Part 3 (1/2)

”But, Mr. Scribe, have you allowed for the recesses of so many fireplaces on a floor, and for the fire-walls, and the flues; in short, Mr. Scribe, have you allowed for the legitimate chimney itself--some one hundred and forty-four square feet or thereabouts, Mr. Scribe?”

”How unaccountable. That slipped my mind, too.”

”Did it, indeed, Mr. Scribe?”

He faltered a little, and burst forth with, ”But we must now allow one hundred and forty-four square feet for the legitimate chimney.

My position is, that within those undue limits the secret closet is contained.”

I eyed him in silence a moment; then spoke:

”Your survey is concluded, Mr. Scribe; be so good now as to lay your finger upon the exact part of the chimney wall where you believe this secret closet to be; or would a witch-hazel wand a.s.sist you, Mr.

Scribe?”

”No, Sir, but a crowbar would,” he, with temper, rejoined.

Here, now, thought I to myself, the cat leaps out of the bag. I looked at him with a calm glance, under which he seemed somewhat uneasy. More than ever now I suspected a plot. I remembered what my wife had said about abiding by the decision of Mr. Scribe. In a bland way, I resolved to buy up the decision of Mr. Scribe.

”Sir,” said I, ”really, I am much obliged to you for this survey. It has quite set my mind at rest. And no doubt you, too, Mr. Scribe, must feel much relieved. Sir,” I added, ”you have made three visits to the chimney. With a business man, time is money. Here are fifty dollars, Mr.

Scribe. Nay, take it. You have earned it. Your opinion is worth it. And by the way,”--as he modestly received the money--”have you any objections to give me a--a--little certificate--something, say, like a steamboat certificate, certifying that you, a competent surveyor, have surveyed my chimney, and found no reason to believe any unsoundness; in short, any--any secret closet in it. Would you be so kind, Mr. Scribe?”

”But, but, sir,” stammered he with honest hesitation.

”Here, here are pen and paper,” said I, with entire a.s.surance.

Enough.

That evening I had the certificate framed and hung over the dining-room fireplace, trusting that the continual sight of it would forever put at rest at once the dreams and stratagems of my household.

But, no. Inveterately bent upon the extirpation of that n.o.ble old chimney, still to this day my wife goes about it, with my daughter Anna's geological hammer, tapping the wall all over, and then holding her ear against it, as I have seen the physicians of life insurance companies tap a man's chest, and then incline over for the echo.

Sometimes of nights she almost frightens one, going about on this phantom errand, and still following the sepulchral response of the chimney, round and round, as if it were leading her to the threshold of the secret closet.

”How hollow it sounds,” she will hollowly cry. ”Yes, I declare,” with an emphatic tap, ”there is a secret closet here. Here, in this very spot.