Helen hesitated a moment.
"Mr. Smith promised to come and "save us," if we needed saving," she said, with the merest trace of a flush.
"Ah," replied her uncle, slowly. "Then I think we may safely leave your rescue to him. I will come as a reporter only. Good-by."
From the time of his departure there had been no visitor from the outside world until Smith"s ring came as the clock made ready to strike nine. Helen herself opened the door, as the maid had gone downstairs for further enlightenment from the authorities below; and Miss Maitland found herself confronted by a man whom at first she hardly recognized, so hollow-eyed, so weary, and withal so grimy did he look. Her little start at seeing him was noted by Smith, and he guessed the reason for it.
"Don"t be alarmed," he said, with a shadow of his old smile. "Under all the disguises it"s really I. I know that I must look like a dissipated coal heaver, but I flatter myself that you"ll be glad to see me, just the same, for I came to tell you that the danger is over--the fire is practically out."
"Then you must come in and let me get you something to eat," said the girl.
"Thank you very much, but I don"t think I will. Somehow I don"t seem to feel very hungry. But I"m horribly sleepy. I don"t believe I was ever so sleepy in my life. So good-night."
But she stood with her back to the door.
"Where did you intend to go?" she demanded. "The hotels that are not burned are probably filled to the brim. Besides, your clothes are here. You can"t go away. You must stay here."
"That"s awfully kind of you, to offer to take me in," the other rejoined; "but you cannot house a disreputable chimney sweep.
Besides--"
But she did not give him any opportunity to complete the sentence.
"Don"t be absurd; you"re usually quite sensible. Mother and I had it all decided hours ago. You"re to stay with us. Your room is all ready for you--and your bath," she added.
He acknowledged the touch with an appreciative but weary smile.
"Well, then, if you really don"t mind, I"ll take you up," he said.
"Will you have supper first?"
"Thanks, no--nothing but sleep. I"m ashamed of being so fearfully tired--you must excuse me. But I don"t believe any man can stay awake indefinitely."
"No, I don"t believe any man can," Helen agreed.
It was ten o"clock the next day when Smith opened his eyes once more upon a normal world. The sun was shining brightly, but it was some moments before he could a.s.sure himself that he was actually awake again. The twelve hours" sleep, during which apparently not one muscle had he stirred, had gone far to repair the ravages of thirty-six hours"
steady wakefulness, and a cold bath did the rest. The two ladies were found to be in the dining room, still absorbed in the morning edition of a newspaper whose building had escaped the sweep of the conflagration.
"Why, it"s only half-past ten!" was Helen"s greeting. "I didn"t expect you so early. Mother suggested that we wait breakfast for you; but I said it would be much closer your wishes if we waited lunch instead."
"Well, I think I must have condensed an enormous amount of sleep into the last twelve hours," said Smith; "for I feel as well as ever. Tell me what has happened--I see you have the papers."
"What is going to happen is also important--your breakfast," the girl responded. "Go over there, where you see that napkin sitting expectantly on its haunches, and Marie will be in directly."
"Thank you. I hope you won"t be scandalized at my appet.i.te. Is the fire entirely out?"
"Yes--practically. Here"s the paper."
"That"s very good of you. You"ll pardon me if I just look at the headlines?"
"Of course." And for a few moments there was little conversation in the sunny dining room.
"And now will you do me a favor?" said Miss Maitland.
Smith looked at her; a long moment.
"I will do anything in the world for you," he said, "except one thing."
The girl flushed a little.
"I want you to take me out to the fire," she responded.
The other looked at her in surprise.
"Why, of course," he said. "I never thought of doing anything else.
If my calculations are correct, it will take me exactly as long to finish those three pieces of toast as for you to get ready. Better wear old clothes--it may be pretty dirty."
Five minutes later they descended to the street.
"Why, it"s been snowing!" said Smith, in surprise.
A light fall of snow covered sidewalk and lawns; there were few men this day with sufficient leisure to sweep away snow. As the two went northward through the bright morning, they walked for the most part in silence. All seemed very still, for there were no street cars moving, and most of the customary confusion of a city"s streets was oddly hushed. Few people were abroad, at least along where their path lay; it was almost as though they were pa.s.sing through a deserted city.
"Look at that," Smith said once. "I don"t believe you were ever on this corner when you couldn"t see a single person."
"Where do you suppose every one is?" asked Helen, curiously.
"At the ruins. Do you know, this reminds me of one of the strangest things I ever saw."
"What was that?" the girl inquired, turning toward him.
"The only absolutely deserted town in America--at least I think it must be the only one. I never heard any one speak of another. But I know this one exists, for I saw it myself."
"Where is it? I never heard of such a thing. It sounds like Herculaneum or some of those a.s.syrian cities where they are always digging up statues and tablets and things."
"But this isn"t a buried town. It"s a real town, built perhaps twenty or thirty years ago; and it"s located out in northern Indiana. And a perfectly nice little town, with brick stores and a couple of paved streets and other advantages. Everything--except inhabitants. No one lives there."
"Why not? Is this really true?"
"True as gospel. I saw it myself. I walked through the deserted streets. And a rather uncanny feeling it gave me, too."
"Was it unhealthy? Why did the people leave?"
"I haven"t the vaguest idea," said Smith; and as he answered he raised his arm to point eastward along the street they had that moment reached. Following the direction in which he was pointing, Helen saw a thin line of smoke rising feebly from a pile of debris upon the ground.
Near by were similar piles, sullenly smoldering.
"There"s where they stopped it," said Smith.
They walked quickly along until they came to the very corner on which the last ebbing wave of the sea of fire had turned. This corner was at the intersection of Shawmut Avenue with the railroad"s right of way.
Over the tracks at this point was a raised steel bridge, and to this they now directed their steps. At the end of the bridge they stopped.