Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1896-05-28

fortune being kind. an old negress
was installed as nominal nurse and
actual housekeeper. She had been
born a 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
sposition-moreover, she was very
deai-that at last nobody would en-
pioy her. \ recital of her disabilities
sent me post-haste after her; for, IL
she was as unsociGble as she was repre-
sented TO be, she was the woman in
thousand for us. When she took charge
of the kitchen we were relieved of one
point at least; there would be no gos-
siplng at that end of the house.
Meanwhile, / had contracted for food
and lodging at one of the farmhouses,
and had put out nay shingle in due
form-much TO the satisfaction of my
hostess, who confessed that it 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 10 relieve
her of the cares of the farm. She
was a CHEEKY soul, who had endured
many misfortunes without losing cour-,
age, and l wns glad TO secure quarters
under her roof. She allotted TO me
wing OF the house. which, having an
entrance of It's own, would serve ad-
mirably as an office. soon had my den,
fitted up in a way TO excite considerable
local admiration. \ few books, a couple,
OF antomical charts and some Walls Of
drugs were disposed TO the best aa
vantage to impress patients with the
mysteries OF the healing art.
In it's beginning my practice In Rod
neytown was much like an early spring
in New England-more promise than
realization. A dolly visit to Lamar was
the basing-point of my routine. AS
rule, it was very brief, though occasion
ally he let me understand that my post
was no sinecure. Now and then he sent
me on trips to Trent, a thriving hive
of manufactures about 30 miles from
the village. On the first of these jour
neys one of my duties was to mail
letter TO New York banking house;
on the next / was informed that q large
sum was on deposit TO my credit with
the principal bank of the place. Thus,
while my patron kept some control over.
the purse-strtngs, / was the acting pay
master. From first to last there could
be no charge of niggardliness made
against him; he looked over my &C
counts now and then, but never ques-.
toned their accuracy.
AS he finished his superficial auditing
on one of these occasions, he looked
up and asked, rather abruptly:
The old fisherman who lives yon-
der-what do you know of him?"
Not much" said l, except that his
name Is johnson, that he has been in
the navy, and that he has the best of
regulations for honesty"
NO more?"
"Well. he and his two brothers who
live with him are an unsociable lot,
who keep much to themselves. There's
no woman with them; they're their
own housekeepers."
II may buy of their fish. Bid the
eldest to come here tonight You
need not be present" said he. With his
usual ceremonious bow at parting. he
turned on his heel and stalked upstairs
to his sanctum.
The order was surprising, In view of
his desire to avoid his neighbors; but,
though it puzzled me, sought out
johnson and delivered the message
That night in my cozy office tried In
vain to discover reason for the inter
view then going on in the honse on the
knoll. The old fish explanation was
fishy indeed, old Martha, the cook, be-
ing quite able, in spite of her deafness,
TO bargain for any supplies for her de-
partment. 1t was improbable that La
mar had any notion of setting Johnson
tc spy upon my doings, for he had
used me rs a. means of communicating
with the man, n course he would not
have adopted had he entertained any
suspicious of my faithfulness. 1t might
be that he desired to arrange for the use
of sloop owned by the brothers, with
an eye TO the possibility of opening a
way OF retreat by sea In case his pres
ont stronghold became untenable.
Yes, that seemed to be the most reason
able explanation, although, so far as l
knew, Lamar was not in the slightest
danger of discovery by his enemies.
Such a precaution at that time APP
peared to be about as necessary us
shipment of antidotes for frost-bite to
the Hottentots.
Sleeping over the matter gave me no
fresh light upon it, nor was the wiser
for my pains for many day there
after; but at last chance, the much-ex-
planning, furnished the clew.
l had tarried at the house on the
knoll unusually late that afternoon,
and the sun was setting as began my
walk homeward. 1t had been a clear,
pleasant day, with q good deal of
warmth in the sunshine, although
autumn was now far advanced; but as
the evening came on the air grew chilly
end the brisk off-shore breeze took on
touch of the approaching winter.
With turned-up coat-collar and hands
buried in my pockets, l stepped out
briskly on the tramp homeward, rather
reconciled at the moment to the slen-
derness of a practice which guaranteed
me an undisturbed evening. With book