The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1894-02-07


Now, sir, do mot wish to run any such
risk"
$50 much the worse. What do you
want me to do about it?'
Passeraud retired in much distress.
Banging the doors after him, M. Lamar.
hin exclaimed:
mot cent! No position! Asks
for my daughter. All, really, it is quite
interesting.
This visit, which had such an unfa-
vorable result as regards our friend, left
very slight traces on the mind of M.
Lamantin. What brought, several
days later, an anxious look to the lat
ter S face was simply the fact that his
parlor chimney smoked.
In the middle of the month of De-
cember and just as he was preparing
to arrange a reception in honor of his
daughter s nineteenth birthday his par
lor chimney began to smoke. A house
holder could scarcely have had a more
disagreeable thing happen to him. M.
Lamantin sent for his architect, who
fastened to come, smelling an order.
rs that all?" he said, vexed when he
learned what the matter was.
81 think that is quite enough. 1t is
not amusing to own a chimney that
makes my wife and myself weep all
day long, like family recently afflict-
ed. ="
Your chimney was built on my
plans. That means it does not smoke. I"
But it does smoke.'
Because you burn Mons coal. Don't
burn Mons. Burn wood, and you will
have a clear fire."
Perhaps you are right"
The change to wood in place of coal
did not make the chimney's breathing
easier. M. Lamantin, who was a reso-
lutte man, sent for the best architect in
Paris and begged him to deign to come
in person to study the question.
The artist, after having infinitely ex-
amined the chimney, did not scruple to
restrain this cruel reflection ON his
brother in art, What ass built this
chimney
1T was Ledente, my architect.
1T was well said; an ass. Have the
hue made four inches higher, in order
to increase the draft. 1t will be all
right then. -
What a simple matter it is, after
all!''
1T only needed little thought"
The operation completed, the Chin
ney smoked as before. But the great
architect took care of his bill.
'sHopo hi11i'' NJ Lamar
tin could not help signing as he paid It,
Disguised with architects, the house
holder turned to bricklayers. The first
one called in ordered the addition to
the f1ue of piece of sheet iron in the
form of serpent.
The chimney continued to send out
its smoke into the parlor.
A second bricklayer arrived; with
disgust he had his colleagues serpent
removed and substituted for it sort Of
helmet of the same material.
The chimney did not pay any atten-
ton to the helmet, but smoked worse
than ever.
But here the concierge interposed
with these consoling words: Sir, you
are wrong to despair. l was just this
moment talking of this matter with
one of the tenants-oh, | must say it.,
such a nice tenant! He told me that
he would undertake to disenchant your
chimney in five minutes.
Let him come to me instantly, or
give him notice to leave"
AS quick as lightning Passeraud put
l., C 4
He found his landlord tramping up and
down his parlor, which was as cold as
ice.
'Ah, it is you, young man, who fat
ter yourself you can cure in five min
utes chimneys incurably Ill. Try; l
am curious to see you do it.
Five minutes is little too short a
time, sir. want an hour"
Very well-an hour. Here is a
chimney given up by all the doctors.
If you make it agree to send it's smoke
up into the skies instead of down into
my apartments, | will give you what
you wish. | am quite out of patience
do not wish to bargain. Name your
price"
Sir, " answered Passeraud, with dig
nifty, you will give me-the hand of
Mile. Valentine. That is my price
to be paid only after l have succeeded. "
For chimney! You wander In
your talk, my dear sir. -
This chimney, sir? Send for M.
GARNER, the architect of the opera add
to him picked jury of engineers,
chemists, members of the institute, pro-
fessors from the Ecole DIES Hautes
Etudes, and if these gentlemen can do
in three months what undertake to do
in an hour-that is to say, prevent it
from smoking-as also to prevent from
smoking all chimneys with the same
trouble, agree that you should treat
me as though were indeed raving."
THE hand of my daughterl That is
high price. However, if really you
do possess such a secret, you will be
able to make money, a great deal of
money, and"--
II have secret in reality, and as
have high opinion of it you will give
me authority to shut myself alone In
this parlor for an hour, and you will
give me your word not to look through
the keyhole. only go to work on that
condition -