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Rh had not part of the district’s population fled to the more interesting fire, and had not the whole thing been so quiet and so lightning-quick in its progress. The whole scene now burst upon their view. A few harassed policemen had stretched ropes across the street, and were trying to keep back the rebellious ones in the crowd who ever and anon would struggle under the line and have to be beaten back by force.

As Mary and Rhoda approached, a group on the outskirts cried out, "Here she is! ’Tain’t more ’n a minute sence they went to tell her!  Here she is now!"

The expected fire-brigade could hardly be called "she,’ Mary thought, as she glanced over her shoulder. She could see no special reason for any interest in her own movements.  She took advantage of the parting of the crowd, however, and as she made her way she heard, as in a waking dream, disjointed sentences that had no meaning at first, but being pieced together grew finally into an awful whole.

"Why didn’t the factory girls bring ’em out? Didn’t know they was there?"

"Say, one of ’em was saved, warn’t it?"

"Which one of ’em did she get down before the roof caught?"