and Dick were all at Aunty's playing bridge and I thought Mabel would stay all night here, so it was about midnight when I got home. It was snowing hard a heavy wet snow when I left and by the time I got home I looked more like a snow drift than anything else. Marj. & Mabel were still up Marj. tired out and Mabel thinking she should go home. I tried to persuade her by telling her it was a brute of a night but she thought her aunty would be anxious so I took her and it was unwillingly that Queen & I turned back into that storm as we had both been thinking all the way home that of all domestic joys, crawling into a warm bed when cold & tired is about the chief one. It was so dark going over to the Walker's that we could hardly see the road, but when I turned to come home the road was lighted up as if it was moonlight under the clouds. I couldn't figure it out as I knew there was no moon and thought it was too late and the light too bright for the radial. When I turned the corner at the Winding Hill, I knew what was going on as the whole northern sky was luridly aglow with the ruddy flames of a fire. My first thoughts were of course of this place but I couldn't believe that this house could burst into flames when it was all right ten minutes before. However I was relieved when I got up the road where I could see the ridge of the barn black against the red sky. My first real guess was Willie Shand's barns but when I got to the top of the hill I could see them against the fire so I knew it was the Dove's place but couldn't tell whether it was the house or barns. I drove in here and told Marj. who was tired out and in bed that I would go over and if any of them needed shelter I would bring them back. Marj. said there was bedding warm that she had been getting ready for Mabel. I urged poor old Queen along as fast as I could and by this time it had stopped snowing. Harvey Shand's house was in darkness when I passed and I yelled in but didn't wake any of them. I heard another buggy behind me just about there and it proved to be Herb. Law who was just returning from seeing his girl. He & I arrived at the fire about the same time and tied our horses to the fence on the road. Just as I drove up I saw Wiillie Shand running across the snow from his place and when I got to the house, all that were there were Tom Stone & George his man and Willie Shand & Tom Aiken. Tom Aiken & George were throwing water on the