Connecticut western news., 1895-04-25
HE TENDED THE FURNACE.
SSr. wigglesworth Thought He Was Tn
 ftraly Cnn,nafenf

MT. wigslesworth Thought He Was rn-
 ttrely Competent. Here's the furnace mans bill, said Mrs. Wigglesworth meekly as her husband put her feet over the register and opened the evening paper. .-
 MT. Wigglesworth took the bill impa- tiently, as a man does when his wife hands it to him, and glared 1t over, his brow darkening It had been a numerous day for bills.
 Its too much!" he exclaimed. Eel low comes here in the morning, puts on lew shovelfuls of coal shakes the furnace down, goes away, comes back and does the same thing at night and charges $10 month for it. 'S'noutrage, and I won't put up with 1t. I'll tend the furnace my self. "
 "Do-do you think you-understand itf" ventured his wife.
 "Underst- There, there," returned MT wigglesworth pityingly, don't be a fool, Emma" And he smiled that lofty smile which a man keeps on hand for his wife.
 The next morning he intercepted the man, dosed the furnace literally with coal, gave it a good draft and went to the office Two hours later a boy without any mittens on his hands blew violently in with a note stating that the house was burning up. MT. Wigglesworth went home at once. He did not run exactly, but the recollection of those open and for gotten drafts struck coldly to his heart and spurred him on. That was why he got there in time to prevent the woodwork doing anything more than to break out in large dropsical blisters.
 ''Why didn't ye shut of the drafts2', he ha chaa ha sfair Think I'm a bloated bondholder that I can leave business any minute to run home and tend firesf''
 Mrs. Wiggleswortb made no reply. She had been married long enough for that. MT Wigglesworth snatched open the doors, scooped in some coal and banged to the drafts, doing all this with-a mans em- phasis, then went back to the office. When he came home to supper, be found his wife with her winter cloak on, and there was a blue cast to her features. The mercury had concealed itself in the bulb of the thermometer that hung by the looking glass and was giving vent to blood ourdling chuckles.
 "Br-r-rr' cried Mr. Wigglesworth as he bulged into the room. What ails vel Running a cold storage plantf Got a con- tract on hand to ship beef souths Why 
 TT think the fire is out," his wife returned apologetioally. '
 Out nothingp' snorted MT. Wiggles- worth, charging down the cellar stairs. But it was, though. Two umpires could not have declared 1t more so. MT. Wig ellsworth didn't come up from the cellar for x hours, which time he was down on his knees working with steaming brow and some mysterious wrenches to overturn the furnace grate. People going by and looking in at the cellar window might have seen his eyeballs goggling far, far out into the night. At the end of the first hour Mrs. Wigglesworth came half way down the stairs. It-was just at the mo- ment when the wrench for the thirtieth time had slipped of the grate bar. taking with 1t the last knuckle on MT. Wiggles- worth's hand. ''
 Cant I help you, dearf" she said softly. ."' &
 "You get up stairsl" screamed Mir. Wigglesworth, taking his fingers out of his mouth to make way for the remark, and his wife understood at once that that was the thing to do.
 By and by he had fire going and came on deck for arnica.
 "I s'pose you'd set here and let fire walk right out over you," he said, with fine sarcasm. Didn't appear to know enough to open draft and save your life"
 II didn't understand that you wanted me to help you with the furnace" his wife answered oooingly as she wound some more bandages around him.
 MT. Wigglesworths eyes glared bale fully, and there was language on his lips but having neglected to open the smoke pipe he had to rush down stairs again. It h t,,,c t, And mi xUh a trouble lay, and he came back coughing, with his eyes running.
 Why don't ye open window" he called. Want us to be asphy xiated, don't ye, and have to be brought to with direc- tions pasted In scrapbookf Open some windows somewhere and let's have some fresh airl" .--e-
 Which was done, and when the smoke went out two cases of incipient pneumo- mia came in to take its place. Mrs. Wig ellsworth went early to bed, accompanied by a rubber hot water bottle prepared ex- pressly for the occasion. Her husband sat up to nurse the furnace. She never learned what hour he came to bed. She was dreaming at the moment of being af1oat in the tropio seas Beautiful foliage and flowers gladdened the shores near which she sailed, and anon the soft note of the bulbul came, borne on the spicy breeze that waited warmly from the dis tant groves.
 Next morning the man came and built new fire. MT. Wieglesworth stood gloom fly over him watching how 1t was done. Then he came up stairs, where a gentle heat was diffusing itself throughout the rooms.
 Don't you think"- his wife began.
 Don't you think nothingl" he cried angrily. You're always whining around about my economizing with this thing and that thing but don't you ever say anything more to me about tending your old furnace. You're like all these smart aleck women who are always snuffiing around about the ballot and all them things, but the next time you've got any economizing to do with furnace you take and borrow the money of your own father and do it"
 And to this day Mrs. Wigglesworth be- lieves that somehow she was responsible for it-W. O. Fuller Jr., in Rockland Tribune.