Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1914-04-28

Peters, "but 1t amt any use. I've
thought it all out-in the night watches,
as the poet says. came up here to be
alone. l can't be a hermit and a cook
too. / can't and be true to myself.
No, you'll have to accept my resigna-
ton, to take effect at once"
He sat down on an uncertain chair
and regarded them sorrowfully. His
long, we'll shaped fingers clutched the
cord Of the purple gown.
ut isn't as though we were asking
you to give up the hermit business Tor
good" argued Magee. "It's just for
short time-maybe only for few
DAYS. should think you would well
come the diversion"
Mr.. Peters shook his head vigorous
ly. The brown curls waved fipantly
about his shoulders.
"My instincts" he replied, "are away
from the crowd. l explained that to
you when We first met, Mr.. Magee.
"Any man." commented Mr.. Max
"ought to be able to strangle his In
stincts for a good salary, payable IT
advance"
"You come here" said the hermit
with annoyance, land you bring with
YOU the sentiments Of the outside
world-the world l have foresworn
Don't do it. l ask you"
81 don't get you." reflected Mr.. Max
mo, pal, 1 don't quite grab this her
NIT game. 1t amt human nature,
say. Way up here miles from the little
brass rail and the sporting extra and
other things that make life worth Nv
ing. It's beyond me-"
I'm not asking your approval" re
piled the hermit. "All l ask Is to bt
let alone"
"Let me speak" said Miss Norton
"Mr. Peters and I have been friends
you might say, for three years. 1t was
three years ago my awed eyes first fel
upon him. selling his postcards at tht
inn. He was to ME then the true 70
nance, the man to whom the worie
means nothing without certain wo
man at his side. That is what he has
meant to all the girls who came tt
Baldpate. He isn't going to shattel
my ideal Of him-he isn't going to re
fuse a lady in distress. You will come
for lust a little while, won't you, Mr.
Peters?"
But Peters shook his head again.
II dislike women as a SEX" he said
"but I've always been gentle and eas!
with isolated examples Of 'em. i
amt my style to turn 'em down. Bu
this is asking too much. I'm sorry
but I got to be true to my oath-I go
to be hermit"
Maybe" sneered Mr.. Max. "he's go
good reason for being hermit. May
be there's brass buttons and blue uni
forms mixed up In it."
"You come from the great world Of
suspicion" answered the hermit, turn
ing reproving eyes upon him. "Youl
talk is natural. 1t goes with the lif'
you lead. But 1t isn't true"
"And Mr.. Max Is the last who shoult
insinuate." rebuked Mr.. Magee. "Why
only last night he denounced suspi
cion and bemoaned the fact that ther'
Is 80 much Of 1t in the world"
"Well he might" replied the hermit
"suspicion is the keynote Of moderr
life, especially in New York" HI
drew the purple dressing gown closel
about his plump form. II remembe
the last time l was in the big towi
seeing a crowd Of men in the grill room
of the Hoffman House. One Of them
long, lean. like an eel, stopped dow
and whispered in the ear Of httl'
| fellow with a diamond horseshoe desc
Grating his haberdashery and pointing
to another man near by. No. l won't,
says the man with the diamonds.
don't introduce nobody to nobody
Let every man play his own game,
say That's New York. That's tn
essence of the town. i introduce NO
body to nobody"
at seems odd," remarked Mr.. Ma
gee, ito hear you speak OF the tim
you walked on pavements."
II haven't always been on Baldpat
mountain" replied the hermit. "onc
L, too, paid taxes and wore derD,
hat and sat in BARRIERS chairs. Yer
I sat In 'em in many towns. In man
corners of this little round globe. Blu
that's all over now"
The three visitors gazed at Mr.. Pe
ters with q new interest.
"New York." said Mr.. Max softly, a
a better man might have spoken tn
pame Of the girl he loved. its grea
little Christmas tree. The candles ar
always burning. and the tinsel pref
ents always look good to me-"
The hermit's eyes strayed far ava
down the mountain and beyond.
"New York." said he, and his ton
was that In which Max had said th