Once the children were in bed, they talked awhile of their fortunate deliverance.  Duke came in for a big share of praise.  Then Julia fell asleep, but Beth felt very wide awake.  Presently, even Duke on the floor near their bed also slept.  Beth knew that he was sleeping because he moaned as if he were haunted by a nightmare of the fire.

“Poor, poor fellow, he feels almost as bad as I,” thought Beth.  For a long time she lay awake wondering what her father would do now that their home with all its contents was burned.

“Just s’posing—­just s’posing——­” With these words Beth fell into a troubled sleep.

About ten minutes afterwards, she began crying in her sleep, which wakened Julia.

“Why, Beth dear, what’s the matter?” and Julia twined her arm lovingly around her friend.

Beth wakened with a start.  She sat up in bed.  “Where am I, Julia?  In Florida?”

“Of course, dear.  What made you——­”

“Oh, I’m so glad I’m here.  I went to sleep s’posing——­”

“Supposing what, Beth?”

“Oh, I don’t like to tell for fear it may come true.  I dreamed that it did come true and it made me very miserable.”

“You’re just nervous over the terrible fire.  All the bad that can happen has already happened to you.”

“I don’t know about that,” murmured Beth, but could not be persuaded to tell Julia more about her dream.  Julia therefore sank back into slumberland, and forgot all about her friend’s dream, but not so Beth.  The fear of what she dreamed haunted her, waking and sleeping.

The next morning, Beth had quite a time dressing.  Most of Julia’s clothes proved a very tight fit.

“I’ll have to pretend I’m a young lady.  Then I shall not mind if it is tight,” Beth said as she struggled into Julia’s blue dress.

“It’s a little short, but then short dresses are the style now,” commented Julia in an effort to be polite.

Immediately after breakfast, the Davenports and the Gordons started over to view the fire.  For some reason known only to herself, Beth did not care to go.  She even refused to be moved by Julia’s entreaties, and insisted that Julia go without her.

Duke remained to keep Beth company.  When the two were alone, Beth put her arms around the faithful dog.  He looked up into her eyes and whined.

“I believe you know,” cried Beth.  “Are you afraid of it, too?”

Again Duke whined.

“You do know, Duke.”  There were tears in Beth’s eyes.  “If it happens, they’ll take you from me.  Don’t you remember what Mr. Brown said?”

Duke looked as if he understood.

“They shan’t take you from me.  I’ll go in town and see Mr. Brown.  You shall go with me, Duke.”

He wagged his tail as if pleased, at the promise.  Beth ran for a hat, and then, with Duke, started down the road towards town.

The day was extremely sultry, and the warmth in combination with the excitement of the night before soon caused Beth to tire, but she would not give up her undertaking.