The Washington herald., 1920-12-23
An O. HENRY STORY
To Him Who Waits.

like. That's why I'd like to be a
hermit Hermits don't ever marry,
do they?"
Hundreds of EN-" said the her
init. when they've found the right
one"
But they're hermits," said the
youngest and beautifulest, because
they've lost the right one. aren't
they?"
Because they think they have"
answered the .recluse, fatuously.
Wisdom comes to one in a noun
tain cave as well as to one in the
world OF 'sweHs.' as l, believe they
are called in the argot."
when one Of the 'swells' brings
1t to them" said Miss Trenholme.
"And my folks are swells. That's
the trouble. But there are so many
swells at the seashore in the sum-
mer-time than we hardly amount
to more than ripples. So we've had
to put all our money into river and
harbor appropriations. We were all
girls. you know. There were -four
of us. I'm the only surviving one.
The others have been married off.
All to money. Mamma is so proud
of my sisters. They send her the
loveliest pen-wipers and art calen-
dars every Christmas. I'm the onl,
one on the market now. I'm for
hidden to look at any one who
hasn't money"
But" began the hermit.
But, Oh" said the beautifules>
''of course hermits have great pots
of gold and doubloons buried some
where near three great oak trees.
They all have"
81 have not" said the hermit, re-
gretfully.
I'm so sorry" said Miss Tren-
holme. Il always thought they had.
1 think I must go now"
Oh. beyond question she was the
beautifulest.
Fair lady" began the hermit.
Il am Beatrix iTrenholme-some
call be Tri9," she said: You must
come to the inn to see me-"
81 haven't been a stones throw
from my cave in ten years, said the
hermit.
You must come to see me there"
she repeated. ANY evening except
Thursday"
The hermit smiled weakly.
Goodbye" shs said. gathering
the folds of her pale blue skirt. II
shall expect you. But not on Thurs
day evening. remember"
What an interest," it would give TO
the future menu cards of the View
point Inn to have these printed lines
added to them: only once during
the more than ten years of his
lonely existence did the mountain
hermit leave his famous cave. That
was when he was irresistibly drawn
to the inn by the destinations OF
Miss Beatrix Trenholme. youngest
and most beautiful of the. celebrated
Trenholme sisters, whose brilliant
marriage to"
Aye, to whom:
The hermit walked back to the
hermitage. At the door STOOD Doo
Binkley, his old friend and compan-
ion of the days before he had re-
nounced the world-Bob, himself,
arrayed like the orchids of the
greenhouse in the summer mans
polychromatic garb-Bob. the mil
lionaire, with his fat. firm, smooth,
shrewd face, his diamond rings.
sparkling fob-chain, and pleated
bosom He was two years older
than the hermit, and looked FIVE
years younger.
You're Hamp Ellison, in spite OF
those whiskers and that going-away
bathrobe." he shouted. 'T read about
you on the bill of fare at the inn.
They've run your biography in be-
tween the cheese and Not Respon-
sible for Coats and Umbrellas
What'd you do it for, Hamp? And
ten years, too-gee whilikins!"
You're just the same said the
hermit. Come in and sit down. Sit
on that limestone rock over there;
it's softer than the granite."s
'I can't understand it, old man."
said Binkley. II can see how you
could give up a woman for ten
years, but not ten years for a
woman. OF course 1 know why you
did it. Everybody does. Edith Carr.
She Tilted four or FIVE besides you.
But you were the only one who took
to a hole in the ground. The others
had recourse to whisky. the Klon-
dixie, politics and that similia sim
ilibus cure Btt, say-Hamp, Edith
Carr was just about the finest
woman in the world-high-toned
and proud and noble, and playing
her ideals to win at all kinds of
odds. She certainly was a cracker
jack" :,
After Il renounced the worlS"
said the hermit II never heard 'of
her again."
she married me-" said Binkley.
The hermit learned against the
wooden walls of his ante-cave and
wiggled his toes.
'I know how you feel about it,"
said Binkley. What else could she
do? There were her-four sisters
and her mother and old man Carr
you remember how he put all the
money he had into dirigible bal
looms? Well, everything was COM
ing down and nothing going up
with 'em as you might say. Well,
I know. Edith as well as you do
although I married her. I was
worth a million then. but I've run
II up since to between FIVE and six.
1t wasn't me she wanted as much
as-well, it was about like this: She
had that bunch on her hands, and
they had to be taken care of. Edith
married me two months after you
did the greund-squirrel act.
thought she liked me, too, at the
time" s.,
And now?" inquired the recluse.
TO BE CONTINUED.