him, seized the bat before he knew what had happened and smashed
the glass with one blow. Giving the ring inside a vigorous pull,
Grace shoved the bat into the hands of the astonished youngster
and made for the nearest telephone.

Hurrying into Stillman's, she discovered to her disgust that the
telephone was in use, but a moment later she was at the door and
again out on the street. Her quick ear had caught the clang of the
bell on the fire engines, and the thing to do now was to go back
to her chums with the news--and then off to the fire.

"The gymnasium is on fire!" she cried, as she neared the spot
where they awaited her. "Hurry, all of you! Perhaps we may be of
some help."

Her three friends needed no second invitation and throwing all
dignity to the winds, raced down the street in the direction of
the burning building. When they reached the High School smoke was
issuing from the windows of the gymnasium, and from the roof and
chimneys, and situated as it was like a connecting link between
the two buildings, it was an easy matter for the flames to spread
in either direction.

Even in the short time it had taken Grace to turn in the alarm,
the fire had made tremendous headway, and great tongues of flame
shot up toward the sky. The roof had caught and was burning
rapidly, although the firemen played a constant stream upon it.

As the fire grew hotter, the other companies were called out, and
soon the entire Oakdale Fire Department was at work.