Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1900-03-20
Y l.

l have since wasted much time. On the
whole, it is probable that should have
seen little more of him, the chances be-
ing that in day or two he would have
disappeared, leaving, perhaps, sum Of
money sufficient in his eyes to compen-
safe me for services rendered to that
date. 1t is good evidence of the reclS
lessness which then possessed me that.
though contingency of this sort had
been in my mind from the first, the
thought of it had no deterring influence.
content with the choice made for him
and ready to 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 to
dispose of it for a song, throwing in II
patch of marshland along with the lit
tie hill on which the building stood.
Though it was in need of repairs, and
though wind and weather had left
many mark upon it, it was still a
stout structure, with stanch beams and
firm foundation, capable, apparently,
OF withstanding the gales of score Of
winters. It was built on the summit Of
the hummock, which rose about 40 feet
above the sea-level, q rocky spur
pushed up into the light and air from
some stratum buried under the low
lands of the coast. Upon the rocks was
a scanty covering of soil, barely suffi-
cient to give support to the fringe of
dwarfed evergreens which surrounded
the dwelling. Halfway down the slope
on the west or landward side was a
spring about which was patch of turf,
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 to even the hardest Of grasses. To
the east, directly between the knoll and
the beach, was o marsh, which also
curved about the rocks to border their
southern side. On the north tidal
stream flowed so close to the base of the
slope that one could step from q boat to
the lowest of the rocky Lodges. To the
| west the land was level, but not marshy,
and the line of a long. abandoned wagon
track could be traced straight across tc
the hill from which Lamar had gained
his first view of his refuge. Rodney
town was considerably more than {
mile distant, but about halfway be
tween the village and the knoll wert
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 family of fishermen. who were
not likely to be intrusive.
AS has been said, the business of tax
ing possession was asimple matter, ant
the night after our arrival we passed
in the house by the bay. Lamar showed
amazing energy in making the place
habitable, and within week wonders
We're accomplished. A wagon-load O
furniture and fitting was secured from
the village; turned glazier to replace
the broken window-panes, whose alb
sence had served at least to save tn,
place from the reproach of musti
ness; and my employer developed
no mean ability as carpenter. X
be sure, it was Il mere box o
a house, making our labor 81
much the lighter, but felt ,
good deal of pride in the results. On
the ground-foor was living-room
with kitchen behind it, and small
room opening from the kitchen. Above
were two rooms of fair size, both O
which, Lamar told me, he should re
quire for his own use. It had beer
agreed, soon otter our arrival, that
should find quarters in one of the farm
houses between the refuge and the vii
lage-an arrangement entirely to my
liking, for the prospecto under
the same roof with Lamar was not al
Turing. He was as unsympathetic a.
AN iceberg, hardly more loquacious
and the mystery he maintained wa:
not of the fascinating sort. In til.
week we passed together came to dis
like him exceedingly. Sometimes, whe1
days labors were ended he would 81
for hours putting away at his cigar
watching the wreaths of smoke, bu
speaking not word, and hardly honor
ing me with a glance. What his re
Elections might be was beyond my
power of conjecture; yet / managed
with considerable satisfaction, to con
vince myself that he had committed
some crime of particular atrocity, ant
that he was no common political exile
Never, however, did he give me caus'
to suppose him to be sufferer from
remorse. Whatever his reasons TO
flight might have been, he seemed nov
to regard himself as respited from
pursuit, and his look lost something 0
its restlessness, though it was eviden
| that he did not feel that his peril wa
ended. He had strengthened the door
of the house and fitted them with heav,
bolts, while stout bars were ready Z,
be stretched across the lower window
ut moments notice.
In these early days of our stay a
Rodneytown my acquaintance with TIL
townspeople stood us in good stead
OF course our coming and the purchas
OF the old house set the tongues of tn
village gossips wagging, but the chat
ter was not very ill-natured, and til
explanation that /, an old Rodneytow
boy, had brought an invalid to the shor
for the benefit of the sea air was accept
ed with even less demur than I ha
looked for, for the villagers We're prou
of the healthfulness of the place. TIL
additional statement that the sick ma
required complete quiet, and for IL,
present was unable to receive visitors
was successful in its object. Lamar wa
not molested by inquisitive callers, an
after a little the people whom me
] ceased to question me about him, sav