The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1895-08-29
THE LATEST MAN.
Here Is Ono Whose Equal Would
Be Hard to Find
His Manner and Appearance Aroused Curl
osity and Comment Among tho
Othors In the Hotcl--4i Start
ling Explanation.

The stranger, a Mr.. Burr, pro-
duced quiet sensation by arousing
everybody's curiosity. He came to
the hotel attended by an Arab
servant, who spoke only three
words of English. The newcomer
had ample means, evidently, and
loved his ease. He had no ac-
quaintances in the hotel and made
meme. He drove about considerably
and lolled in the reading room or in
the vestibule in all easy chair car
ried by his servant. He said very
little. ate in his room. smoked occa-
sionally in public, the servant al
ways attending and attentive to his
wants.
He seldom used his legs, and never
used his arms at all, carrying them
both in q sling.
This was the point over which the
fancy of the observers exercised it.
self. They couldn't understand it.
Nobody, of course, liked to speak
about it to the man himself, and the
servant might as well have been
dumb, as he spoke only Arabic.
There was never more completely
mystiiied set.
The man was burned brown, per-
haps by oriental suns; he was we'll
and carefully dressed, was never in
any hurry, never surprised, never
irritated, but always comfortably
self-poiscd, at peace with all the
world, and as placid as still waters
that run deep.
Everybody was certain there was
something beyond all this-some ro-
nance or notable intrigue or some
mystery more subtle than either;
perhaps q crime Of q rare eastern
order, in which love and sharp blades
and poison took part. It was be-
yond all question that he had net
come out Of the affair as he had en-
tered, as both arms in o sling bore
witness.
Some held to the notion that he
had been hanged and rcviviiied,
arriving at this conclusion by OBJ
serving his habit of always resting
his head On the back Of his chair;
some suggested Spanish witchcraft,
others India hypnotism, but the
vast majority could not agree on
anything in particular, and conse-
quently drifted in their opinions
from time to time.
Col O., wcli-known every
where, entered the hotel one day,
nodded to the stranger, sat down
beside him aud conversed quietly
for an hour in French. Nearly
everybody, of course, knows French,
but it so happened that nobody near
by could catch word of the con-
vcrsation, because the two talked
scarcely above whisper.
The stranger paid his account and
left the next day, and in the even
ing, when Col. o. called again
and asked the clerk for Mr.. Burr, he
seemed not in the least surprised at
his friends disappearance.
Pardon me, colonel, but he's q
singular man," somebody remarked.
Rather" replied the colonel.
IA great traveller, Iprcsume?'
mo; he comes over from England
once year"
"Known him q long while7"
'Al! my life"
!'He's had quite ALI adventurous
carccr?"
'I shouldn't think So
'Wcll, he certainly produced a
sensation here"
"Why, pray?"
ooh, I mean he interested Us all"
THAT'S the case every where.
'Tndeed! But he hardly ever
spoke"
"That's his way"
"We all concluded that there must
have been q curious accident
''IIe never had mishap in his
life"
"But the arms, colonel"
"On, ! forgot. l am so used to
seeing him, forgot how the thing
others"
What thing?" !
II mean the way he carries his
arms. -
That's the very point, colonel"
'fOh, I see! Why, my friend
simply carries his arms in sling
because he's too lazy to carry them
in any other wav."-N. Y. Herald.