“Sam,” said Isaac, “did you ever see a fireplace and chimney built of stone?”
“No.”
“You didn’t?”
“I’ve seen stones set up in a log camp to build a fire against, with a ‘cat and clay’ chimney built over them; but ’twas a make-shift till they could get bricks.”
“They say Necessity’s the mother of Invention. I suppose it might, by putting in the proper stone.”
“Well, Ben Rhines has got his house up, can’t get bricks this fall, and don’t know what to do. He was going to get Joe Dorset to build his chimney; but I told him I knew you could build a good fireplace and chimney out of the rocks on the island, if you had a mind to.”
“Dorset don’t know anything about rocks,” growled Sam.
“Now, let me tell you about the stone. There’s a granite ledge on the western p’int that lays in thin sheets, that you can break up with your stone hammer.”
“Granite’s first rate for a chimney, but ’twont do for a fireplace.”