Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1904-09-07
I|RZAHIS CHIMNEY.
~~MN~N~

- 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. II amt much of a beauty" she
had told him, but no warmed-over af-
lection fur me. thank you, Solomon
Green
~ Solomon had reasoned all in vain.
''Why. Tfrzah," he pleaded. lit amt
no ways natural fur wimmen to live
alone. Every mornln' your chimbly is
the furst thing look at, an If wasn't
to see the smoke a-comin' out of it,
I'D be scared to death thinkin' YOU was
erobbed, or killed, or sunthin'.
"What's the us in us keepin' up
two houses, when one would do jest
as well:"
Since that time the, two had hardly
exchanged dozen words. solomon
had not married, neither had Tirzah,
i 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 filing 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 beer, known to
give so large a yield of milk. There
we're 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 ali this Tirzah
was not satisfied.
SHE had heard that day that the
widowed cousin, who usually kept
house for Solomon Green. had uneX-
pcctcdly married.
or course, this was nothing to Tir-
zah. but still--hcre she shifted two or
three times. and then. without par
ticle of explanation to the astonished
cat. who had come forth demanding
her allowance of milk. sat down in her
cane seated rocker and burst out cry
ing.
For Ave minutes she cried. aud then
she dropped her apron and looked
guilty about.
"A thought intfuded Itself upon her
which she considered III the light of
secret crime Over and over again,
despite herself. she rehearsed Solo
mon'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? Did lie still turn
his eyes with the coming of the mora
Ing light down the little hill which lay
between them? Did her lonely Chin
ney still claim his thoughtful care?
Five minutes later the dark plot was
formed, and Miss Tirzah was hurrying
about her preparations for the night
with cheeks that burned with fires she
had thought long since gone out for
ever.
The following morning more aston
ishcl creatures there could not be than
were the kittens. cat, COW, hens and
canary of Miss Tirzah Hitchcock.
Something certainly, had gone wrong.
six o'clock came. and the stable door
was not opened by the brisk mistress.
Half-past six, and still no fire In the
Kitchen stove. Seven O'Clock, and no
breakfast yet for the mistress ana her
indignant dependents
Loud and angry rose the protest of
Brlndle from her snug stall, while the
old cat and canary did their best to stir
things UP inside.
Meanwhile, hidden by the parlor cur
tains.5 crouc..ed Miss TIrzal,. wrapped
In a huge red and green shawl, her
heart futterlng between shame and
dread, while her eyes watched with
ssvered anxiety the house just up the
hil.
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