Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-02-02

| Chalant and casual but somehow Nlagee felt
| that among the matters they established were
| social position, wit, cunning, guile, and taste
| in dress.
MAY help with the coffee?" asked Miss
| Thornhil.
"Only to drink it," replied the girl of the
station. It's all made now, you see"
AS if in proof of this, Mrs. Norton APP
peared in the dining room door with tray,
and simult aneously opened an endless mono
logue:
Il don't know what you men will say to
| this, I'm sure,-nothing in the house but
some coffee and few crackers, not even any
canned soup, and l thought from the way
| things went yesterday he had ten thousand
cans of it at the very least; but men are all
alike. What name did you say? Oh, yes,
Miss Thornhill, pleased to meet you, I'm
sure. Excuse my not shaking hands. AS |
was saving, men are all alike Norton
| thought if he brought home roast on Satur-
day night it ought to last the week out
| She ratified on. Unheeding her flow of
the coffee she offered. When the rather I'M
satisfactory substitute for breakfast was
consumed, Magee rose briskly.
"Now," he said, I'm going to run up to
the hermit's shack and reason with him as
| best | can. | will paint in touching colOrs
our sad plight. If the man has an atom of
decency-"
"A walk on the mountain in the morning!7
said Miss Thornhill quickly. "Splendid!
Il"
"Wonderful.7 put in Miss Norton. a for
one can't resist. Even though | haven't
been invited, I'm going along She smiled
| the breadth of hair, and she knew it. New
glories shone in her eyes.
"Good for YOU said Magee. The evil
hour of explanations was at hand, surely.
run up and get your things
When Miss Norton was gone, Cargan and
Lou Max engaged in earnest converse near
window; after which Max pulled on his
Overcoat.
81 amt been invited either, he said; "but
| reckon I'll go along. | always wanted to
see what hermit lived like when he's really
buckled down to the hermit business. And
then a walk in the morning has always been
my first rule for health. You don't mind,
do YOU
"Who am l., asked Magee, "that should
stand between you and health? Come along,
by all means"
MYTH the blue corduroy suit again COM
w plctc, and the saucy hat perched on
her blond head, Miss Norton ran down the
stairs and received the news that Max also
was enthralled by the possibilities of a walk
up Baldpate. The three went out through
the front door, and found under the snow
hint of the path that led to the shack of the
postcard merchant.
"Will you go ahead?" asked Magee of
Max.
Sorry" grinned Max, "but l guess I'll
bring up the rear"
"Suspicion, said Magee, shaking his head,
"has caused lot of trouble in the world.
Remember the cruelty practised on Pueblo
Sam"
81 do" replied Max, "and it nearly breaks
my heart. But there's little matter | for
got to mention last night. Suspicion is all
right in its place.
"Where's that" asked Magee.
Max tapped his narrow chest. "Here, he
said
So the three began the climb, Magee and
the girl ahead, Max leering at their heels.
The snow still fell, and the picture of the
world was painted in grays and whites. At
some points along the way to the hermit's
abode it had drifted deep; at others the
footpath was swept almost bare by the wind.
For time Max kept so close that the con-
vcrsation of the two in the lead was neces-