Ruth laughed unsteadily.
“It wasn’t the most cordial reception in the world,” she admitted dryly.
“But I didn’t have a hand in it, girls, honest!”
“Didn’t you, now?” It was Mary Cox who spoke with scathing sarcasm.
“Compared to some of those scenes in your picture, Ruth Fielding,”
laughed Nettie Parsons, “this fire scene held no thrills at all.”
“It held enough for me,” sighed Mercy Curtis. “It tore a rent in my
dress that will never come right again.”
“As long as it didn’t tear a rent in you,” said Helen gayly, “you
needn’t complain, my dear.”
The young folks watched the firemen come and go. Only one stream was
turned on and several chemical extinguishers were brought into play, and
that was all.
“More smoke than anything,” remarked one of the boys.
“Gee, but what an explosion!” remarked another. “I thought the roof was
going off!”
Gradually the excitement died down and the crowd was considerably
thinned out.
“And now,” suggested Chess, who had been silent much longer than
usual--probably due to shock--“what do you all say to some eats? I
myself am possessed of a hollow void that will require considerable
attention on my part to fill.”
“How vulgar!” sniffed Helen. “Girls, don’t you envy me?”
“It begins to look,” said Jennie Marchand, “as though my wedding present