The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-07-04
TIRzAH.s CHIMNEY.

why, I1rzah, he pleaded, 1T ain
no ways natural fur wimmen to live
alone Every mornin' your chfmbly is
the furst thing I look at, an if I
wasn't to see the smoke a comm out
or IT. I'd be scared to death thinkin'
you was robbed, or killed or sunthin'.
what's the use in us keepin' up two
houses when one would do jest as
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
tleth 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 had gone through
Jew preparations for that rather du-
oious festival The smallest hen from
ner flock was curled up ready for
roasting inside the same pan in which
ner hens had been roasted for the last
nfteen years green apple pie sat
Cream spice cake, while a plate of
.l1ealy tarts was waiting patiently the
filling of grape jelly to be theirs on
the morrow.
Never before at that season of the
year, had Tirzah's hens been laying so
We'll. Her COW had never been known
TO give so large a yield of milk. There
We're three new kittens in the basket
behind the kitchen stove, and her
canary bird was the Ioudest singer
IN IN az the village: But for all this
I1rZah was not satisfied.
She had heard that day that the
widowed cousin who usually kept
mouse for Solomon Green had unex-
pectedly married.
OF course this was nothing to
T1rzah, but still-here she shifted two
or three times. and then. without a
particle of explanation to the astonish-
cd cat. who had come forth demand
ing her allowance of milk. sat down
In her cane seated rocker and burst
out Growing
For five minutes she cried. and then
she dropped her apron and looked
guiltily about
A thought had just intruded itself |
upon her which she considered in the |
light of secret crime over and |
over again. despite herself. she re- |
hearsed SoIomon's proposal: each |
word as il had been spoken, until, |
suddenly like the hand writing upon /
the wall, there stood forth these |
words: Every morning your CHM
bly, is the first thing look at"
Had he meant it? Did he still turn
his eyes with the coming of morning
light down the little hill which lay
between them? Did her lonely CHM
ney still claim his thoughtful care2
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 forever.
The following morning more aston
ished 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
and her indignant dependents.
Loud and angry rose the protest of
Rrindle from her snug stall, while the
old cat and canary did their best to
stir things up inside.
Meanwhile hidden bV the DarlOr
tains. crouched Miss Tirzah,. wrapped in
a huge red and green shawl, her heart
fiuttering between shame and dread.
while her eyes watched with fevered
anxiety the house just up the hill
Oh! how pitifully foolish now, looked
her deep laid scheme when faced in
the broad light of day.
OF course he had forgotten. years ago,
TO watch her chimney. What was it
to him now, whether she had a fire or
not? She would go this very minute
and build it. She
Why, what was that? Some one was
coming out of Solomon's front door.
self. creeping forth as if he had just
been engaged in stealing his own
spoons and was now making off with
them to a place of hiding.
Where was he going?
The heart of Tirzah stood still for one
long and nerve destroying second, then
IT went on again with such hammer
ing and commotion beneath the red and
green shawl that a less plucky woman
would have fed for the camphor bottle
on the instant.
solomon was coming down the hill
straight toward her tiny home. Com
ing. it is true. not as the conquerors
come with bold and martial tread, but
after a timid. slinky fashion of a man
who has had his last timid advances in :
that direction scorned-
When it was certain past all shadow
of a doubt that he was coming into the
house, Titzah, the crafty creature, be-
took herself to the cane-seated rocker,
where, wrapped to the chin in the big
shawl she waited with palpitating
heart for the timid knock which at ;
length sounded on her door.
Come in she then called feebly, at
which the door was opened cautiously. !
inch by inch. until the entire figure of
the middle-aged lover was disclosed to
view.
At the sight of Tirzah. bundled up
and in the armchair. all Of his nesita-
ton vanished.
why. Tirzah. are you took sick?" :
came in the loud. CHEEKY voice which
had not sounded in the room for flve
years past. An it's cold enough in
here to freeze the hair off dogs back.
Let me fix you a fire.
In a few moments cheerful fire was
roaring up the chimney. To be sure, =,
there were more chips on the floor than
Miss Tirzah would have scattered in a
twelve-month and the cat was splitting
out her indignation in a remote corner. ;
over an injury done her sleek tail by
the heavy boot of Miss Tirzah's new
fireman.
Tirzah. however. noticed neither the
CHIPS nor the anger of her cat Not
redder than her cheeks was the blazing '
fire. for Solomon had taken courage
and was sitting beside her. fnquiring
kindly when she was took and II he
shouldn't go and fetch the doctor2"
ssYou see. Tirzah." he said with a
guilty laugh Il alters look at your
chimbly the fust thing in the mornin'- :
I've kinder got into the habit know
hfIr-a1-V-hV- TirZah- |