Locals say the hollow oak chimney is fashioned from a tree that once stood where a sacred spring bubbled; smoke rising through it is thought to carry whispers up the hill. Old-timers claim that if a vow is made before the hearth and a copper placed under the fire, the hearth keeps the promise—though few dare to test such superstitions. Torga keeps a small ledger of debts and favors, and it's rumored her pen marks can settle minor disputes simply because everyone knows she remembers.