Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1914-05-26

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Judge Of character. On the first night
saw Mrs Quimby. without tasting a
morsel of food cooked by her. | said
she was the best cook in the county"
CHAPTER XIII.
Exusnt omnss.
|1HE professor looked up from
|H bis griddlecakes.
i'll why limit 1t to the coun-
|o tyr be asked. Il should say
you were too parsimonious in your
judgment"
Mrs. Quimby, detecting in the old
mans words compliment flushed an
even deeper red as she bent above the
stove.
Its 80 seldom anything really hap
pens around here" she said. Il just
been hungering for news of the strange
goings on up there. And l must say
Quimby amt been none too newsy on
the subject threatened to come up
and join in the proceedings myself. es
peclally when heard about the book
writing cook Providence had sent you
| "You would have found Us on the
porch with outstretched arms" Mr..
Magee assured her.
1t was on Kendrick that Mrs. Quinn
by showered her attentions. and when
the group rose to seek the station.
amid a consultation Of watches that
recalled the commuter who rises at
dawn to play tag with hippant train,
Mr.. Magee heard her say to the rail-
road man in a heartfelt aside:
II don't know ass can ever thank
you enough, Mr.. Kendrick. for putting
new hope into Quimby. You'll never
understand what 1t means when you
have given up and your life seems all
done and wasted. to hear that there's
a chance left"
won't II" replied Kendrick warmly.
"Mrs. Quimby. it will make me very
happy man to give your husband bis
chance"
The first streaks Of dawn were In
the sky when the hermlts Of Baldpate
filed through the gate into the road.
waving goodby to Quimby and bis
wife, who stood In their dooryard for
the farewell.
In the station Mr.. Magee encounter
ed an old friend-he Of the mop Of
ginger colored hair. The man who had
complained Of the slowness Of the VII
lage gazed with wide eyes at Magee.
II figured" he said, that you'd
come this way again. Well. I must
say you've put a little life into this
place. II Id known when ] saw you
here the other night all the exciting
things you had up your sleeve I'd
a-gone right up to Baldpate with you"
"But hadn't anything up my
sleeve" protested Magee.
maybe" replied the agent, winking
There's some pretty giddy stories 60
Ing around about the carvings on up
at Baldpate-shots fred and strange
lights flashing. Doggone 1t! The only
thing that's happened here In years.
and / wasn't In on It certainly wish
you'd put me wise to It."
Two dropping figures entered the sta.
tion-the mayor and his faithful lieu
tenant, Max. The dignity of the for
mer had faded like flower. and the
same withered simile might have been
applied with equal force to the accus'
toned jauntiness CT Lou.
They filed out upon the platform.
Mr.. Magee carrying Mrs. Norton's lug
gage amid her ELUSIVE thanks. On
the platform waited a stranger equip
ped for travel. 1t was Mr.. Max who
made the discovery.
by the Lord Harry" he cried "1t's
the hermit Of Baldpate mountain
And so It was, his beard gone. bis
hair clumsily hacked. his body garbed
in the height Of an old and ludicrous
fashion. bis face set bravely toward
the cities once more.
eyes," be said. II walked the floor.
thinking It all over. knew 1t would
happen, and It has. The winters are
hard, and the sight Of you-it was too
much. The excitement the talk-it
did for me, did for my oath. So I'm
going back to her-back to Brooklyn
for Christmas"
"A merry one to you" growled Car
gan.
Maybe" replied Mr.. Peters- "verJ
likely, II she's feeling that way. !
hope 30. l amt giving up the hermit
lob altogether-Ill come back In the
summers to my postcard business.
There's money In, 1t II It's handled
right But I've spent my last winter
on that lonesome hill"
"As author to author" asked Magee.
how about your bookY'
There won't be any mention OF
that" the hermit predicted. 'in Brook.
Ign. I've packed It away. Maybe !
can work on it summers II she doesn't
come up here with me and insist on
running my hermit business for me.
hope she won't 1t would sort Of put
crimp In It. but II she wants to l won't
refuse And maybe that bOok'll never
get done. Sometimes as I've sat In
my shack at night and read it's come
to me that all the greatest works since
the world began have been those that
never got finished"
The ReutOn train roared up to them
through the sra- morning and paused
|impatiently at Upper Asquewan Falls
Aboard It clambered the hermits. anna
teur and professional Mr.. Magee
from the platform waved goodby to
the agent standing forlorn In the sta
tion door. He watched the building
until It was only blur In the dawn
A kindly feeling for It was IN bis
neart. After all, 1t had been IN tne
waiting room Then he started for
the smoker. On his way he paused
at the seat occupied by the ex-hermit
Of Baldpats and fixed bis eyes on the
pale blue necktie Mr.. Peters had resur-
rected for bis return to the world OF
men. -...
"Pretty, amt itT remarked the her
NIT, seeing whittier Mr. Magee's gaze
drifted. "She picked II. ] didn't ex.
actly like It when she flrst gave u TO
me, but l see my mistake now. I'm
wearing It home a. a sort Of white