The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1896-10-22

that he was no common political exile
Never, however, did he give me cause
TO suppose him TO be a sufferer from
remorse. Whatever his reasons for
fight might have been, he seemed now
TO regard himself as respited from
pursuit, and his look lost something OF
its restl,ssness, though it was evident
that he did not feel that his peril was
erded. He had strengthened the doors
OF the house and fitted them with heavy
bolts, while stout bars were ready To
be stretched across the lower windows
at moments notice.
In these early days of our stay at
Rodneytown my acquaintance with the
townspeople stood us in good stead.
or course our coming and the purchase
of the old house set the tongues of the
village gossips wagging, but the chat
ter was not very ill-natured, and the
explanation that |, an old Rodneytown
boy, had broughtan invalid to the shore
for the benefitof the sea air was accept
ed with even less denur than | HAD
looked for, for the villagers were proud
of the heaithfulness of the place. The
additional statement that the sick man
required complete quiet, and for the
present was unable TO receive visitors.
was successful in its object. Lamar was
not molested by inquisitive callers, and
after little the people whom l met
ceased to question me about him, save
Mt 4.
about that time did us n great service
in giving the townspeople more vitally
interesting topic than sick stranger
forced by his malady TO lead solitary
existence.
Among the most delicate tasks fall
ing to my lot was the securing of q
servant for the invalid, but, here again,
fortune Icing kind, an old negress
was installed as nominal nurse and
actual housekeeper. She had been
born slave, according TO village talk,
but had secured her freedom and mi.
grated north. She was an excellent
cook, but so surly and grabbed was her
lsposition-moreoyer she was very
deaf-that at last nobody would em-
pioy her. A recital of her disabilities
sent me post-haste after her; for, il
she was us unsociable as she wus repre-
sented to be, she was the woman in a
thousand for us. When she took charge
of the kitchen we were relieved of one
point at least; there would be no gos-
siping at that end of the house.
Meanwhile, / had contracted for food
and lodging at one of the farmhouses,
and had put out my shingle in due
form--much to the satisfaction of my
hostess, who confessed that il pleased
her to have evidences given that there
was "a grown man bout the place" She
was Mrs. Elvira Weston, a widow, and
the mother of two BOYS, neither of
whom was yet old enough to relieve
her of the cares of the farm. She
was checry soul, who had endured
many misfortunes without losing cour
age, and was glad TO secuye quarters
under her roof. she allotted to me
n wing OF the house, which, having an
entrance of its own. would serve ad-
mirably,as an Office. soon had nv den
fitted up in way toexcite considerable
local admiration. A few books, a couple
OF antomical charts and some vials of
drugs were disposed to the best ad.
vantage to impress patients with the
mysteries of the healing art.
In its beginning my practice in Rod
ncytown WAS much like an early spring
in New England-more promise than
realization daily visit to Lamar was
the hasing-point of my routine. As Il
rule, IL was very brief, though OCCASION
ally he let me understand that my post
was no sipecure. Now and then he seEt
me on trips to Trent, thriving hive
of manufactures about 30 miles from
the village. On the first of these Jour
neys one of my duties was to mail n
letter to Il New York banking house;
on the next / was informed that u large
sum was on deposit to my credit with
'he principal bank of the place. Thus,
while my patron kept some control over
The purse-stNngs, was the acting pay
master. From first TO last there could