The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1914-05-22

Mrs. Quimby. detecting in the old
mans words a compliment, flushed an
even deeper red as she bent above the
stove.
Its so 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 saw
Quimby amt been none too new.sy on
the subject. / threatened to come up
and join in the proceedings myself. es-
pecially 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 OH 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 a fiippant train.
Mr.. Magee heard her say to the rail
road man in a heartfelt aside:
II don't know as l can ever thank
you enough, Mr.. Kendrick, for putting
new hope into Quimby. You'll never
understand what it 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 a very
happy man to give your husband his
chance"
The first streaks of dawn were in
the sky when the hermits Of Baldpate
filed through the gate into the road,
waving goodby to Quimby and his
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, l must
say you've put a little life into this
place. If I'd known when l 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 l hadn't anything up my
sleeve" protested Magee. ,
"Maybe," replied the agent, winking.
There's some pretty giddy stories 60
tx around about the carvings on up
ut Baldpate-shots fired and strange
lights flashing. Doggone it! The only
thing that's happened here in years,
and l wasn't in on it. l 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 a flower, and the
same withered simile might have been
applied with equal force to the accus-
toned jauntiness of 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. "It's
the hermit of Baldpate mountaip!"
And SO it was, his beard gone, his
hair clumsily hacked, his body CARRIED
in the height Of an old and ludicrous
fashion, his face set bravely toward
the cities once more
EYES," he said. II walked the floor.
thinking it all over. I knew it 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. "Very
likely, if she's feeling that way. I
hope SO. I amt giving up the hermit
job altogether-Ill come back in the
summers to my postcard business.
There's money in it if it's handled
right. But I've spent my last winter
on that lonesome hill"
LAS author to author" asked Magee,
''hOw about your boOk?'
There won't be any mention of
that" the hermit predicted, Tin Brook
Ign. I've packed it away. Maybe l
can work on it summers If she doesn't
come up here with me and insist on
running my hermit business for me. I
hope she won't, it would sort of put q
crimp in it, but if she wants to I 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 gray 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
ton door. He watched the building
until it was only a blur in the dawn.
A kindly feeling for it was in his
heart After all, it had been in the
waiting room Then he started for
the smoker. On his way he paused
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