St. Paul daily globe., 1889-01-13
turned to the dining room and shivered
through dinner,

turned to the dining room and ShlVered
through dinner.
That evening Maude and had COM
pany, They found us sitting in the
parlOr with almost our entire WardrobeS
on, wondering if it wouldn't be time to
go to bed pretty soon. We would have
gone down and embraced the kitchen
stove, but it was Katy's evening "at
home." and she never permits any in
trusi1Iis upon such occasions.
We did not strain cOrdiality faf
enough to ask our guests to take their
wraps Off. We said we were sorry that
they didn't bring some more. They
came in and tried to be comfortable,
but pretty soon their noses began to
get blue, and Maude went up stairs and
and got some cOmforterS off the beds.
By $50 p. m. we had everything in the
house that had any warmth in 1t down
in the parlor, and still we shivered.
Then went out and hunted up
stove doctor and told him TO come
round and look at our furnace. He
asked me what was the matter with it,
and | told him it was afflicted with
chills. He said he would come round
and look at it the next morning: SO L
staid home from the Office to see him
operate.
l had a secret hope in my heart that
some of the things that had fallen on
me in the cellar would descend upon
him, and convince my wife that my
misfOrtunes were not the results OF
ignorance. had carefully replaced the
dining room heat pipe with all the dust
that it had Originally contained and
few big Jumps of coal to make the thing
more emphatic if the stove doctor
pulled it down OH his head. He arrived
about O'clock, with big kit of tools,
which he deposited on the nice smooth
top of Maude's pet cherry wood table.
That appeared to be what he brought
them for, as he made no subsequent use
of them.
Then we went down cellar and L
stood around and waited for something
to drop.
"How;m 1 goin' to get inside this fur
mace with the fire goin'?'' he inquired.
"Do you take me for Daniel, the proph-
ct? Didn't nobody have sense enough
to let the blamed fire go Out??''
Maude said it was my fault, and J.
said it was hers, and the stove doctor
thanked us and said he was glad to
know where the blame lay.
Don't you get any heat up stairs?:''
he inquired.
We assured him that we had not de-
tected any above the basement floor.
The stove doctor picked up club.
WHATS the matter with the cold air
box?'' he inquired, rapping on it with
the club.
"'Ic! It's all right; 'rah!" said
voice from the inside.
Maude thought it was a ghost, and
she howled. The stove doctor raped
again. Then the slide in the box was
pushed aside from within. and froWzy
whiskered nihilist pushed his head out.
"Well. who are y0u?" said the stove
doctor.
Ppm zhentleman Go l am," said the
tramp in thick voice, land l don't
usually arise before IL o'clock in the
forenoon. When that time 'rives cic)
will you kindly call me and bring cup
of chocolate and roll. Ta-ta"' and he
shut the slide.
The stove doctor was mad.
81 didn't come here to help you run
hotel" said he. "When you get the
dodgers out of this furnace, perhaps you
can use it yourself"
Then he went upstairs. took his kit
of tools and most of the varnish off the
parlor table. and departed.
"But amt you going to fix the fur
nace?" asked Maude.
"BIamed furnaces no good" said the
stove doctor. ''It was worn out ten
years ago. Eve been called to fix it ten
times, and always said it was no good.
| tell you just the same as the others.
1t will cost you 50. You'll have to ask
the agent to put in another"
[ have called upon the agent several
times, but he is not at home. Perhaps
he is dead. IL so, feel cheerful con-
fidence that he is gone where it will not
be necessary to eXaggerate the heating
facilities. With US, however, it is
likely to be cold winter.
HOWARD FIELDING.