The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1914-04-03
CHAPTER VII.

CHAPTER VIII.
Ghosts Of the Summer Crowd.
I'm was past | O'Clock and Mr..
Magee with his four mystic.
riOus companions stood before
~ the fire in the Office. each with
an eager eye out for the progress Of
the hermit, who was preparing the t..
BILE beside them. Through the kindness
Of Quimby. the board was resplendent
with snowy linen.
I'VE may overeager," com
nented Professor Bolton. Il have no
doubt we do. 1t is only natural. With
nothing to look forward to but the
next meal, the human animal attaches
a prepOsterOus Importance to his feed
ing. We are in the same cases as the
summer guests
Are we?" interrupted Mr.. Magee.
Have we nothing but the next meal
to look forward to? think not.
the capacity for excitement Of Bald
pate inn in December. | look forward
to startling things. l expect. before
the day is out. at least two gold laced
kings, an exiled poet and a lord mayor,
all armed with keys to Baldpate inn
and stories strange and unconvincing."
your adventures of the last twenty
four hours remarked the professor.
smiling wanly. have led you to expect
too much. l have made inquiries Of
Quimby. There are, aside from his
own. but keys in all to the va
riOus doors Of Baldpate inn. Four are
here represented. 1t is hardly likely
that the other three will send dele
gates. and il they should you have but
a slim chance for kings and poets.
Even Baldpate's capacity for excite
ment. you see. is limited by the num-
Der Of little steel keys which open its
portals to exiles from the outside
world. l I'm reminded Of the words of
the philosopher
We'll. Peters. old top" broke in Mr..
Bland in robust tones. isn't she nearly
OF the fire?'
"Now see here said the hermit. set
ting down the armfui of dishes with
which he had entered the Office. II can't
be hurried. I'm all upset. as it is. l
can't cook to please wOmen-I don't
pretend to-"
"I'm sure" said Miss Norton sweet
ly, that | shall consider your lunch
con perfect"
"They get more faulttinding as they
get older" replied Mr.. Peters ungal-
lantly. glancing at the other woman.
Mrs. Norton glared.
Meaning me. l suppose she rasp-
ed. well. don't worry. l amt going
to find anything wrong"
II amt asking the impossible" re-
sponded Mr.. Peters. Il amt asking
you not to find anything wrong. I'm
just asking you not to mention it
when you do" He retired to the
kitchen.
Mrs. Norton caressed her puffs low
ingly.
What that man needs" she said.
lis a woman's guiding hand. He's
lived alone too long. I'd like to have
charge of him for awhile. When 1
was a girl | was mighty popular. l
had a lot of admirers"
"No n could possibly doubt that"
Mr.. Magee assured her.
Then Norton came along" she went
on. rewarding Magee with a smile.
land said he wanted to make me hap
py. So | thought I'd let him try. l al
ways brought him up sharp. Your
great DESIRE l told him. is to make
me happy. I'd keep on the job If l
was you" And he did. to the day Of
his death. A perfectly lovely man,
though careless in money matters. If
he hadn't had that ailing I wouldn't
be-
Miss Norton, her cheeks flushed.
broke in hurriedly.
Mamma. these gentlemen can't be
at all interested" Deity she turned
the conversation to generalities.
Mr.. Peters at last seated the winter
guests Of Baldpate inn and opened his
luncheon with a soup which he claim.
ed to have wrested from a ear This
news drew from Professor Bolton a
learned discourse ON the timed aids
to the hermit Of today. He pictured
the seeker for solitude setting out fol
a desert isle with canned foods fol-
his body and canned music for his
soul. Robinson Crusoe," he said
should be rewritten with a can open
er in the leading role" Mrs. Norton
gave the talk a more practical turn by
bringing up the topic Of ptomaine poi
s0ning.
While the conversation drifted on
Mr.. Magee pondered in silence the
weird mesh in which he had become
involved. What did It all mean? What
brought these people to Baldpats