Mrs. Ellis ' house across the street. It was a quaint house, with giiger bread around the eaves and a thatched roof. There was smoking ris¬ ing from the roof and as 1 watched a tongue of flame leaped up. I was prodded to instant action. Rushing inside I alerted che teacher who ran to the door and stopped a passer-by to summon the firemen. The house was saved with only a hole burned through the roof. Later that day her son came to the school looking for the lttle girl who had turned in the alarm. He shook my hand and thanced me for my quick response. I was highly embarrassed at being the heroine of the day, but proud of myself too. Since we all live( in wooden houses and dreaded fire, the natural thing to do was to aert someone who could do something about it. But Mrs. Ellis was ^ery old and almost blind and the inference was that my quick thinkng had probably saved her life. GETTING RID of FRECKLES I was a small child, smaller than the rest, with dark brown ces, dark brown hair cut in a Dutch clip, and a darkish tinge to my wiite skin which spoke of a Mediterranean somewhere in our backgroind, and freckles. I tried everything to get rid of these freckles, even gang to the neighbour across the street with a small bottle to get sane mare's milk from his old mare. Someone told me that was a cure He laughed and went to the barn, coming back with the milk bctle which he handed me saying, "let me know if it works." I smeared my face liberally with it and was letting it dry wien Mom looked at me and said, "What's on your face?" When I toldier she said, "Oh my stars, child", and scoured me with "Surprise" s>ap and water. Either it was not left on long enough or was not rue mare's milk because it did not work and I am still "blessed" vith freckles. THE BROOK North of the factory was a sparkling little brook. It had runes and alders growing on the banks, and its water ran clear and cool. There I picked many cow-slips and weeds to adorn our hone, fished for brook trout with little success, and lay on my stomach tar¬ ing into its clearness, marvelling at the colored pebbles resting 01 its bottom, and the dappled pattern created as the water trickled ever them. It was a magical place. I spent many hours playing there nd even drowned the family cat by putting her in a burlap sack nd 354