The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-07-15

,.orntains, seeking In their remoteness
,rom the city that absolute release from
S,ressional cares which he had not found
By the sea-
II seemed good to return to the comforts
~ lyndon Inn. They were all there-tho
deep veranda, the we'll appointed rooms,
the generous table; and yet he felt rather
than ma rked a difference. Repose had
zone from the atmosphere, and In its stead
Uncertainty and suspense lurked indedn.
sbly. -,
landlord Mattern and his wife had
erected him with the cordially due an old
! and honored guest, expressing much re-
sret that their daughter Helen, once .
little ~favorite Of his and now grown n
a fine girl, should be away on q visit. But
. there was a faraway look In the man's
ewes; the set Of his jaws, always resolute.
was desperate in It's d~oggedness, willis
something, could It be terrori-had shrunk
the placid comeliness Of the woman.
= Old Nubbins, the waiter, az adept and
attentive as twenty years before, breathed
A possible hint in his explanation Of the
opportunity Of fish and the scarcity Of meat
Of dinner. -
.You see, sir,' he whispered, 'the old
man didn't come to time this morning;
10 the butcher cut him off,"
This intimation was strengthened thet
evening when the Judge returned from
his stroll. The parlors presented q pleasant.
even a brilliant scene, with the guests
grouped around the walls or at they Windows
enjoying the admirable performance on
the piano by a picturesque old lady.
In the office there was dissatisfaction,
even mutiny. Cooks. housemai6s, walters
and scullions, the collective body Of SER
wants, vehemently urged demands upon
their master, who confronted them with
the calmness Of despair.
The Judge was just about to retire that
night when his conjeotures seemed oOn-
frmed by the entrance of Mr.. Mattern.
Il saw you noticed that bit Of a settle-
ment / was ha wing with the help, sir, began
the landlord, decidedly i'll at ease" The
fact is l met with serious losses last winter
"a fool and his money, you understand.
and now ] have the hardest kind Of scratch
ing to meet current ~e1penses.'
You have a select housefnl Of guests,'
rejoined the Judge in surprise.
'Yes; hut don't o know, rich people
can't understand why any one should need
money any more than they do; and 30 they
take their time about paying their bills.
can't attempt to hurry them. The slight
est sort Of a suggestion would clear the
house, and go when supplies are shut down,
and servants get impudent, 1 have to make
all sorts Of EXCUSES about being 80 far from
civilization. Lord, sir, I wish I wa twice
as far or course, in the case Of an old
customer. who has confidence in me, /
might might"
The Judges heart was as kind as bis
brain was keen.
"By the way, Mattern," he sad, taking
out his pocketbook, Il. can just as we'll pay
q month. in advance if you like
Mattern did like. His thanks were pro-
fuse, but lone the less sincere.
After he had gone, the Judge. In review
Ing the incident as a mild relaxation for
the mind, was surprised to note how little
amusement it afforded. The parting look
Of his host haunted him from eyes weary
and hopeless.
-Mattern did need the money, he unused.
sit relieved his present anxieties only to
make room for deeper trouble. Something
~ wrong.
Il ought to 60. But there Is restfulness
about the Oh soSnes and associations; and
] would lik,, to see little Helen again on her
return.
. YES; I will stick it out
II.
f. This aversion to abandoning o settled
plan was characteristic Of the Judge. As
was inevitable In a man Of his age and
habit, he was set In his ways. What was
well to do once, II was well to continue TODD.
Half the time lost In life was caused by
trifing change.
Personal peouliarities spring from such
regularity. and the Judge had his share Of
them. For instance, he carried a large
smount Of money with him, as men used
to do when he vas young, instead Of relying
on a check book, as is the modern vogue.
, 1t followed, too, 30 logically from his
neatness and PARTICULARLY that 1t need
scarcely be mentioned, that this money
was always in clean, fresh bills, folded after
an approved style OF his own. In coming
to the mountains, the Judge had changed
his skies but not his methods.
He laid out his leisure in 90 orderly q
fashion that not a moment of it could lag
or go astray, and 50 1t happened that the
morning after his landlords call, being a
Friday, he strolled down the village street
to the post office to buy his weekly supply Of
stamps.
1t was a lonely village street. There
was not a person in sight, except, yes-the
Judge looked again-the picturesque cid
lady who had performed 80 admirably In the
parlor the night before.
She was tall, bent and dark, with a great
hose and a curly shock Of white hair. She
limped as she approached, aiding herself
with a cane.
Good morning, Judge Marcellus,' she
said Familiarity in the rather deep tones one
somehow expected from her appearance.
we are both too old to stand upon cere-
mony, especially in the country. am Mrs.
Gather, up at the hotel. you know
'''l know, ] had the pleasure Of hearing
your exquisite music last evening, madam,
fof which I thank you,' replied the judge
bowling gallantly.
oh, "a for that, music Ia second nature
with me. am. therefore ] play. on for a
climb to the summit house, l presumed =
No; that is too vigorous for NO.
1t is cooler In the dell by the brook
Yes, and damper; es my rheumatism
warns. No, the post Office is my goal
As II was mine but a moment ago, though
Tor no more serious a matter than the stamps
a might have got from Mr.. Mattern. How
onsv we have to be when we are idle
And with a smile, too hard 1t seemed