Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-04-01


but I've always been gentle and easy
with isolated examples OF EN-. II
ain't my style to turn 'em down. But
this is asking too much. I'm sorry
but got TO be true to my oath-I got
TO be a hermit"
Maybe" sneered Mr.. Max. hes got
good reason for being a 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. Your
talk is natural. IL goes with the life
you lead. But II isn't true
And Mr.. Max is the last who should
insinuate." rebuked Mr.. Magee. why.
only last night he denounced suspi-
cion and bemoaned the fact that there
is so much of il in the world"
well he might" replied the hermit.
Suspicion is the keynote OF modern
| life. especially in New York. He
| drew the purple dressing gown closer
about his plump form. II remember
/ the last time / was I'm the big town
| seeing a crowd OF men in the grill room
/ of the Hoffman House. One OF them.
| long. lean. like an eel. stopped down
and whispered in the ear of little
| fellow with a diamond horseshoe desc
Grating his haberdashery and pointing
TO another man near by. No. won't,
says the man with the diamonds. Il
don't introduce nobody to nobody.
Let every man play his own game, L
say That's New York. That's the
essence of the town. 4 introduce no
body to nobody"
J "It seems odd" remarked Mr.. Ma
gee. ito hear you speak OF the time
you walked on pavements."
~ haven't always been on Baldpate
mountain" replied the hermit. ''Once
/. too. paid taxes and wore derby
hat and sat in BARRIERS chairs. Yes.
i sat In 'em in many towns. in many
corners OF this little round globe. But
that's all over now"
The three visitors gaZed at Mr.. Pc
tiers with a new interest.
New York." said Mr.. Max softly. as
a better man might have spoken the
name of the girl he loved. Its a great
little Christmas tree. The candles are
always burning. and the tinsel pres
ents always look good TO me-
The hermit's eyes strayed far away
down the mountain and beyond.
New York. said he. and his tone
was that in which Max had said the
words. "a great little Christmas tree
it IS, with fine presents for the reach |
ing. Sometimes at night here 1 see it
as 1t was four years ago. l see the
candles lit on the great white way.
hear the elevated roar and the news
boys shout and Diamond jim Brady
applauding Mt n musical comedy's first
night. New York;"
Mr.. Max rose pompously and pointed
yellow finger at the hermit OF Bald
pate mountain.
81 got your he cried in triumph !
I'm wise. You want to go back"
A half hearted smile crossed the visi- |
BILE portion of the hermit's face.
~ Guess I'm about the poorest liar |
in the world he said. II never got |
away with but one lie in my life and |
that was only for a little while. 1t |
was a masterpiece while it lasted too.
But it was my only hit as a liar. |
Usually / fail, as / have failed now.
lied when i said l couldn't cook for
You because l had TO be true to my
hermit's oath. That isn't the reason.
I'm afraid
'Afraid:" echoed Mr.. Magee.
Scared" said Mr.. Peters, ''of tempta-
ton. Your seventh son OF a seventh
son friend here has read my palm
o. II. 1 want to go back. Not in the
summer, when the inn blazes like
Broadway every evening. and / can sit
here and listen to the latest comic
opera tunes come drifting up from the
sim and On ,rrf., x,-ftI !
the muslin brigade any time | want
and see the sympathetic look in their
eyes as they buy my postals. 1t amt
then / want to go back. It's when
ell comes and the trees on the noun
tain are bare and Quimby locks up the
inn and there's only the wind and ME
IN the mountain-then get the fever
haven't the postcard trade to think
'f-so l think of Ellen and New York
She's-my wife. New York-its my
own.
That's why can't come among
'ou to cook. It'd be leading me into
greater than L could stand :
d hear your talk and like as not ,
vhen you went away I'd shave off this
,eard and burn the manuscript of ,
Woman and go down into the marts
T trade. Last night 1 walked the
DOR till 2. I can't stand such tempta- ,
on."
Mr.. Peters auditors regarded him in
Hence. He rose and moved toward
he kitchen door
Now you understand how IL is" he
aid. Perhaps you will go and leave
lie to my baking"
"One minute" objected Mr.. Magee.
You spoke OF one lie-your master
iece. We must hear about that" :
"lt was like this" he began. Five
ears ago 1 worked for a fruit COM I
any. and business sent me sliding :
long the edges of strange seas and
icture book lands. / met little brown
len and listened to the soft swish OF
lie banana growing and had an or
hestra seat at a revolution or two.
ont look for a magazine story about y
verthrown tyrants or anything ike
lat It's inst 0uiet LITTLE lie I'm | u