Beverly Square fire.

He found his brother writing at the little desk that stood in the
window, while five or six of his comrades were chatting by the fire, and
a group in a corner were playing draughts, and spinning yarns of their
old experiences. All assisted in loading the air with tobacco-smoke.

The round cloth caps worn by the men gave them a much more sailor-like
and much less fireman-like appearance than the helmets, which, with
their respective hatchets, hung on the walls, rendering the apartment
somewhat like a cavalry guard-room. This change in the head-piece, and
the removal of the hatchet, was the only alteration in their costume in
what may be styled "times of peace." In other respects they were at all
times accoutred, and in readiness to commence instant battle with the
flames.

"Hallo, Blazes! how are ye?" said Willie, touching his brother on the
shoulder.

"That you, Willie?" said Frank, without looking up from his work.
"Where away now?"

"Come to tell ye there's a _fire_," said Willie, with a serious look.

"Eh? what d'ye mean?" asked Frank, looking at his brother, as if he half
believed he was in earnest.

"I mean what I say--a fire here," said Willie, solemnly striking his
breast with his clenched fist, "here in Heart Street, Buzzum Square,
ragin' like fury, and all the ingins o' the fire brigade, includin' the
float, couldn't put it out, no, nor even so much as squeanch it!"

"Then it's of no use our turning out, I suppose?" said Frank with a
smile, as he wiped his pen; "what set it alight, lad?"

"A wax doll with flaxen hair and blue eyes," answered Willie; "them's
the things as has all along done for me. When I was a boy I falled in
love with a noo wax doll every other day. Not that I ever owned one
myself; I only took a squint at 'em in toy-shop winders, and they always
had flaxen hair and blue peepers. Now that I've become a man, I've bin
an' falled in love with a livin' wax doll, an' she's got flaxen hair an'
blue eyes; moreover, she draws."

"Draws--boy! what does she draw--corks?" inquires Frank.

"_No_!" replied Willie, with a look of supreme contempt; "nothin' so
low; she draws faces an' pictures like--like--a schoolmaster, and,"
added Willie, with a sigh, "she's bin an' drawed all the spirit out o'
this here buzzum."

"She must have left a good lot o' combustible matter behind, however, if
there's such a fire raging in it. Who may this pretty fire-raiser be?"

"Her