place for smart, stout
fellows like you. If I was you, I'd--"

"Yes, but you _ain't_ him," interrupted Mrs Crashington, testily, "so
it won't do him much good to tell what you would or wouldn't do."

"I've heard of wives, Maggie, who _sometimes_ tried to be agreeable,"
said Ned, gravely.

"If I don't suit you, why did you marry me?" demanded Maggie.

"Ah, why indeed?" said Ned, with a frown. At this critical point in the
conversation, little Fred, who was afraid that a storm was on the point
of bursting forth, chanced to overturn his tin mug of tea. His mother
was one of those obtuse women who regard an accident as a sin, to be
visited by summary punishment. Her usual method of inflicting
punishment was by means of an open-handed slap on the side of the head.
On this occasion she dealt out the measure of justice with such
good-will, that poor little Fred was sent sprawling and howling on the
floor.

This was too much for Ned, who was a tender-hearted man. The blood
rushed to his face; he sprang up with such violence as to overturn his
chair, seized his cap, and, without uttering a word, dashed out of the
room, and went downstairs three steps at a time.

What Ned meant to do, or where to go, of course no one could tell, for
he had no definite intentions in his own mind, but his energies were
unexpectedly directed for him. On rushing out at the street door, he
found himself staggering unexpectedly in the arms of Bob Clazie.

"Hullo! Bob, what's up?"

"Turn out!" said Bob, as he wheeled round, and ran to the next fireman's
door.

Ned understood him. He ran smartly to the station, and quickly put on
helmet, belt, and axe. Already the engine was out, and the horses were
being harnessed. In two minutes the men were assembled and accoutred;
in three they were in their places--the whip cracked, and away they
went.

It was a good blazing, roaring, soul-stirring fire--a dry-salter's
warehouse, with lots of inflammable materials to give it an intense
heart of heat, and fanned by a pretty stiff breeze into ungovernable
fury--yet it was as nothing to the fire that raged in Ned's bosom. If
he had hated his wife, or been indifferent to her, he would in all
probability, like too many husbands, have sought for congenial society
elsewhere, and would have been harsh to her when obliged to be at home.
But Ned loved his wife, and would have made any sacrifice, if by so
doing, he could have smoothed her into a more c