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"Oh, how horrible!" gasped Beatrice, shrinking, as they claed into this scene of chaos, darkness, death

Where long ago the arcade had stretched its path of light and life and beauty, of wealth and splendor, like an epitoathered in that constricted space, the little light disclosed stark horror

Feeble as a will-o'-the-wisp in that enshrouding dark, the torch showed only hints of things--here a fallen pillar, there a shatteredhad fallen, yonder a gaping aperture left by the disintegration of a wall

Through all this rubbish and confusion, over and through a score of the little dust-piles which Stern had so carefully avoided explaining to Beatrice, they climbed and waded, and with infinite pains slowly advanced

"What we need is ot to have a bonfire here!"

And before long he had collected a considerable pile of wood, ripped fros of the arcade This he set fire to, in the an to paint itself upon the walls, and to fling the co h,the arcade still stood intact They glittered with the uncanny reflections of the fire as the e

"See," exclai "See all these ruined shops? Probably als left that we can use

"See the post-office, down there on the left? Think of the old and silver, in all these safes here and all over the city--in the banks and vaults! Millions! Billions!

"Jewels, diaood water supply, soun or two and soh theested "Plain cotton cloth is worth ten azing about him onder

"And I offer a bushel of diamonds for a razor and a pair of scissors" Grimly he smiled as he stroked his enormous beard

"But come, this won't do There'll be plenty of ti Just noe've got a definite errand Let's get busy!"

Thus began their search for a few prime necessities of life, there in that charnel-house of civilization, by the dull reflections of the firelight and the pallid torch glow