The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-01-24
||....e .sE,s lz k' .s fi1 EXCUSE -. FlEl9 (agesss: s:s:- s-- ys
CMAF FEKn KKm

UllAkIkn xklG UnNJAAEfN and Jay dashed down D oVcr Che rocks of the gully. Nl8nt down over tho front ok tha hin, We followed than, silnpinR. aiding, craving through brambles AS tno time We gol Co tho foot they he'd turned the surrey and were ready Co drive or.
 "Waltl Wailip
 They pulled ua aboard.
 Wo eal there ch Che back seat, 5ella and I, olinglng to the arms. while Nelilo raced toward the vile iaEa. Xne 1lgy had a gl0w in ik now. We were beUinning Co smell smoke. Tiao ladder -the only one we had was way up in Che haymow, I 70. n1nanheFed.
 safayhs Wo oughter have told the rost,y Jay said. breaking the silence.
 ~Ihey1l hnve Been it by this time" Benjamin answered. T want Co get the horses oglt."
 We could see little flames now, not co red, high up. where the roof would he. Then the outline og the house itselk, dimly, through the smoke and growing darkness.
 sItss that chimney where we set the stove to-" Jay said.
 As wo dashed into the yard, we heard Q horse kicking.
 ssThakss Lady," Benjamin shout cd. Ee got out and headed for the stable.
 ssYou girls 70 ten Miss Treworgy to spread the word" Jay told us as he started to unhitch Nellie. NF1ss TREwoRoY was the vile 1u iage telephone operator.
 We rushed across the street and rattled ct her door. She peeked out from behind Q curtain and saw the blaze. We heard her at the switch- board.
 'Firel Fsrsi The villages burn ingl"
 We.Iooked back. Major and Gen. eral were coming out of the stable, slowly, stolidly, with Q white flash that must be Noel ct their heels. Benjamin followed; leading Lady, who reared and whinnied. Then Nlobe. shambling, hstless, unper- turhed.
 We hurried on again, stopping wherever there was a light.
 "Firel Firel'
 when we got back, men were running about with buckets and lanterns. Some children had gath senA Sea k1sn haak 4.n~a vaaaz kkG stable. ''They can't get at the tank" one of them told us. 'srhe smokes too thick up there"
 The top of the roof was all ablaSe. Smoke was pouring from the fourth floor windows. From the lower ones people were throwing out mattresses bureau drawers, chairs, chamber erockery
 A blackboard rolled in, bearing my father and Boshy. Form a bucket brigade to the Mill Brook" my father shouted, stripping oil his coat.
 Others took up the cry.
 "A bucket brtgadel"
 Bring them buckets from the stable!"
 All of us fell in, stretching in a long, gaping line to the brook.
 ''1,ass it onl"
 Pass it onl"
 ''Pass 1t onl"
 By the time buckets reached my father, standing at the foot of the ladder, they were almost empty.
 'sFastefl 6teadierl" he shouted, as he passed them up to Benjamin. DEORLE had alread begun to ar \ rive on foot, from the hill. Some rushed inside and brought out whatever they could lay their hands on. Furniture. Silver, Linen. Dishes. Clothing. Blankets. An arnful of funny papers. Others filed in the gaps of the bucket line.
 '.Fasteri Steadierl"
 The flames were hot and noisy. You had to raise your voice to be heard above them. Sparks were fly ing.
 sChIldren around front" my father shouted. The chimney's swaying."
 We went reluctantly. The village