her girls from harm's way,
and the other teachers kept their heads and cooperated with her. At
least all but one did, and she was the one upon whom Mrs. Vincent would
have counted most surely. When the fire was raging most fiercely Miss
Sturgis returned from her visit and a moment later rushed away from the
group of girls supposed to be under her especial charge, and disappeared
within the house in spite of the firemen's orders that all should stand
clear. The girls screamed and called after her but their voices were
drowned in the uproar, and none knew that the incentive which spurred
the half-frantic woman on was the photograph of the professor with whom
she had gone automobiling the day of the fly-paper episode. Poor Miss
Sturgis. Her first and only hint of a romance came pretty near proving
her last.

Straight to her room in the west wing she rushed, stumbling over hose
lines, battling against the stifling clouds of smoke which rolled down
the corridor. The room was gained, the picture secured, and she turned
to make good her escape, all other valuables forgotten. But even in that
brief moment the smoke had become overpowering. Her room was dense. For
a moment she sought for the door, growing more and more confused and
stifled, then with a despairing moan she fell senseless. Luckily the
flames were eating their relentless way in the other direction, the
firemen fighting them inch by inch until they felt that they were
winning the battle.

Meantime, down upon the lawn, the girls had found Mrs. Vincent and told
her of Miss Sturgis' folly. She was beside herself with alarm. Men were
sent in every direction to find her, but none for a moment suspected her
of the utter fool-hardiness of returning to her own room in the blazing
wing. But there was one person who did think of that possibility and she
quickly imparted her fears to one other.

"She never would," cried Polly.

"She had something there she wanted to save. I don't know what, but she
was so excited that she acted just like a crazy person, wringing her
hands and crying just before she ran back; I saw her go. Wait! Tzaritza,
find Miss Sturgis," said Peggy into the ears of the splendid hound who
had never for a single moment left her side, and who had more than once
caught hold of her skirts to draw her backward when a sudden volume of
smoke or sparks shot upward.

For a moment the noble beast hesitated. Little had Miss Sturgis ever
done to win Tzaritza's lov