g in and out of the crowd, scanning the faces of everyone very
carefully, trying vainly to find the ones he loved best in all this
wide, wide world. Suddenly a hand grasped his arm and a voice said,
"Jim, Jim, we have been looking for you. Where have you been?" and
Jim turned and saw it was Aunt Betty that spoke.

"What do you think of the fire?" she continued. "Do you think it is
going to be real serious?"

"No. But one can hardly tell. I should judge that with the capable
fire service that New York has, so fully equipped and strictly
up-to-date, that they could get it under entire control with possible
danger to only a couple of floors," answered Jim.

"Then, maybe our floor will not be burned at all?" inquired Alfy.

"I hope not," answered Aunt Betty.

Just then Jim turned to look at the girl, for she stood directly in
back of Aunt Betty, and catching sight of her he laughed outright.
"Why, Alfy, what have you there?" he exclaimed.

A funny sight, indeed, was Alfy, her little bedroom slippers of red
just peeping out from under her bright pink kimona which she had
slipped on over her night dress, and a bright red hat in her hand.

"My hat," answered Alfy. "My best new hat. I saw it lying on the table
so I picked it up as I passed. I couldn't bear to think of losing it.
It's my favorite color and here it is." She placed the hat on her
head and laughed as she did so. Aunt Betty turned and laughed, too,
and so did many of the people around them.

The girl looked funny indeed with the kimona and the hat. Her long,
abundant growth of hair was braided down her back in two huge braids
tied at the ends with blue hair ribbons which had long been discarded
from day use. The red hat topping all looked as if the fire itself was
there in their midst.

"Great heavens!" exclaimed Aunt Betty, suddenly. "Where is Dorothy?
Where is she?" Whereat faintness overcame her, and she dropped
helpless upon the sidewalk. Jim caught and held her in his young
strong arms, and carried her over to a chair that had been brought out
of the hotel. Here he put her in the care of a young matron, who had
kindly offered assistance, and was aiding Alfy. Being sure that she
was safe and well cared for, he quickly began to look for Dorothy. In
a few seconds he ran through the crowd, his heart sinking, as he could
not locate her anywhere.

Then he thought she might have gone back to the burning building. The
thought of her, the girl he loved, up t