Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-03-18

| nHed with Oromfdtc groceries. such as
the most subdued householder carries
home
Which fellowr asked Mr.. Mage.
The fellow Elijah Quimby told me
about" explained he OF the long brown
q 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 Mr.. Magee.
You're dead wrong. I'm no viIIsger.
l My instincts are all in the other direc-
! tion-away from the crowd. live up
near the top OF Baldpate In a little
shack 1 built myself. Ny names Pc
/ tiers. Jake Peters. in the winter But
In the summer. when the inns 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 mountain. come down here
and sell picture postcards OF myself
to the ladies'"
Mr.. Magee appeared overcome with
mirth-
"A professional hermit, by the godsY'
he cried Say. I didn't know Bald
pate mountain was fitted up with all
the modern improvements This is
great luck. I'm an amateur Mt the
hermit business. You'll have to teach
me the fine points. Sit down"
Just between ourselves. I'm not n
regular hermit" said the plump. be-
whiskered one. sitting gingerIy on the
edge OF a fraii chalr-"not one OF
these all for love OF a woman her
mits you read about in books. or
Il
mer. in order to sell the cards and do
my whole duty by the inn manage
ment. A lot Of the women ask me in
soft tones about the great disappoint-
ment that drove me to old Baldpste.
and 1 give 'em various answers. ac-
cording to how | feel Speaking to
you as a friend and considering the
fact that it's the dead of winter.
may say there was little or no romance
in my life.'
Back TO nature. in other words" re
marked Mr.. Magee.
Yes. sir: back with rush. ! was
down to the village this morning for a
few groceries. and / stopped Off at
Quimby's. as ! often do. He told me
about you. help him a lot around
the inn. and we arranged I was to stop
in and start your fire and do any other
little errands you might want DONE
thought we ought TO get acquainted.
you and me. being as we're both liter
airy men. after a manner Of speaking"
MOP" cried Mr.. Masee.
YES" said the hermit OF Baldpate
II dip into that work a little now and
then. Some OF my verses on the joys I
OF solitude have appeared In print-on 4
the postcards 1 sell to the guests in 4
the summer. But my life work. as you /
might call ii, is n book I've had under /
way for some time It's called sim
Dlv 'woman'-tust that one word: |
but. oh. the meaning in IL. That book
is going to prove that all the trouble
in the world from the beginning of
time was caused by females Not Just
say so. mind you. Prove it.!
"a difficult task. I'm afraid" smiled
Magee.
Not difscult-long." corrected the
hermit. When started out four
years ago ] thought il would just be
case OF a chapter on Eve and honor
able mention for Cleopatra and Helen
n Troy and a few more like that and
The thing would be done. But as got
INTO the subject | was fairly buried
Under new evidence. Then Mr.. Carne-
de came along and gave Upper Asque-
wan Falls library. It's wonderful 10
.hink the great works that man will be
for. I've dedicated 'Wo-
nan to him. Since the new library
we dug up information about thou
and disasters / never dreamed OF be
ore. and | contend that II you go
,ack ways In any one OF 'em you'll
ind the fluffy little lady that started
he whole rumpus. So J hunt the wo-
nan. I reckon the French would call
ne the greatest cherchez la femme In
history
"A fascinating pursuit" laughed
,fr. Magee. I'm glad you've told me
bout it. and / shall watch the prog
-ess OF the work with interest. al
hough i can't say that 1 entirely
gree with you. Here and there is a
woman who more than makes amends
or whatever trouble her sisters have
a used. One, for instance. with golden ,
AIR and eyes that when they weep
You're young" interrupted the lit ,
IL man. rising. There amt no use +.
o debate It with you. / reckon I'll
tart your fire." ,
He went into the outer room. and =
fr Msgee lay for n few moments !
stening TO his preparations about thu
replace (
II say. Mr.. Peters" he cried, leap I
,g from bed and running into the 9th I
r room, where the hermit was per S
uading a faint blaze. I've an idea. b
ou can cook. can't your a
'-Cook?" repeated the hermit "well. 1
Is: I've had to learn a few things a
bout IL, living far from the rathsEel- e
rs the way i do c
The very man." reJoiced Nr. Ma o
Re. you must stay here and cook d
II me-for u.s." Il
"Us?" asked the hermit. staring. =
Yes. l forgot TO tell you. After =
r. ouf1lby left me last night two 9th. x
amateur PERMITS hove in view. One =.
a haberdasher with broken heart
- wornanf" cried fha trtumnkanf pa I Va