The Lamoille news. (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1877-1881, 1880-04-07

I
AS this met the approval of all the
men Georgia and Roney started up to
the hermit's little cabin. A dim light
crept around the edges Of the old -four
sack that acted as a curtain for the lit
tie square pane of glass constituting a
window, and, after consultation, the
two messengers concluded to take a
peep before making their presence
known.
Georgia put his face to the glass and
peered intently within. The hermit sat
on the earthen floor enyeloped in torn
and miserable blanket. His hat was off
and his long, gray hair was tangled and
unkempt. His eyes, which Georgia
could plainly see, as he sat nearly facing
the window, combined with their usual
pleading expression a sort OF feverish
glitter, and the whole attitude of the
man was one of despair. In his hand
he held what appeared to be a photo
graph and an old letter. and he never
moved his eyes from them.
The rest of the room that came within
Georgia's field of vision betokened
cleanliness, but at the same time ex-
treme poverty for even that rough coun-
try. Georgia withdrew his head and
his companion took look, after which
they both softly retreated some little dis
tance into the timber and paused.
"WellP" said Roney.
Blamed queer" said Georgia.
kinder sick looking, ehP"
Georgia nodded his head thought
fully.
Lets see the boys about it," said
Roney, and then they both retraced their
steps to the saloon.
The boys listened with interest to the
report and pulled their boards and
scratched their heads in attempts to OBJ
tain solution as to what allied the her.
NIT. Many and various were the ex.
plantations given, and then they decided
that Georgia and Roney had better go
back and knock at the door and inquire,
at any rate, if anything was wrong, so
thereupon the two once more started up
the trail. They knocked - first softly
and then louder - but elected no re-
sponse or caused any show of life with
in. save the extinguishment immedi-
ately of the light.
mo use," whispered Roney, and
without further word they left the little
cabin and its soil tary and eccentric oc-
cupant and Joined their comrades.
The next day passed and the next and
the hermit gave no signs of existence
That evening the mail came in and
among the letters was one, in a woman's
hand, for John Harmer, Mineral City,
San Juan county, Colorado. There was
not such a parsonage in the county, 50
tar us the boys knew, but Georgia sud-
denly suggested that it might be for the
hermit. This seemed most probable
and he was deputed to carry it up ana
deliver it, if correct. .
AS before, all the knocking failed to
obtain an answer, and Georgia, after a
moments hesitation, put his shoulder to
the door and with as little noise as pos
sible burst the wooden button off that
served as lock. The next instant and
Georgia was in the room. The hermit
lay extended upon the floor, his face
flushed and hot with fever and his long,
thin fingers nervously grasping and re-
laxing again the torn blanket on which
he tossed.
whats the matter, old pardp" said
Georgia, as he raised the old mans
head.
The fevered eyes slowly turned to-
ward mis- face, the emaciated fingers
opened and the poor, lonely old fellow
said huskily:
Don't tell her!"
Who-tell whoP"
"Alice-poor little thing-she don't
know"
Thinking of his folks in the States"
muttered Georgia, and then tenderly
and carefully he lifted the sick man in
his arms and strobe away to his own
cabin.
The news of the hermit's sickness
spread through the camp and blankets
and food came from all quarters for his
use. The store was ransacked Tor the
best that it could afford. A terrible
slaughtering of mountain grouse tool
place that rich broths might be mad,
for the invalid. One man travelled six
teen miles to SilvertOn to secure cal
of peaches, and the men almost Tough
l in their anxiety to act as nurses an,
$ watchers. Georgia thanked the boys
' but kept them away, admitting only on
, or two to aid him in the care of the oil
e man. But despite all this attention th
s old fellow sank and sank, and it 500
e became evident that the mountain feve
s had one more victim.
s One night Georgia sat smoking hi
= pipe and musing. The owner of th
n letter had been found, for in hi
8 rawlings the old man had often mer
S toned the name of Harmer, but I'll
!, boys feared lest he should die befol
l. reading it, and this perplexed Georgi
d sadly. What was he to do with it an
1t might it not contain matters of imper
e ancep Had the old man any friends {
h relatives livin and where were they
IS be foundp All these things and mar
d more came fitting through his brai
W and he did not hear his patient slow
3. raise himself in bed and stare abo'
him. The old man looked the roo
le over and then his eyes rested on Il
70 burly form by the fire.