r, but the ways of God are
above those of men, and weak instruments prove strong in His hands.

Julia and Beth wakened at the same instant.

"What is it, Duke?" cried Beth only half awake, for the dog was pulling
wildly at her night-dress. The smoke answered her question. Both of
the girls knew that Duke was warning them that the house was on fire.
They jumped out of bed, and ran to the door. The fire now was fast
breaking into the house.

"What shall we do?" gasped Beth at sight of the smoke and flames
circling around the stairs at the end of the hall.

"We can climb down the piazza," answered Julia turning towards it.
Beth started to follow her, but a thought stopped her.

"If we go that way Maggie'll burn. I must try to warn her."

"But we'll choke to death," cried Julia, carried away for a moment by
the terror fire has for the bravest.

"I can't help it. I can't let Maggie burn. You can climb down the
piazza, but I'm going to try to reach Maggie," answered Beth, going
towards the hall, with Duke at her heels.

It was a terrible temptation to Julia to take Beth at her words. She
feared that Death waited in the hall. The thought made Julia shiver
notwithstanding the sickening heat that was beginning to fill the
house. Her face blanched, but it was no whiter than that of Beth, who
felt fully as strongly as Julia the danger she ran in trying to save
Maggie.

"Let's wrap ourselves in blankets," cried Julia seizing two from the
bed, and throwing one to Beth. She had conquered her fear sufficiently
to make a supreme effort to save Maggie. She was too brave to let Beth
outshine her in daring.

"Maggie, Maggie, wake," yelled Beth, wrapping the blanket around her
and rushing out into the smoke and fire towards the room where Maggie
slept.

"Fire, fire, fire," screamed Julia, the smoke half choking her.

Their cries wakened Maggie. She jumped out of bed, and rushed out into
the hall.

"Oh, de good Lo'd," she moaned, trembling all over in sudden horror;
"dis house is burnin', an' we'll die." Then she saw the two girls.
Their danger calmed her fears.

"No, we won't die, honeys," she cried more calmly. "We kin get down de
stairs, I know. Come on, my honeys. I won't leave yo'. We'll jes'
keep our mouths shut, an' we'll be all right."

She, too, seized a blanket to protect herself from the fire.

She was nearest the stairs, but she waited until the girls came up to
her. Not another word was sa