St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1895-04-20
LATEST MAN ON RECORD.
His Manner and Appearance Aroused Gu
riosity and Comment In the Hotel.


riosity and Comment In the Hotel.
The stranger, a Mr.. Burr, produced
a quiet sensation by arousing every.
body's curiosity. lie came to the hotel
attended by an Arab servant, who
spoke only three words of English.
The newcomer had ample means, evil
IDENTIFY, and loved his ease. lie had no
acquaintance in the hotel and mLde
none. He drove about considerably
the vestibule in an easy chair carried
by his servant. He said very little,
ate in his room, smoked occasionally in
public, the servant always 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 itself.
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 olly
Arabic. There was never y more CON-
pletely mystified set
The man was burned brown, perhaps
by oriental suns; he was well and care
fully dressed, was never in any hurry,
never surprised, never irritated, but
always comfortably self-posed, 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 mys-
terry more subtle than either; perhaps
crime of a rare eastern order. in
which love and sharp blades and poison
took part. 1t was beyond all question
that he had not come out of the affair
as he had entered, as both arms in q
sling bore witness.
Some held to the notion that he had
been hanged and revivificd. arriving at
this conclusion by observing his habit
of always resting his head on the back
Of his chair; some suggested Spanish
witchcraft, others Indian 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., well known everywhere,
entered the, hotel one day. nodded to
the stranger. sat down beside him, and
conversed quietly for an hour in French.
Nearly everybody, of course, knows
French, but it SO happened that no
body near by could catch a word of the
conversation, because the two talked
scarcely above a whisper.
The stranger paid his account and
left the next day, and in the evening,
when Col. {" called again and asked
the clerk for Mr.. Burr, he seemed not
in the least surprised Mt his friends
disappearance.
Pardon me, colonel, but he's q
singular man." somebody remarked.
Rather" replied the colonel.
"a great traveller, l presume?"
"No; he comes over from England
once a year.
known him long whilc?"
"All my life"
Hes had quite an adventurous
career?'
Il shouldn't think So"
"Wcll, he certainly produced a sensa-
tion here"
"Why. pray?"
''Oh, l mean he interested US ALL"
That's the case everywhere"
"Indeed! But he hardly ever spoke. u
"That's his way"
1--WE all concluded that there must
have been a curious accident"
HE never had mishap in his life. ''
"But the arms. colonel?'
20. l forgot. am SO used to seeing
him forgot how the thing impresses
others"
"What thing?"
"Imcan the way he carries his arms. v
That's the very point. colonel"
''Oh. I see! Why. my friend simply
carries his arms in a sling because he's
too lazy to carry them in any other
way."-N. Y. Herald.