Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-01-12

herb to the crowds on the street corner.
Magee dived hastily back under the COW
ers. "Well?" he questioned.
$50 you re the fellow" remarked the little
man, in awe. He placed the basket on the
floor. 1t appeared to be filled with bromide
groceries such as the most subdued house
holder carries home.
(which fellow" asked Magee.
"The fellow Elijah Quimby told me
about, explained he of the long, brown locks,
"the fellow that's come up to Baldpate Inn
to be alone with his thoughts"
"You're one of the villagers, take it,
guessed Magee.
you're dead wrong. I'm no villager. My
instincts are all in the other direction, away
from the crowd. live up near the top of
Baldpate, in a little shack l built myself.
My names Peters-Jake Peters-in the
winter; but in the summer when the lnn's
open, and the red and white awnings are out,
and the band plays in the casino every night,
then I'm the Hermit of Baldpate Noun
tain. l come down here and sell picture
postcards of myself to the ladies'"
Magee appeared overcome with mlrth.
"a professional hermit. by the gods!' he
cried "Say, didn't know Baldpate Noun
tain was fitted up with all the modern i'm
provements. This is great luck! I'm an
amateur at the hermit business: you'll have
to teach me the fine points. Sit down."
"Just between ourselves, I'm not a regular
hermit" said the plump, bewhlskered one.
sitting gingerly on the edge of frail chair,
"not one of these all for love OF woman
hermits you read about in books. OF course
have to pretend l am, in summer, in order
to sell the cards and do my whole duty by
the inn management. A lot of the women
ask me in soft tones about the great disap-
pointment that drove me to old Baldpate,
and give 'em various answers, according to
how feel. Speaking to you as friend, and
considering the fact that it's the dead of
winter, l may say there was little or no ro-
nance in my life. | married early, and
stayed married long time. | came up here
for peace and quiet, and because felt man
ought to read something besides timetables
and tradesmen's bills, and have something
over his head besides first and second
mortgage"
"Back to nature, in other words" re-
marked Alagee.
| ayes, Sir-back with a rush. | was down
to the village this morning for few grocer
les. and l stopped off at Quimby's, as [
often do He told me about you. | help
him lot around the inn. and we arranged
| | was to stop in and start your fire, and do
|
done. | thought we ought to get acquainted,
you and me. being as we're both literary
men, after manner of speaking"
"No." cried NIagee.
"Yes," said the Hermit of Baldpate, 81
dip into that work little now and then.
Some of my verses on the joys of solitude
have appeared in print-on the postcards
sell to the guests in the summer. But my
lifework, as you might call it, is book I've
had under way for sometime. It's called
simply Woman. Just that one word-but
oh, the meaning in it. That book is going to
prove that all the trouble in the world. from
the beginning of time. was caused by fe.
males. Not just say so, mind you: prove it.
"a difficult task, I'm afraid smiled
Magee.
"Not difficult long" corrected the hermit.
"When I started out four years ago thought
it would just be a case of a chapter on Eve.
and honorable mention for Cleopatra and
Helen of Troy. and few more like that, and
the thing would be done; but as | got into
the subject I was fairly buried under new
evidence Then Carnegie came along and
gave Upper Asquewan Falls a library It's
wonderful to think the great works that man
will be responsible for. I've dedicated
Woman to him. Since the new library I've
dug up information about thousand dis