"
"It's no time to think of such little things, Alexia," replied her aunt
severely; "it may kill us both."
"Well, that's no reason I should be all pinched to death," grumbled Alexia,
forgetting the thunderstorm in her present discomfort and edging off as
well as she could. "The closet is dreadfully small, Aunt."
"It's quite large enough, I'm sure, to protect us," said Miss Rhys, hanging
tightly to her with trembling fingers. "Dear me! any minute may be our
last."
"Well, I'm not going to be smothered to death," declared Alexia, struggling
to work her way past her aunt.
"Alexia!" exclaimed her aunt.
"I'm going after Polly." Alexia out in the middle of the room flung her arm
around Polly. "Oh, misery!--where?" as a vivid flash seemed to hop right in
the window. "Oh, Polly, come!" She clutched her wildly.
"Where?" said Polly. "We can't get away from it, Alexia; it's just
everywhere."
"Oh, I don't care--anywhere--in the coal-scoop," cried Alexia, frantically
dragging her along. "I shall just die, Polly Pepper, and here you stand
like a stick."
"Well, there's just no use in running," said Polly, but seeing Alexia's
distress she suffered herself to be led, and downstairs the two girls sped,
and into the landlady's room, the first door to stand ajar.
"I'm coming in," announced Alexia, without ceremony, "for I'm scared to
death," and she dragged Polly Pepper after her.
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