Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1875-09-01
A Burglars Story.
Told BY Himself.

BY ELEANOR KIRK.
''There is something very mysterious
about the man." said my companion
We were sitting. books in hand, by
fayorite lake of ours in the heart of the
Catskill Mountains, as the individual
referred to went slowly past us. / haC
noticed him many times. | closed my
book and watched him out of sight. III,
might have been forty years old, though
his face did not indicate that number o.
years. His figure must once have beeI
fine, but new his broad shoulders were
bent, and his gait was slow and evi.
IDENTIFY painful His feature were fine
and of a Grecian type; his eyes darl
and large, and when they suddenly mer
yours. fierce and almost wild: and his
hair was as white as snow.
'THe has a tent about a mile from
here" my companion continued, sand
| am told that every year he change:
his quarters, and seems determined to
make no acquaintance. The proprietor
of the hotel says that never until thi:
year has lac wandered any distance from
his camp, but that now he is too unwell
To prepare his own food, and is com
PEELED TO 20 to the hotel after it,
| listened to his account with consid-
cradle attention, for this stranger had
interested me deeply. / had met him
more than once in my solitary rambles,
and had come to feel a singular sympa-
thy for the suffering he had evidently
experienced.
81 wouldn't meet him alone" my
friend continued, with little shiver,
''for anything in the world
Nonsense ~ ! answered. SHE is as
weak as a child, and either of us could
manage him with one hand"
Don't be too sure of that. The mans
face to me is full of desperation. If he
should ever speak to me, l believe
should be frightened to death"
A few moments after, my companion
joined party of friends bound for the
spring, and | was left alone. Absorbed
with my book, had quite forgotten the
subject of our conversation, when sud-
denly a shadow fell upon the pages, and
I looked up into the eyes of the stranger.
lie was pale as death. and it was evil
dent to me that he would not be able to
walk many steps further without faint
ing. He had lost all control of the staff
he held in his hand, but was apparently
determined to pass me without breaking
down. ONLY bold measures would avail
with this determined spirit; so. rising,
| said, pointing to the rustic seat L had
just vacated: "You are tired, sir, and
seem to have heavy load. Sit here a
while and rest yourself"
"What do you Snow about it?" he
demanded. gruffly.
s'What my eyes tell me" | answered,
good naturally. .'How far do you live
from bere?"
''Is that any of your business?'
ssUnder ordinary circumstances il
would be great piece of impertinence
10 inquire, but now you are sick, and
our common humanity gives me right
to know"
ssAnd YOU are not afraid of me!"
| took the basket and pail from his
poor, limp hands, and pointed again to
the seat. He obeyed my gesture, and
seated himself with deep groan of ex-
haustion, and leaned his head against
the trunk of tree.
al am never afraid of man that
needs my help" | replied. ''What
have you in this pail?"
Coffee"
.'Haye you eaten anything this morn
ins ssyo.n
''Then YOU must eat now
''You say | muStP"
Il say so. How long have you been
ill?''
II am not ILL.,"
/ uncovered both basket and pail,
found some sandwiches. took one out,
and presented it with the coffee, saying
rs | did so: ''If you will give me a
sandwich, we will have our lunch to-
gether | am very hungry"
elf | will give YOU a sandwich ~ he
replied: then, after a little pause, he
continued, more gently, "Please help
YOURSELF" and then, after another
pause, ''Perhaps you would like a drink
of coffee before | take mino?"
.'Thank you, do. Coffee and l are
not very good friends. viii you please
drink yours now."
| passed the pail, which he took
readily, drinking like one parched with
fever The sandwich he ate with less
relish. but | had the satisfaction of see
ing it all disappear.
Il can 90 on now," he said. 81 am
much obliged to you. ma'am."
lowered and returned his basket and
tin pail, picked up his staff, and said:
Il hope you will feel much better"
| caught his eye at that moment, and
such an expression | never saw before,
and hope never to see again Such
lonesomeness. such remorse and heart
ache as shone from the depths of those
eyes, | felt myself choking up, and
was glad when he suddenly turned and
walked quietly away. During the week
following | inquired for him many
times. No one had seen him; but this
was not uncommon. and tried to think
that he had been warned by this expe-
rience TO keep away from meddling
strangers | believed, however, that he
was too i'll to leave his tent, and ina
gination pictured him dead or dying
alone in the midst of the forest. had
tried to enlist several gentlemen at the
hotel in the stranger, but they only
laughed at me, and one day ] deter
mined to go in quest of the place myself.
So | called the companion of all my
solitary rambles. a great intelligent
Newfoundland dog, and started.
found. after long and difficult climb
ing among the rocks, that had
made the reckoning about right, for
here in small and beautiful valley,
surrounded on all sides by the ever
lasting hills, l came upon the tent. A
low growl escaped my companion at
sight of this, but L bade him be still,
and fastened on. There was no sign
of human life about the place, and my