e many of our props--a good
coat I had to lose meself, fur-lined around the collar, by way of helpin'
the Sisters Devere get out their box of accordions that they done a Dutch
Daly act with for an enn-core. Well, as I was sayin', we'd all hustled
down these back stairs--they was already red hot and smokin' up good, you
understan', and there we was shiverin' outside in the snow, kind of
rattled, and no wonder, at that, and the ladies of the troupe
histurrical--it had come like a quick-change, you understan', when all of
a sudden up in the air goes the Original Kelly. Say, he lets out a yell
for your life--'Oh, my God!' he says, 'my kids--up there,' pointin' to
where the little flames was spittin' out through the side like a
fire-eatin' act. Then down he flops onto his knees in the snow, prayin'
like the--prayin' like _mad_, you understan', and callin' on the blessed
Virgin to save little Patsy, who was just gittin' good with his drum-major
act and whirlin' a fake musket--and also little Joseph, who was learnin'
to do some card-tricks that wasn't so bad. Well, so everybody begins to
scream louder and run this way and that, you understan', callin' the kids
and thinkin' Kelly was nutty, because they must 'a got out. But Kelly
keeps right on prayin' to the holy Virgin, the tears runnin' down his
make-up--say, he looked awful, on the dead! And then we hears another
yell, and here was Prof. at the window with one of the kids, sure enough.
He'd got up them two flights of stairs, though they was all red smoky,
like when you see fire through smoke. Well, he motions to catch the kid,
so we snatches a cloak off one of the girls and holds it out between us,
you understan', while he leans out and drops the kid into it, all safe and
sound.

"Just then we seen the place all light up back of him, and we yelled to
him to jump, too--he could 'a saved himself, you understan', but he waves
his hand and shook his head--say, lookin' funny, too, with his _mus_-tache
half burned off, and we seen him go back out of sight for the other little
Kelly--Kelly still promisin' to give up all he had to the Virgin if she
saved his boys.

"Well, for a minute the crowd kep' still, kind 'a holdin' its breath, you
understan', till the Prof.'d come back with the other kid--and holdin' it
and holdin' it till the fire gits brighter and brighter through the
window--and--nothin' happens, you understan'--just the fire keeps on
gittin' busy. Honest, I begun to fee