Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-09-03


the name in prins that dare not be more e1
plicit. Besides, if 1 we're to give the name
there would be number of inquisitive people
who would forthwith invade the quiet Of tina,
| little country place Just to find out IL sit was
oil soft my statements we're correct, and all
that-which would be most annoying to the
above mentioned modest and retiring inhabit
ants. For the inquisitive, however. I may add
| that my friend Chester can vouch for the truth
Of every word that follows.
Who is Chester? Well. never mind, the de-
partment people know him. He was spending
his vacation with one some weeks ago at this
little country place, and it was there that you
might have seen him one afternoon standing or
the steps of the First Presbyterian Church
chuckling! He had just done something nervy-
even for him.
1t was this way. As he was passing the
church he heard some one inside playing
Mendelssohn's wedding march. Knowing thai
| the First Church organ was considered hne
oue-the gift Of a wealthy friend Of the pastor
and being unsteady inclined. as well as curious
to see who was playing SO brilliantly. he passed
| through the half-open door and glanced up al
| the organ loft
Aslender figure was seated before the manuals.
| Here was a veritable situation. A little nerve
or cheek if you ike-might be well repaid, for
certainly the figure was most attractive one.
And yet Chester hesitated. There isn't man
In the city but knows that it's impossible to
tell what a womans charms are from the cut
| of her back and a rear view of her hat; while
her hair, which is usually called her glory, is a
downright siren too often in the way it lures
one on and ruthlessly dashes expectant hopes
on rocks of disappointment when the face on
| the other side comes into view. Therefore
when my friend Chester noted the trim waist,
and even the thick coil of dark hair mes Ting
close beneath the upturned brim of straw. he
hesitated with sort of imeo-Danaos-et-dona-
fereutes feeling as he put it. Not long, how
ever.
| Cant most always tell! may get left, but
| here goes." he muttered. And with that he
while the final crashing chords of the wedding
march Numbered out on the deadened. pew
| scented air. Then. before he realized it, he had
| introduced himself to e girl-yes. pretty girl
with the loveliest eyes; had apologetically asked
her numerous questions about the organ; had
! requested her to play little for him-'he
| loved music so:' had complmented her on her
management of the instrument, and finally
while the novelty of the situation was still alter
nately flushing and paling her cheeks had
| bowed himself out. gone down stairs. passed
through the haf-open doors once more, and
there on the wooden steps outside Of the church
he stood-chuckling.
The First Church. externally, wasn't much on
looks. but tine girl-well, she was a sumner.
She had been ratified. he could see that by her
changing color and the way her fingers trembled
when she played, but to tell the truth he had
been almost a. ratified himself. 1t was nervy
thing to do. But he had been extremely polite.
| and it had proved fully worth while He Won
dered what che thought of him, anyway. Then
"a the organ struck up again he strolled off
down the shady. irregular road. specializing
He said afterward that he in ended to ask me
about the girl at supper. but il slipped his
memory. for something startling mad happened
! that day which engrossed every ones attention
and set all tongues wagging.
hermit had been found in the woods I'M
conscious. found too late for help. Our place
was the nearest and they brought the BODY
there. Who he was and whence he came and
whv he was hermit and all the other particu-
lars people want to know about hernits no one
could tell. He was known to haunt the woods
in that locality, but he was as seldom seen a. he
was mysterious. They had found some closely
written papers and some odds and ends. such
as locket and knife on him. but absolutely
no cine to his identity. Those papers ex-
| cited my curiosity, and proposed that after
supper we examine them. Chester was only too
willing-anything that has spice of the ad-
venturous Is just to his taste, and queer man
| uscript was a particularly sweet morsel SO l
| went around to the barn where they we're CO.
ing to hold the inquest next day and got the
odd and ends and the bundle of papers,
The writing was fair and the sheets in good
pre- ervation and had little trouble in making
| ont their contents. BY the way, Chester sug-
gested nv copying them out for publication.
though he didn't tell me to prefix his little
affair. | think You will admit. however, that
his little affair is part of the whole story when
you We read the hermit's share. offer no fur
Their explanations.
This is what read:
Maybe was mad. cannot tell. At any rate
think had sufficient cause. Read and see for
yourself. Let me begin from the very begin
ming of the sweet childhood recollections that
poetic people talk about. 1 have none NV
mother / never knew. and as for my father,
have only DIM dream-like memories Of a big,
dreary-looking house where my nurse said he
lived. And used to wonder in a child's simple
way why / never saw HIM and why he never
| came to me. There you have the associations
which the words father and mother call I'D in
my rnind-the one bare brick walls Of the house
he lived in: the other-nothing, q myth,
Pleasant childhood recollections, fOrsooth, Nv
nurse. an old family servant. looked after me.
was sent to boarding school and thence to col
leSe. Everything seemed to be arranged and
managed for me, though how don't know, for
never was acquainted with any relatives. No
one was intimate with me. They used to look
at me curiOusly sometimes. and that made me
bitter as grew older. 1 hated them all, they
were so cold. so heartless.
Nothing noteworthy occurred during all this
period Of my life in spite of my bitter feelings
and my frequent outburts of temper for
uscu W Cudle uIlueT the species OF Obtr0cl6m
to which was subjected. Did they think they
were better than that they should treat me so
Instantly and shun me as if my presence bore
contagion? When my temper was excited
was nearly crazy. Sometimes / think that it
was this treatment of me that caused the rest,
or at least went far to cause it,
My temper did not worry me then. I re-
membered it later-it bore a different meaning
afterward.
For one day something did happen which
marked turning point in my lie. 1t was
during stay at the seashore. l had been
irritated beyond degree by some slight had
received, and was walking along the beach
trying to shake off the passion, when my dog
one loved dearly-leapt up at me trying to
lick my hand. His persistence was maddening.
can recollect the strange, indescribable feeling
that suddenly came over me as he continued his
frolicking. was seized with some irresistible
experienced. red mist surged up before my
eyes; the blood rushed to my brain. and for q
moment all was blurred and crimson. The dog
was beside me. l picked up great stone and
he'd it down ut his head. He fell lifeless.
with scarce a sound. and I stood by with
clenched hand and shut teeth watching his
quivering form until it stifened. Then a
remorseful disgust or fear, I know not which,
took possession Of my being. looked up and
down the beach. No one was in sight, and I
hastily dug hole in the sand, thrust the warm
mangled carcas in and as hastily covered it up.
II was all over in breath. l was myself
again. Scarce five minutes ago the dog had
been trotting by my side. now at my feet was
the place where the tell-tafe sand was newly
turned