Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1904-09-13
TIRTAH' 5 CHIMNEY.


80 I'VE years before, when Solomon
Green had asked Tirzah Hitch
- cock TO become the second Mrs.
Green. she had tartly refused the hon
or. At amt much of a beauty" she
had told him, but no warmed7over af-
lection fur me. thank you, Solomon
Green"
Solomon had reasoned all in vain.
why, Tirzah," he pleaded, lit amt
no ways naturaR fur wlmmen to live
alone. Every mornin' your chimbly is
the furst thing look at, an if | wasnt
10 see the smoke a-comin' out of II,
I'd be scared to death thinkin' you was
robbed. or killed, or sunthin'.
whats the us in us keepin' up
two houses, when one would do jest
as well?"
Since that time the two had hardly
exchanged a dozen words. Solomon
had not married, neither had Tirzah.
and now, on the night before her for
tieth birthday. she sat looking around
her orderly little home with the most
desolate feeling at her heart she had
known for years.
Tomorrow would be her birthday.
Mechanically she lad gone through a
few preparations for that rather du-
bious festival. The smallest hen from
her flock was curled up ready for
roasting inside the same pan in which
her hens had been roasted for the last
fifteen years. A green apple pie sat
on the pantry shelf beside sour cream
spice cake, while plate of mealy tarts
was waiting patiently the filling of
grape jelly TO be theirs on the NOR
row.
Never before, at that season of the
year. had Tirzah's hens been laying
so well.
Her COW had never been known to
give so large yield of milk. There
were three new kittens in the basket
behind the kitchen stove. and her ca
nary bird was the loudest singer in all
the village. But for all this Tirzah
was not satisfied.
She had heard that day that the
widowed cousin. who usually kept
house for solomon Green, had unex-
peetedly married.
of course. this was nothing to Tir-
vsh but still-here she shifted two or
three times, and then, without a par
ticle of explanation to the astonlshed
cat who had come forth demanding
bar allowance of naillS. sat down in her
cane-seated rocker and burst out cry
ing.
For five minutes she cried. and then
she dropped her apron and looked
guilty about
4 thought intIuded itself upon her
which she considered in the light of
secret crime. over and over again,
dasplte herself. she rehearsed Solo
mou's's proposal; each word as it had
been spoken, until. suddenly like the
handwriting upon the wall. there stood
forth these words Every morning
your chimbly is the first thing | look
at"
Had he meant it? Ed he still turn
his ewes with the coming of the morn
iar light down the little hin which lay
between themg Did her lonely chin
nev sill claim his thoughtful careE
Five minutes later the dark plot was
formed. aad Miss rirzah was hurryins
about her preparations for the night
VITA cheeks that burned with fires she
had thought long since gone out for
ever.
The following morning more aston.
ishc,t creatures there could not be than
were The kittens. cat, COW. hens and
.-laarv of Miss Tirzah HItchock.
Something. certainly. had gone wrong,
Six o'clock came. AID the stable door
was not opened by the brisk mistress.
HAlf-past Sin. and still no ire IN the
Kitchen stove. Seven o'clock. and no
breakfast yet for the mistress and hes
indignant dependents.
Loud and angry rose the protest OF
Rrindle from her snug stall. while the
cid eat and canary did their best TO stiI
things up inside
Meanwhile. hidden by the parior cur
tains. crouehed Miss Tirzaa. wrapped
in hage red and green shawl heE
hears fiutteriaS between shame and
dread while her eyes watched with
fevered anxiety the house just Up the
hia.