When the hymn was finished the girls turned glowing faces upon Mrs. Tellingham who, despite a sleepless night, looked fresh and sweet.

“For the first time in the history of Briarwood Hall as a school,” she said, speaking so that all could hear her, “a really serious calamity has fallen.”

“We are all determined upon one thing, I am sure,” pursued Mrs. Tellingham.  “We will not worry about what is already done.  Water that has run by the mill will never drive the wheel, you know.  We will look forward to the rebuilding of the West Dormitory, and that as soon as it can possibly be done.”

“Hoo-ray!” cried Jennie Stone, leading a hearty cheer.

“We will have the ruin of the old structure torn away at once.”

The murmur of appreciation rose again from the girls assembled.

“I do not recall at this moment just how much insurance was on the West Dormitory; I leave those details to Doctor Tellingham, and he is now looking up the papers in the office.  But I am sure there is ample to rebuild, and if all goes well, a new West Dormitory will rise in the place of these smoking ruins before our patrons and our friends come to our graduation exercises in June.”

“Oh, bully!” cried Ann Hicks, under her breath.  “I want Uncle Bill to see Briarwood at its very best.”

“But the dear old ivy never can be replaced,” Mercy Curtis murmured to Ruth.

“We shall endeavor,” went on Mrs. Tellingham, smiling, “to repeat in the new building all the advantages of the old.  We shall have everything replaced, if possible, exactly as it was before the fire.”

“There was a big inkspot on my rug,” muttered Jennie Stone.  “Bet they can’t get that just in the same place again.”

“You homeless girls must, in the meanwhile, possess your souls with patience.  The younger girls who had quarters in the West Dormitory will be made comfortable in the East.  But you older girls must be cared for in a different way.

“Some few I shall take into my own apartments, or otherwise find room for in the main building here.  Some, however, will have to occupy quarters outside the school premises until the new building is constructed and ready for occupancy.  Arrangements for these quarters I have already made.  And now we can separate for our usual classes and work, with the feeling that all will come out right and that the new dormitory will be built within reasonable time.”

She ceased speaking.  The door near the platform suddenly opened and “the old doctor” as the girls called the absent-minded husband of their preceptress, hastily entered.

He stumbled up to the platform, waving a number of papers in his hand.  He stammered so that he could hardly speak at first, and he gave no attention to the amazed girls in the audience.

“Mrs. Tellingham!  Mrs. Tellingham!” he ejaculated.  “I have made a great mistake—­an unpardonable error!  In renewing the insurance for the various buildings I overlooked that for the West Dormitory and its contents.  The insurance on that ran out a week ago.  There was not a dollar on it when it burned last night!”