Morning journal and courier., 1890-09-04

said the stock-broker, land put up the
money"
II am in this" said the judge; II have
q clear idea about that stove, and will back
it,"
''Make it a jackpot" said the colonel;
sI want to take a hand"
The stock broker drew a small yellow
coin out of his pocket, and dropped it on
the table.
ssHe has the stove up there" he said,
'tto get a better draught. In this rarified
mountain air there is only small amount
of oxygen to the cubic inch, and combus-
ton is more difficult to secure than in the
lower latitudes. 1 have heard that if you
get high enough up, you can't cook an egg
that Is, / mean, water won't boil-or
something like that" )" he continued, thrown
into sudden confusion by the discovery
that the professors eye was fixed upon
him with sarcastic gaze.
''Is that supposed to be sciences" de-
manded the professor.
''Well,n said the stock-broker, doggedly,
'snever mind the reasons. Experience is
probably good enough for Long Tom. He
find that he gets better draught for his
stove by having it up in mid-air, 30 he has
it there
''The right explanation, began the
professor, '.is the simplest. Ny idea is
that"
Excuse me interrupted the stock
broker, tapping the table; are you in this
pots"
The professor made deposit, and pro-
ceeded.
L "Haye you noticed that our host is q
very tall man. Like most men of his
| height, he hates to bend over. If the
stove were near the floor, he would have
to stoop down low when he whirled
fiap-jack or speared a rasher of bacon.
Now he can stand up and do it with ease
Your draught theory is no good; the long
! er the pipe, If it is straight, the better the
| fire will burn
Professor remarked the colonel, II
| have to tell you that your money is
| gone. Long Tom told me, ON the way up,
| that his partner did all the cooking, and
he is a man of rather short stature" The
| colonel then paid his compliments to the
| Jackpot. and continued: ssNow, my idea
| is that the stove heats the room better
| there than on the floor. It is only a cook
ing stove, to be sure, but when the winter
| is cold, il makes this room comfortable.
Being up in the middle of space, it heats
| it all equally we'll, which it could not do
if it were down below"
The doctor greeted this theory with a
loud laugh. Colonel" he said, '.you are
wild-way off the mark Hot air rises, of
course, and the only way to disseminate it
is to have your stove as low as possible.
According to your idea, it would be good
plan to put the furnace in the attic of q
house instead of in the basement"
'I think, /" said the colonel, ''that / could
| appreciate your argument better if you
| would ante"
.'The pot is mine" said the doctor as he
| deposited his coin; 'syou will all adopt my
idea the moment, you hear it, and Long
Tom, who viii be here in a minute, viii
bear me ont. The room is very small;
1T has but little fioor-space, and none of it
| goes to waste. Now, If he had put the
stove down where we expected to find ii,
i Long Tom could not have made use of the
area underneath, as you see he has done.
On all sides of the supporting posts, you
will notice there are hooks, ON which he
hangs his pans and skillets. Underneath,
there is kitchen-closet for pots and cook
ing utensils of various sorts. What conld
be more covvenients Under your ordinary
stove there is room only for poker and a
few cockroaches.'
The Judge, who had been listening to the
opinions offered by the others with the
same grim smile that occasionally orna-
mented his face when he announced that
an objection was overruled, now stepped
forward and dropped a coin on the table.
l t0cn renutreO MS decision as IOllOWS.
| "lt appears that none of You have no.
ticed the forests of hooks in the roof Just
over the stove. They are not in use al
present, but they are there for some pur.
pose. 1 imagine that during the winter
| huge pieces of venison and bear r's-mear
dangle over the stove, and are dried for
| use later. Now, If the stove were on ths
floor, il would be too far from the roof &c
be of service in this way"
Ill IT,. Il. -. ~.
colonel, who stepped to the open door
while the judge was speaking.
The old trapper put down the various
articles of baggage with which his arms
were loaded and came into the kitchen
cabin where we all stood. He glanced at
the group and then at the stilted stove in
our midst.
Il see you air all admirin' my stove, VI
said he, land I'll bet you've been avon
derin' why it is up so high
'.Yes we have, said the professor; chow
| did YOU know itf'
People most allus generally Jest as soor
as they come into the place begin to asl
me about it-that's how knowed-"
''Well, why it is up so highEn demanded
the stock-broker impatiently with a sid,
glance at the well-developed jackpot OF
the table.
The reasons simple enough said
Long Tom with grln that showed his
bicuspids; ''you see we had burros
Originally there were four j'ints of that
stove-pipe, but the clinch wasn't draweG
: tight enough on the burros that was car
ryin' them, and two of 'em slipped out am
5 rolled down the mountain. When we 20
: here and found that there wasn't but twV
pieces left, / reckoned that / would have I
e kinder hist the stove to make ii fit th
pipe-so 1 jest in and histed her. An
f thar she is yet. Say, what's all this her
r money on the table for.r
There was deep silence which lasted 6
n long that Tom ventured to repeat his que
ton about the money.
:! 1T is a jack pot, said the doctor, sadly
'.and as near as can make out, it belone
: to you-