The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1905-11-18
CHAPTER IN.
THE HERMIT.

CdAt En- IN.
THE HERMIT.
'Ilow do you do, sir?" said Martin,
pleasantly, but with inward trepda-
ton. My friend and myself and our
guides have just landed here and made
bold to call"
1t was civil speech and all true ba,
1t brought no response. Instead. this
Rip-Van- Winkle-like man looked again
at one and then another of the four
with his big round eyes, but uttered
no word
II hope we are not intrudng," con-
tinued Martin; 1--WE certainly didn't
mean to, but it was curious TO find
human dwelling here"
Then this queer old man spoke.
What do you want" he asked, in
a not unllind voice, are you hungry"
1t was like the first thought of saw
age. or perhaps, OF all wild animals.
''Oh, no.. answered Martin. we hap
pened 10 see your canoe on the bank,
and landed out of curiosity. Then W.
followed the path and fonnd your cabin.
We had mo intention of intruding and
| hope we are not"
1t was all that could be said, but il
had no effect upon this Nick O. the
| Woods, for he made no reply, but
turned and entered his cabin, closing
the door after him.
"Well. ! call that COOL" muttered the
doctor, while Martin. decidedly takcE
uback, looked at Levi
Guess we amt welcome" he said
again. glancing at the closed door, "unh
had best CO." 1t was seemingly all
that was left, and Martin. more ASTON
ished than ever turned and led the
way back to the canoes. 1--WE had cold
shoulder before" he said, when welt
away, but none quite like this. Why,
the man must be dementcd."
HE certainly isn't fond OF society,""
| responded the doctor, and then, as il
| with common impulse, or perhaps be-
cause suspense had ended. both began
to laugh softly. But another and less
humorous side to the situation was
made pertinent by the sun, now vanish
ing into the wldcrness-where to find
a camp site. TO camp where they were,
and SO near this apparently insane
hermit, was not. perhaps wise, and
get curiosity to find ont more about
him held them there.
"1'm not going to give up this way"
asserted Martin, at last, after a BRIEF
| discussion, hes certainly harmless,
and I'm gcn,s 10 try him again. OF
one thing I'm saiisfcdhe isn't ON
wild man"
II don't want to meet him alone in
the woods after dark, though" re-
sEGrhcd The doctor.
But night w.s near twilight already
falling, and in a little cove just around
from the landing, they pushed ashore
again and made a hurried camD.
And now beside the cheerful fire
once more. with the dark forest on one
side, the little lake in front and the APP
parently halfinsane and altogether
mysterious old hermit not 100 rods
away, they discussed him thoroughly
as might be expected.
AS every detail of his home had
been Of interest, SO now was he, as well
as those tritlcs.
In the busy world che man is SO like
hundreds OF others in garb, habit, and
thought, he ceases TO be Of even pass
ing Interest. He may be neat or SLOW
emily, handsome or homcly, bright or
stupid, brave or cowardly, or any one
OF the many extremes Of human ma
tnre--nO matter. He ise but one grain
of sand among millions just like him,
and we care not even what his name
may be. But to Martin and the little
doctor, Still keerly alive to the mystery
that had pursued them for many days,
and now coming uDOn another, as great
IL less dread, it absorbed all thought,
or, in the verlacular, 1t "kept them
guessing" And for reason.
The hermit, for such he must be
called, was no different in dress and mp
pearance than any man OF his age
would be who had turned his back upon
humanity for many years, his habita-
ton as good as such unaided would be
likely to erect-in fact, better cared for
and with more Of refinement about IT |
than one would naturally expect. But
the absorbing question was how and
why any human being much less one
who would plant flowers, tame a squir-
rel, and even sweep out his abode
would be content to thus dwell in SOL f.
itude twice one hundred miles from a /
human dwelling. II was unaccount- 4
able, and the longer Martin and the
doctor discussed it, the more so It'll
seemed.
And then, when the cracking fire had
grown silent and they paused in the
chat to watch the moon, round and red, i
creep in sight over the tree-tops, adown
through the still night air, from the |
hermits hut. came tie low soft twang-