The age-herald., 1901-04-22
4 READER TELLS OF
 QUEER EXPERIENCE
So That He Who Runs May
 Read
GAME OF BLIND MANS BUFF
The Exaeting Demands Made by Blind Man-How 2 Patent Ad- vertisement Caught the
 Eye and Results.

'"The first time I went to a summer re- sort" said citizen yesterday who has been very successful in his profession, was when I was a young man struggling for an education. I had been teaching school for several years trying to earn enough money to complete my education, when I received an offer of a position as clerk and assistant manager of a sum- mer hotel at some springs In Western Virginia. As the position afforded me the chance of a change of climate and the benefit of the springs without expense, but on the contrary some remuneration. I accepted 1t.
 Among the guests at the hotel was a wealthy old gentleman from Louisiana with his wife, The latter was quite fond of society and the former was blind. He had been coming to the springs year 'af- ter year because he knew the locality and could find his way about without assist ance. He was well educated and had travelled over the world and was very fond of being read to. He was quite ex- acting of his wife in this respect, and really tried her patience.
 "she came to me one day and said she was utterly exhausted and asked me if would not read to her husband He also wanted me to read to him and offered to pay me for 1t. had. somehow. however. written several letters for him at the of- flee and knew he was somewhat cranky, so agreed to read some to him, but re- fused any pay as I wanted to be at liber- ty to quit at any time. I read to him for several days and he took quite liking to me. He had his own way of being to accommodate myself to his wishes. would read the headlines to him and if anything attracted his attention he would have me read 1t.
 A Fine Ship.
 "One day I read the title of a story about the finest ship on the Atlantic This interested him, as he had crossed the ocean several times, and as I read he would stop me every now and then and explain about the ship. We were both very much interested In the account and he was giving mo quite scientific lecture I end of the story when suddenly stopped in the midst of this sentence: At the masthead flew flag on which was printed
 "what?" asked the old gentleman, ss l suddenly stopped.
 'St. Jacobs OiI," I said, finishing the sentence knew 1t would make him mad and tried to get out of 1t, but he made me read 1t.
 "we were both sold, and as anticipated, the old gentleman was furious. He may have thought that T. was Kidding him, for he seized his stick and tried to hit me. got out of the way and he smashed the lamp. This made him still more an- gry and he proceeded to smash every thing in the room that he could. The door was shut and as I darted out of his way he would hear me and try to get to me. His wife, hearing the fuss, opened the door to come in, and he thinking it was mo trying to get out knocked her down before he discovered his mistake.
 A Heavy Weight Reader.
 "A day or two after this escapade he came over to the office and apoligized and tried to get me to go back but this honor I declined. He then got another reader and when he left the Springs he took him South to his Louisiana plantation When the new reader left West Virginia he was a fine looking specimen, weighing about 19O pounds. When next saw him he looked like a string. He was all skin and bones. He told me he had been vir- tualIy kept a prisoner on the plantation all the winter and had read himself to a fraxzle. They used to begin the read ings in the morning with prayer. The old gentleman was an Episcopalian and the reader a Methodist. and somehow they never could hit 1t off,. During the old gentleman's visit to Virginia many numbers of the Churchman had accumu- lated in Louisiana and all these the Methodist reader had to read As he was paid reader the old gentleman had no mercy on him. His wife never would stay with him in the winter. but would visit her daughter in New Orleans. There was no one else on the plantation but the old gentleman and the reader. The old man wouldn't pay him in full for fear he would run away. It was the next sum- mer when I saw him again. The old gentleman had come to the Springs for