held her with firmer fingers than ever, and they turned into a narrower
hall, up toward a blinking red light that sent a small bright spark out
through the thick smoke, and in a minute, or very much less, they were
out on the fire-escape, and looking down to hear--for they couldn't
see--Jasper's voice calling from below, "We are all here, Polly," and
"Be careful, wife, how you come down," from Dr. Fisher.

"Oh," cried Polly, as the little group drew her and Mamsie into their
arms, "are we all here?"

"Yes, Polly; yes, yes," answered Jasper. And "Oh, yes," cried old Mr.
King, his arm around Phronsie, "but we shouldn't have been but for this
doctor of ours."

"And Mr. and Mrs. Henderson?" cried Polly, shivering at Grandpapa's
words.

"We are here, dear child," said the parson's wife, pressing forward,
and then the crowd surged up against them this way and that, and more
people came down the fire-escape, and some were screaming and saying
they had lost everything, and they must go back for their jewels, and
one woman brought down a big feather pillow, and set it carefully on
the grass, she was so crazed with fright.

"O dear, dear, can't we help them?" cried Polly, wringing her hands,
"Look at that girl!"

She was about as old as Polly, and she rushed by them plunging into the
thickest of the crowd surging up against the fire-escape. "I'm going
up," she kept screaming.