“Nothing at all burned up here,” said the fire chief, looking around. “It didn’t even scorch the back wall.”
“That’s because you and your men got here so quickly with the engines,” remarked Mr. Martin. “I’m much obliged to you.”
“There’s a lot of smoke, though,” said a policeman. “Must have come from that window into the shed. It was partly open.”
“We’ll open some windows and let the smoke out,” said a fireman. “You’ll have more damage by smoke than you will by fire or water, Mr. Martin.”
“Well, smoke isn’t any too good for groceries,” said Ted’s father. “About the only things I know of that are made better by smoke are hams and herring. However, this might have been much worse. Who turned in the alarm?”
“Mr. Blake,” said the chief, naming a man Mr. Martin knew. “He was passing and saw smoke coming from the shed door. Then he telephoned to fire headquarters.”
“I must thank him,” said Mr. Martin. “If the fire hadn’t been discovered in time, my whole store might have burned. I’ll just let my wife know the danger is past,” he added, going to the telephone in the store office near the big safe.
Mrs. Martin soon heard the good news that what little fire there had been was put out. There was nothing more to be done, and a policeman said he would remain on guard in the store while the windows and doors were kept open to let the smoke blow out during the night.
Then Ted and his father walked back home. The engines had gone back to their quarters, the dogs had stopped barking, and the crowd had vanished, for there was nothing more to be seen.
“Oh, Mother! It was just like Fourth of July!” cried Teddy as he entered the house. “Skyrockets, an’ Roman candles an’ everything!”