The Washington herald., 1915-09-26
OI HFNRY'S MASTERPIECES % To Him Who Waits

her great eyes shining sadly through the twi-
light; but he'stood inhexible in the doorway of
his shack and made no sign
Just as the moon rose on Thursday even
ing the hermit was seized by the world-nlad-
ness. /,
Up from the inn, fainter than the horns of
elfland, came now and then few bars of mt
sic played by the casino band. The Hudson was
broadened by the night into an illirnitable sea
those lights, dimly seen on its opposite shore,
were not beaoonsfor prosaic trolley lines. but
low-set stars millions of miles away. The wa
tiers in front of the inn were gay with firefies
Or were they motor-boats, smelling of gas
oline and oil? Once the hermit had known these
things and had sported with Amaryllis in the
shade of the red-and-white- striped awnings
But for ten years he had turned needless ear
to these far-off echoes of a frivolous world But
tonight there was something wrong.
The casino band was playing waltz-a
waltz. What fool he had been to tear deliber-
ately ten years of his life from the calendar of
existence for one who had given him up for
the false joys that wealth-'tum ii tum ii t1n
ti'-how did that waltz go? But those years
had not been sacrifced-had they not brought
him the star and pearl of all the world, the
youngest and beautfulest Of
But do not come on THURSDAY evening"
she had insisted. Perhaps by now she would be
moving slowly and gracefully to the strains of
that waltz, held closely by West Pointers or
city commuters. while he, who had read in her
eyes things that had reconpensed him for ten
lost years of life, moped like some wild animal
in its mountain den. Why Should"
Damn it,, said the hermit, suddenly, "I'n
do itr'
He threw down his Marcus Aurelius and
threw off his g1nny-sack toga He dragged
duf-covered trunk from corner of the cave,
and with difficulty wrenched open its lid.
Candles he had in plenty and the cave was
soon aglow. Clothes-ten years old in cut
scissors, razors. hats, shoes, all his discarded
attire and belongings. were dragged ruthlessly
from their renunciatory rest and strewn about
in painful disorder.
A pair OF scissors soon reduced his beard
sufficiently for the dulled razors to perform ap-
proxlnatey their office. Cutting his own hair
was beyond the hernlt's skill So he only
conlbed and brushed it backward as smoothly
as he could. Charity forhids us to consider the
heartburnlngs and exertions of one so long re-
moved from haberdashery and society.
At the last the hermit went to an inner cor
ner of his cave and began to dig in the soft
earth with long iron spoon. Out of the cav
lty he thus made he drew tin can, and out of
the can three thousand dollars in bills, tightly
rolled and wrapped in oiled silk He was a
real hermit, as this may assure YOU
You may take brief look at him as he
hastens down the little mountain-side. A long,
wrlnkled black frock-coat reached to his calves.
White duck trousers, unacquainted with the
tailors goose, pink Shirt white standing COL
lar with brilliant blue butterfly tie. and button
ed congress CATERS. But think, sir and madam
ten years! From beneath narrow-brinlmed
straw hat with striped band flowed his hair.
Seeing him, with all your shrewdness YOU
could not have guessed him. You would have
said that he played Hamlet-or the tuba-or
plnochle-you would never have laid YOUR
hand on your heart and said He is a hermit
who lived ten years in cave for love of one
lady-to win another"
The dancing pavilion extended above the
waters of the river. Gay lanterns and frosted
electric globes shed soft glamour within it.
A hundred ladies and gentlemen from the inn
and summer cottages fitted in and about it.
To the left of the dusty roadway down which
the hermit had tramped were the inn and grill
room. Something seemed to be on there, too
The windows were brilliantly 1iohted and r,,,,
sic was paying-nWsic different from the two
steps and waltzes of the casino band
A negro man wearing white jacket came
through the iron gate; with its immense gran
lite posts and wro.ught-iron lamp-holders
What is going on here tonight asked the ]
hermit.
We'll. sah,' said the servitor, "dey is hav-
ing de reglar Thursday-evenir' dance in de
casino. And in de grill-room dere's beefsteak