Owingsville outlook. [volume] (Owingsville, Ky.) 1879-192?, 1897-03-25
VI

a.
What would have been the result
upon my fortunes had the asylum
seeker failed 20 he satisfied with the
retreat selected is question over which
] have since wasted much time. On the
whole. il is probable that should have
seen little more of him the chances be-
ing that in a day or two he would have
disappeared. leaving. perhaps, a sum OF
money sufficient in his eyes TO compeu-
safe me for services rendered 20 that
date. IL is good evidence of the recl-
lessness which then possessed ne that.
though a contingency of this sort had
been in my mind from the first. the
thought of it had no lettering influence.
AS it was, however. he seemed to be
content with the choice made for him
and ready 20 carry out our contract.
The task of settling him in his new
abode proved TO be unexpectedly easy.
The owner of the old house was glad &c
dispose of IL for a song. throwing in Il
patch Of marshland along with the lit
tie hill on which the building stood.
Though il was in need OF repairs. and
though wind and weather had left
many a mark upon il. il was still a
stout structure, with stanch beams and
firm foundation. capable, apparently,
OF withstanding the gales of a score of
winters. II was built on the summit of
the hummock, which rose about 40 feet
above the sea-levcl, a rocky SUR
pushed up into the light and air from
some stratum buried under the low
lands of the coast. loon the rocks was
n scanty covert oil, barely suffl-
cient = ,r.l, o the fringe OF
dwar. .Ich surrounded
on the .est or landward side was n
spring about which was patch of trri,
the only bit of green on the premises,
for the soil under the trees was dull
brown in hue. and the seward ter
races were too steep and stony TO give
root 20 even the hardest of grasses. To
the east, directly between the knoll and
the beach, was a marsh. which also
curved about the rocks 10 border their
southern side. On the north a tidal
stream flowed so close TO the base of the
slope that one could step from a boat to
the lowest of the rocky le6ies. To tho
west the land was level. but not marshy.
and the line of a long. abandoned wagon
track could be traced straight across to
the hill from which Lamar had gained
his first view of his refuge. Rodney
town was considerably more than a
mile distant, but about halfway be-
tween the village and the knoll were
three or four farmhouses. Their occu-
pants would be I.amar's nearest neigh
bors, at least on the land side. To the
south, perched on another rocky point
about quarter of mile away, was the
hut of a family of fishermen. who were
not likely to be intrusive.
As has been said, the business of taxi
ing possession was a simple matter, and
the night after our arrival we passed
in the house by the bay. Lamar showed
habitable, and within a week wonders
were accomplished. A wagon-load @;
furniture and fitting was secured from
the village: i turned glazier TO replace
the broken window-panes, whose alb
sence had served at least to save the
place from the reproach of musti-
ness; and my employer developed
no mean ability as a carpenter. To
be sure. il was a mere box of
house, making our labor so
much the lighter, but l felt a
good deal of pride in the results. On
the ground-foor was n living-roon.
with kitchen behind it, and small
room opening from the kitchen. Above
we're two rooms of fair size, both of
which. Lamar told me. he should r.
quire for mis- own use. 1t had been
agreed. soon OTTER our arrival. that |