Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-06-07

as low as possible. According to your
idea, 1t would be good plan to put
the furnace in the attic of a house in
stead of in the basement"
Il think" said the colonel, "that
could appreciate your argument bet
ter If you would ante"
THE pot is mine," said the doctor,
as he deposited his coin; you will I'LL
adopt my idea the moment you hear it,
and Long Tom, who will be here in
minute, will bear me out. This room
is very small; it has but little floor
space, and none of it goes to waste.
Now, If he had put the stove down
where we expected to find 1t, Long
Tom could not have made use of the
area underneath, as you will see he
mas 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
fitchen-closet for pots and cooking
sils of various sorts. What could
bS ore convenient? Under your or
binary stove there is room only for a
poker and few cockroaches."
The judge, who had been listening
to the opinions offered by the others
with the same grim smile that 6cca-
sionally ornamented his face when he
announced that an objection was over
ruled now stepped forward and
dropped coin on the table. He then
rendered his decision as follows:
1T appears that none of you have
noticed the forest of hooks in the roof
just over the stove. They are not in
use at present, but they are there for
some purpose. imagine that during
the winter huge pieces of venison and
bear's-meat dangle over the stove, and
are dried for use later. Now, If the
stove were on the floor, 1t would be too
far from the roof to be of service In
this way"
Here comes cid Tom," shouted the
colonel who had 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 Mt the group and then ut the
stilted stove In our midst.
II see you air all admirin' my stove"
said he, "and I'll bet you've been a.
wonderin' why 1t is up SO high"
Yes, we have" said the professor;
how did you know it?'
People most allus generally lest as
soon US they come into the place begin
to ask me about it-thats how
knowed."
well, why is it up so high?" de-
manded the stock broker, impatiently,
with n side glance at the well-devel.
oped jackpot on the table.
The reasons simple enough" said
Long Tom, with grin that showed his
bicuspids; ''you see we had to pack
all the stuff up here from down below
on burros. Originally there was four
1'ints of that stove-pipe, but the cinch
wasn't drawed tight enough on the
burro that was carryin' them, and two
of 'em slipped out and rolled down the
mountain. When we got here and
found that there wasn't but two pieces
left, reckoncd that 1 would have to
kinder hist the stove to make it fit the
pipe-so jest in and h'isted her. And
thar she is. Say, what's all this here
money on the table for?"
There was n deep silence. which
lasted so long that Tom ventured to
repeat his question about the money.
ut is all handsin.'" said the doc
tor, sadly, "and rs near as 1 can make
out 1t belongs to you."-San Francisco
Argonaut.