The Associate Hermits

isfied to remain there until they were ready to return to their own house, but her husband and Margery were impatient to be in the woods, and it

he'll tell you. If you are in Phil's hands, you needn't be afraid anything will happen to you. Whatever you want, ask him for it, and ten to one he'll have it, whether it's informat

cigar and went out into the grounds in front of th

Margery?

. Archibald, "but she called to m

he was dressed in white, with flowers in her hair, and she was more cha

n that way of works of

work of natur

e asked Margery. "I did not suppose you would bring such a fine gown, as we started ou

. "I always like to have something nice to fall back upo

ly puffed his cigar, and as he puffed he took his eyes

A little farther on was a tennis-court, and four people, apparently young, were playing tennis. There were two men, and neither of them wore a tennis-suit. One was attired as a b

self, and on the piazza were the rest of the guests he had seen at

fading, and after a time he looked back towards his wife. She was now talking to the two elderly la

in front of the hotel. After contemplating the tops of some forest trees against the greenish-yellow of the middle sky, he turned his eyes again towards his wife, and found that th

egan talking to each other, after which one of the young men and the young woman approached a large tree, and he poked with a stick into what was probably a hole near its roots, and Mr. Archibald supposed that the discussion concerned a snake-hole or a hornets' nest. Then Margery and the other young woman came up, and they looked at the hole. Now the whole company walked into the woods and disappeared. In about ten minutes Mr. Archibald finished his cigar and was thinking of following his w

dvanced towards his wife; but before he reached her, Margery emerg

d, this time to his wife, "that ward

ght when she called her a creature of impulse. Let us wait her

gery and the young m

of me now. Aunt Harriet and Uncle Archibald, this is Mr. Clyde. He saw a great snake go into a hole

pleasant youth with brown hair, "and to-morrow I'll see if I can kill him. It's a bad

" said Mrs. Archibald, "for we leave to-morrow

rks made about snakes, and then

rchibald, "did you get acquainted so qui

and the other gentleman, Mr. Raybold, to me. But that was after you had been talking to Mrs. Dodworth, their mother, who is Mr. Raybold's aunt. The other lady, with the shawl on, is Mrs. Henderson, and-would you believe it?-she's grandmo

t-disease, some people say-but that is not certain. He stayed here all last summer, and perhaps he will this year. In two weeks hardly any of the people now in this hotel will be here. One family is going into camp when the father and two sons come on

ver done to him, because Mr. Sadler said he was right, and he would not have any nonsense about it. There are people about here who believe that Phil Matlack would fight a bear single-handed if it happened to be necessary. Mr. Sadler would do it himself if he c

h they say he is very strong and a good hunter. His name is Martin Sanders, an

ess, but he was so fond of the woods that he gave up everything to come out here and learn guiding. You know we were told that our camp in the woods has three rooms in it? Well, it really has four, for there was an artist there las

eighteen million cubic feet of water pour every minute. Where on

mostly about his bicycle. He feels badly about it, because he brought it here, and now he finds there is no p

their room, "I did not agree with you when you wished we could

made for the Archibald party to start

being done for their comfort, giving special heed to all the possible re

"that you were going with us. I do not kno

camp for. What I like about you is that you haven't any mind of your own. There is nothing I hate worse than to run against a man with a mind of his own. Of

opinion of me does not sound

ommon-sense, and that's pretty high praise. Everything I've told you to do you've done. Everything I've proposed you've agreed to. You see for yourself that I know what is better for you and yo

true light before this man who was so honest and plain-spoken. "Mr. Sadler," said he, "if you will take it as a piece of confidential information, and not intended f

roars that two hunting-dogs, who were asleep in the hall, sprang to the

you were on a wedding-trip or travelling into the woods to bury a child. I tell you, sir, you mayn't have a mind that can give out much, but you've got a mind that can take in the biggest kind o

loud call a boy

key that ever a human being took into the woods, and a jar of smoking-tobacco a great deal too good for any king on any throne. They belong to my private stock, and I am proud to make them a present to a man who will take

have heard something about him, and before we start I should l

passing the back door. He

y at the knees, a pair of conspicuous blue woollen socks, and slippers made of carpet. His short beard and his hair were touched with gray, and he wore a small jockey cap. With the exception of his eyes, Mr. Matlack's facial features were large, and the expression upon them was that of a mild and generally good-natured tolerance of the wo

ere is the gentleman you ar

said Matlack; "ho

e thing about hunting, fishing, making a camp-fire, or even digging bait. I don't suppose he ever spent a night outside of a house, and doesn't know any more about the weather than he does about planting cabbages. He's just

at Mr. Archibald, who was leaning back

out all that abo

an read a man's character when I've had a good chance a

in'," said Matlack, "and we can sta