St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-06-10


these words before me:
"Of course would not leave tho bleak
mountain hotel without visiting the cele-
brated hermitess. She dwells in sort OF
cave to which a wooden lean-to has been
added and tells fortunes at request. She told
mine. I was glad to hear that was one day
to be very rich; thata gentleman's heart was
toward me, was not SO interesting. She ac-
cepted fifty cents and retired with a grunt
which seemed to be one Of disapprobation.
'It is said that she throws stones at visitors
who come merely for curiosity and do not
offer fee; that an unhappy love affair drove
her to this solitude thirty years ago, and that
she was then beauty. At present she is
certainly most unprepossessng."
81 suppose that is why she lived in a cave"
commented, and to be hermitess seemed
a fitting way to dispose of myself. Only
would not tell any ones fortune, and would
throw stones at any one who came near me.
When had eaten my lunch. and begged
little boy, who was filing pail at the public
pump in the village street, to give me drink
of water, continued my journey, but I found
that was rather tired, and when at last came
to a lonely bit of road, and saw a pretty wood
land lying at its side, I took little footpath
that ran into it, and soon stood upon a low
hillock, studded with trees and with bed Of
moss here and there, as soft as ever was
Persian carpet. On one of these stretched
myself.
had often been sure that saw fairies in
the grass, and I knew that little yellow
gnomes lived in the rocks, for had read Of
that in the battered volume of fairy tales,
which loved best of all my books.
When looked into the water, I saw the
necken there, peeping at me, laughing, beck
oning, and was sure there was "troll" under
the bridge, like the one that cried 'Who is
there?" when she heard above her the trab-
trab-trab of the sheep going into the noun
tains to get fat
When I opened my eyes, utter darkness
prevailed For moment forgot where
was, and felt for the coverings, which I
wished to draw about me.
Their absence, and the GOODNESS of the
rocks and the dry sponginess of the moss,
recalled my memory. 1 was stiff, and my
limbs ached, and sat up with SILVER.
It was strangely silent and awesome, but
felt no fear, and began to wonder if they
were all out with torches and halloes, crying
my name along the roads, beating the woods
for me as they had done within my memory
when neighbours little boy was lost. If this
were so, wished could convey to my poor
uncle the information that his unprepossess-
ing niece was perfectly safe and well and had
gone away Of her own free will, so that he
might so home and go to bed. for he was
sure to have that frightful neuralgia again
were making as much fuss over my disap-
pearance as if they really cared what became
of me. I laughed bitterly. Perhaps my
uncle did care little He had loved his
sister.
1 had no doubt that my pursuers were on
my trail, and asked myself whether my
safest plan were to lie still or take to flight.
decided on the former course. The next
instant every fairy tale I had ever heard
seemed to arise before me, for looked upon
an object such as it seemed to me could only
be part of the mysterious world in which
elves and COLLINS played their parts.
The creature was about two feet high, and
was dressed in red frock and wore queer
little bonnet covered with gilt braid. It
seemed to be carrying a lantern, and it
stopped as it hobbled along. It had the as
pect of wicked fairy, but its face was
strangely doleful, and 1t made a whimpering
noise at intervals. And now perceived that
chain was fastened to a belt about its waist,
and that the lantern was tied to its neck. It
was a monkey, dressed much as organ
grinders dress the little creatures who &C.
company them, and the end of the chain was
clutched in the hand of an old black woman.
I saw the hand perfectly and remarked that
the fingers were covered with rings.
Instead Of being at all alarmed, burst
into a laugh. $50 aheadr' cried, rather
Historically, 'syou can't hurt me, Pm bighted
alreadyI'
A chuckle was the response to my speech.
The old woman came nearer, and saw that
her face resembled that of the monkey, and
that she wore a red bandanna turban which
completely covered her wool, and gown
made of such chintz as old-fashioned house.
wives used for curtains-a thin material
with glaze upon it, and always in immense
patterns. This was covered with peacocks
with wide spread tails, and between each
peacock was large, red cabbage rose and
three green leaves. The ground was blue.
The lantern, on a level with the old woman's
knees as the monkey chung to her gown for
protection, revealed all this to me.
sDat wench speakin'?" the old creature
said, when her merriment permitted her.
81 say reckon you spend de night in a
funny place. Hi, 'scuse me, miss, my eyes is
mighty bad desc days. You is white young
lady, miss. 'Scuse me, sartin, is ashame oh
myself, speakin' like dat to white folks.
Didn' see you BEFORE"
'tPl excuse you" said I.
'"Scuse me again, miss" said the woman.
"But huccome white young lady like you
in dis var spookish place, middle OBJ de night
time?'
'Lost myself" said, CURLY. 81 came in
here to rest, went to sleep and awoke to find
it dark.
''Jes SO, MISS" said the woman. (which
OBJ de families roun' here you belong to? I
kin take you home, miss, I knows de place
all roun' here like book. Take you home,
whereber it is.
ooh, don't live near here, and I'm pretty
comfortable where I am, thank you," said.
"Good night"
But she came closer. and taking the lantern
from the monkeys neck, held it above my
head.
'You aim no tramp" she said. "You is a
young lady, and nummore'n child
Huccome you here like dis? Mighty Gurus"
''You are here, aunty," said.
eyes, miss, but is ole niger woman"
she said. "I aim no white lady. Dis no