"Don’t risk your precious life by any delay, dear, dear boy!" cried the old woman hysterically. "I believe I should die of worry if that box was burned up. I promised so sincerely to take care of it. What would Mrs. Davis say if it was lost!"
"Who?" cried Ralph sharply, with a great start.
"Yes, yes. She left it with me, about a month ago. She was afraid to keep it with herself. I promised----"
But Ralph was listening no longer. A great conviction filled his mind that at this critical moment, amid fire and peril, a crisis in his life faced him.
Ralph ran towards the grape trellis. He soon found the ladder the old woman had mentioned.
It was long and quite heavy, but seizing one end he dragged it towards the burning building. Soon he had it set in place and balanced. He had guessed at the proper slant correctly. Its top just rested on the edge of the attic window outside the sill.
"No time to lose," declared Ralph. "Where will I find a hatchet?" he called to the old woman.
"In the wood shed--right near the door, on a chopping block," she directed, watching his every movement in a fever of suspense.
Ralph darted into the wood shed. He came out, hatchet in hand, and sprang instantly onto the ladder.
The building was doomed, he saw that. Its entire front half was in flame. As he got a few feet from the ground a great whirlwind of smoke and sparks enveloped him.
"Why," exclaimed Ralph, as he reached the top of the ladder, "the window is all right."
He did not need to use the hatchet. Contrary to the old woman’s positive statement, Ralph found the sash raised an inch or two. It pushed up smoothly. He felt obtruding nails on the inside, which appeared to have been forced out of place.
Climbing through the window, Ralph was nearly choked with the dense smoke filling the room. The window vent somewhat cleared the air, but he could not see an inch before his face.
"I can’t stand much of this," he reflected, and then held his breath closely.
Ralph had to grope with hands and feet. He lined one side wall of the apartment, ran to the window for a supply of fresh air, and resumed his difficult quest.
"No luck so far," he panted. "The room seems entirely empty. There is not even a carpet on the floor."
