help,
she stopped wailing and tried to be courageous.

"Now we may hurt you some when you are being moved, but you must bear
it, Gran'ma," said Alec, gently. The old lady smiled reassuringly.

"Children, anything is better than being roasted up in this little room.
Don't worry over hurting me but do whatever is necessary," quavered the
sweet old voice.

"Now, girls, I'm going to shinny up the scuttle-hole in the roof and
carry the rope with me. I'll tie it securely to the chimney on the roof
and let down the other end. Fasten this about Grandma's waist and we'll
try to lift her out that way. You two must help by holding her as much
as possible, and by boosting from below."

While Alec climbed up the wall-ladder and got out to the roof, Julie and
Joan made a roll of blankets and placed it about the old lady's form
under the arms. Then they looped the rope over this and secured it also
under her arms.

"All ready, Alec!" called Julie, holding her charge by one arm while
Joan held her by the other.

As Alec hauled, hand over hand on the rope, the two scouts beneath
lifted and then boosted the old lady until she was safely through the
opening in the roof. Then Alec leaned over and called to them:

"If you can manage to run down and get through that room again, escape
by way of the piazza-roof and send the firemen up from the outside with
their ladders. I'll wait on the front roof with Grandma."

So Julie and Joan rushed down the little attic-stairs, back through the
smoke-filled room which was now dreadfully hot from the fire, and out of
the other room window to the piazza roof. Once on the ground, a curious
mob tried to surround them to ask all sorts of foolish questions, but
Julie was equal to two mobs. With muscular arms and fists striking right
and left, she quickly forced a passage and made her way to the spot
where the Fire-Chief was ordering the men about.

"Mr. Chief, run a ladder up to the roof where you see that scout
standing. He's got an old crippled woman to save. Maybe the rope will
reach and maybe it won't, so use your own judgment," called Julie,
pointing up to where Alec could be dimly seen through the smoke.

"Hoist a ladder, boys! See that scout up on the roof with Mrs. Dickens'
mother?" shouted the Chief, anxiously watching the roof.

While every one stood and in breathless suspense watched the firemen run
up a long ladder and assist Alec in saving the poor helpless woman, Mrs.
Dickens came