Late that night, when every one had gone to bed, the fire whistle sounded. Rosemary raised up in bed, shivering with excitement. She counted the strokes. One-two--one-two--one-two-three-four. Reaching for her dressing gown at the foot of the bed, she seized it and rushed for the door. Sarah's door opened at the same moment and the two little figures met in the hall. They shouted together, rousing the household. "Plummers Lane!" they shrieked. "The fire's in Plummers Lane!" CHAPTER XXII SHOPPING WITH NINA Shirley, half-awake and crying, came pattering out into the hall and Winnie dashed from her room. On the second floor, Aunt Trudy scuttled back and forth demanding where the fire was. "Go to bed girls," ordered Doctor Hugh, who had just come in and was fully dressed. "Go back to bed, and I'll tell you all about the fire in the morning." "Oh, Hugh, are you going? Wait for me, please?" cried Rosemary. "I won't be a minute." "Me, too," shouted Sarah. "Wait for me, Hugh." He was already in the lower hall, struggling into his overcoat. "Go back to bed, and don't be silly," was his parting injunction as he opened the door. "You'll catch cold, running through the halls. Send 'em to bed, Winnie." The door banged behind him and they heard a familiar whistle. "Hugh!" some one called. "Hugh, it's down Plummers Lane. Going to get the car out? I'll help you." "That's Jack," cried Rosemary, trying to see through the white curtains without being seen. "Oh, dear, men have all the fun!" In spite of Winnie's remonstrances and Aunt Trudy's worry that they would have pneumonia, the three girls tried to stay up till their brother came back. After half an hour they gave up and went sleepily to bed. The next morning they heard that the fire had been in one of the novelty factories and that several houses had also been destroyed. "If the hydrants hadn't been open and the street clear, they say the whole block would have gone," the doctor reported. "In some way it's got over town that Jack and his gang were the only high school boys on the job yesterday and that they voluntarily cleaned the snow out of Wycliffe street. The Common Council is talking of doing something handsome to show their appreciation." Rosemary beamed, but Sarah who never could keep still blurted out the truth. "Rosemary told Mr. Jordan last night," she said matter-of-factly. When Doctor Hugh had heard the details, he declared that while Jack might not approve at once, he was sure he would later be glad. "You're a loyal friend, Rosemary," said the doctor patting the gold-red hair now long enough to tie back in a thick bunch of curls again, "and there are few finer qualities to possess than that."