Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1904-08-18
Tirzah's Chimney.

Five years before when Solomon
Green had asked Tirzah Hitchcock t.
become the second Mrs. Green she
had tartly refused the honor. 81
amt much of beauty" she had told
him, "but no warmed-over affection
fur me, thank you, Solomon Green. y
Solomon had reasoned all in vain.
"Why, Tirzah," he pleaded, "it
amt no ways natural fur wimmen to
live alone. Every mornin your
chimbly is the first thing l look at,
an if l wasn't to see the smoke a
comm out of it, I'd be scared to death
thinkin' you was robbed, or killed or
sumthin.
"What's the use in us keepin mp
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 TirGah,
and now on the night before her for
tieth birthday she sat looking around
her orderly little home with the most
de8olate feeling at her heart she had
known for years.
Tomorrow would be her birthday.
Mechanically she had 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 a plate of
mealy 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
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 can
ary 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-
pectedly married.
Ofcourse this was nothingto Tirzah,
but still-here 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 FIVE minutes she cried, and then
she dropped her apron snd looked
guiltily about.
A thought had Just intruded itself
upon her which she considered in the
light of a secret crime. Over and
over again, despite herself, she re-
hearsed Solomon'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 I look at"
Had he meant it? Did he still
turn his eyes with the coming of morn
ing light down the little hill which
lay between them? Did her lonely
chimney still claim his thoughtful
care2
Five minutes later the dark plot
was formed and Miss Tirzah was hur-
rying 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 TiIzah Hitchcock.
Something certainly had gone wrong.
SIX o'clock came, and the stable
door was not opened by the brisk mis-
tress. Half-past Fix, and still no fire
in the kitchen stove. Seven o'clock
and no breakfast yet for the mistress