The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-11-27

stood upon a little tabour at his side.
l hastily apologized. and was about to
withdraw when he asked me in, remark
Ing that l would find more comfortable
than stan out in the r~in. The as
constituent had not left me when I sat
down on a reclining chair and glanced
around.
'eArtist?' 1 asked.
"tYes, but that is scarcely what I am
here for, I I'm reading law to oblige my
relatives, who imagine | will make a
better lawyer than painter. I came out
here for seclusion and am getting rather
too much of it. | am awful glad of COM
pany. luck fishing his morning.
Il told him that | had caught a few
bass when the rain drove me in. and he
said that he fished occasionally, and
would show me some of the good places
after lunch. Then we talked of current
affairs for some time, he seeming lager
for news, and saying that he had not
seen q newspaper III three weeks. Mean
while | was taking in the fittings of the
room. which was about 10yl6 feet in
dimensions, and had a small extention
built out in the rear. On the floor was
a large rug, which looked like an expen-
siye one, and in front OF his couch was
q bear skin. A nice figured curtain partly
concealed q white enanaeled bedsteaG, in
front Of which was a jaguar skin. | saw
al a glance that the blanket on the bed
was of costly Navajo Indian work,
and another like it was draped
Of the four walls was covered with
COSTLY 1td1SlDSS, ana OTIaliltuleu WIFI
articles pleasing to the eye of an artist.
There were several pretty and creditable
pictures which he confessed chat he made,
a mandolin. several fine fishing rods, sew
eral revolyers a pair Of antlers, two
shotgGns and a magazine rifle, a belt
full Of cartridges, a stuffed hedgehog,
with q number of pipes stuck upon his
upright hristles, the outspread wings.
head tail of a huge Oval; q pair Of
Malay crosses, a pair OF field glasses in
their leather case, two spoon oars crossed,
q landing net, dog whip and chain, and
a number of other things useful
as well as ornamental, and all arranged
artistically yet earelessly, and in such q
manner that anything was ready for in
slant use. He seemed pleased by my study
of the surroundings, and said that he had
few visitors to. appreciate the way he
had fitted the house up. | asked him If
he ever went away and left it without
a keeper. and he smiled and said I would
see in g few minutes. Almost while he
was speaking there came a scratching at
the door and he Called Come in The
door was pushed open, and in walked the
most fornaidable-Iooking bulldog l had
ever seen. He seemed to be fully a foot
across the chest. He rel over to his
owner and licked his hand, and then
crossed the room to pay his respects to
me. [ s~huddered, but his owner sale that
there was no danger, as he was one of
the best disposed dogs in the world, and
would never interfere unless put on
guard, when it would be dangerous for
anybody to attempt to enter the place or
take anything.
we had lunch together. He made
coffee and an omelet on a double oil
stove, and set out quite an array of
canned goods, with crackers and Camem-
bert cheese to wind up with. In the
rear of the house he had a stone fire
place and sheet iron oven, in which he
did his cooking in fine weather. We
tished together that afternoon after the
rain had ceased and when I left him on
the island he said that he would stay
there until snow flew, and perhaps all
winter, but 1 guess he changed his mind
about that, for [ can not imagine a more
desolate place than ar island in the mid
die of a frozen, snow covered lake