith, standing erect at her desk. "Keep cool,
girls; we are perfectly safe as long as we keep behind the counters."

"You are a nervy one, miss," said a voice at her ear.