The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1903-03-06
gelfct @istellany.
Eph Hollands Guest.

l had not seen a house for five miles
and the light of the short November
day was failing. A searching north
east wind chilled me to the marrow
My horse had gone lame, and l was
leading him. In these mountain soil
tudes man is fool to let himself be
lost, but plainly had taken the wrong
fork. l had begun to despair when
came upon clearing and in the midst
an unpainted house and huddle o1
barns. A figure in jeans was drawing
water at. the we'll, one of the old fash
ioned kind with sweep.
"Can put up here for the nigh,?'
shouted in my cheeriest accents. The
figure turned and stared at me, but
there was no reply. l saw before me
an old man with struggling locks and
a beard reaching to the waist. re-
peated my question with quaver, fol
the wild appearance Of the old man and
his singular silence disconnected me.
He drew claw.like hand down the
length of his beard, and his eyes seemed
to bore me through and through, but
still no word. With curse for his
incivility l turned away, and my horse
hobblcd after me with dropping head
Some impulse made me look back, and
10, the old hermit-such l took him
to bc-was waving me to return. We
retraced our weary steps willingly
enough.
"A raw evening"" said l to my host
with desire to he sociable.
A jerk of the head, and it seemed to
me that caught wintry CLEAN ol
hospitality in his eye, yet never a word
he spoke, but took the horse by the
bride, pointing at the same time to
the house. 1t was not an inviting place.
The fire was almost at the last flicker.
l sat down in one Of the chairs, and it
gave way under me. Somewhere in
the uncertain light leg rolled about
[ recovered it, and tried the seat gin.
gerly. In little while my host stag.
gered in with his arms full of wood
which he let fall on the hearth. l
thought that 1 would let him speak
first this time, but down he went on
his knees and blew at the embers.
AS the pine wood burst into flame
and a ruddy light filled the room the
old man lit an oil lamp. | then Oh
served shotgun on a rack over the
mantelpiece and above the shotgun a
rude chrome Of Andrew jackson in a
gilt frame, the only ornament in the
room. My strange host, having re-
placed the lamp chimney, stared at me,
with hands on his hips. l did not like
his scrutiny. His eyes were very
large, with cavernous depths. and the
balls twitched as from nervous affec-
tion had an uncle once who thought
he was the grand mogul, and he had
just such eyes before they took him
away to the asylum. Once his eyes
Were If me | fought back the shivers
and said as carrlessly rs ! could:
Kind o lonely up here"
The effect on him, for his hearing
seemed unimpaired. was to bring on a
fit of twitching, and, what was worse
and very horrible in a mute, the whole
right side of his face moved violently
up and down, as if he had lost control
of his nerves. To hide his infirmity
he turned his back on me and for
awhile seemed to be going through a
sort of spasm. The seizure passed off
as quickly as it had come on, and he
left the room.
Returning with black saucepan, he
wedged it in between the burning logs.
He disappeared again, and | could
hear him grinding coffee. The pot lie