Now he didn't mind; it would serve the thing right for being so hard to catch.

Entering the kitchen, he balanced the net across a chair and stepped to the range to see if the water was boiling.

It was not, and for a very good reason--the fire had gone out.

Again Mr.Brown expressed his feelings.
The fire, newly kindled, had burned to the last ash.

If he had been there to add more coal in season, it would have survived; but he had been otherwise engaged.