"Not on fire!" cried Maria, when the tall policeman told her this.
"Why, I saw the smoke, and Sunny Boy was almost choked with it. Of
course it was on fire!"

"No fire, Miss," said one of the firemen, grinning. "Snow's been
accumulating on the edge of the chimney for some time, I take it, and
this afternoon a chunk fell in and choked the flue. Of course the
smoke poured out into the house. And the little fellow thought he was
going straight into a blaze. He's a spunky little chap, and it was a
good chance to tell him, and the other kids, what not to do at a fire.
Next time it might be a serious matter."

The firemen went away, their engines and apparatus making as much noise
as when they had been coming to the fire, and by and by the curious
crowd that had gathered in the street went away, too. The tall
policeman and his friend George helped Miss May and Miss Davis and
Maria to put down the windows which had been left up by the firemen to
let the smoke out, and then they went away.

"Sunny Boy, are you quite positive you feel all right?" asked Miss May
anxiously. "Do your eyes hurt you now? Don't you want me to walk home
with you?"

Sunny Boy said no, thank you, he felt all right and he didn't need her
to walk home with him.

Daddy Horton was home when Sunny Boy came in, for he had left his
office early. So he and Mother heard all about the fire before dinner,
and though Mother hugged him tightly and declared that he smelled of
smoke, she said she was glad her little boy had not been afraid.