The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1878-04-18

You are determined to ruin all your
prospects in life, and disappOint the
cherished hopes of your dearest
friends.''
Aunt Cally laughingly eluded her,
and. darling through the door, disap-
peared around the house, and took her
way across the garden and through the
meadow to the brook, which skirted its
farther edge. She strolled along its
bank until it entered wood, and then
for some distance farther, enjoying the
GOODNESS, the silence and the restful
quiet.
"Oh, this is lovely?" she said to her
self. land there is just the place
have been looking for! That spread
ing beach upon that bank. l wish that
clump of alders was not there, though:
they hide the brook from me: but never
mind. l can hear it ripple, and gurgle,
and babble,' believe the poets call
it, and that will do quite rs well as see
ing it,"
So she climbed the steep bank, and
seated herself with her back against
the smooth stem of the beech, and. re-
moving her hat, looked about her for a
few minutes, and then with sigh of
satisfaction opened her book and read:
No traces of mans pomp or pride; no silks
Hustle, no jewels shine, no envious eyes
Encounter; no fantastic carvings show
Of thy fair works. But thou art here; thou fill st
The solitude.
Hank! Was not that footsteps? 1t
certainly was; and they were coming
down to the brook. Now she was glad
of the alder screen. She would remain
quite still, and the person, whoever it
might be, would pass on, unconscious
of her presence.
There he came; she could peep
through the bushes and see that it was
a man; yes, a man with q tishing-rod-
Il short, m;ddle-aged man.. And, of
al! things! if he isn't going to stop
right here! Well, this is a situation!
can't go away. He'd be sure to see ME.
| shall have to sit still and hold my
breath. What if he stays here all the
afternoon! l hope to goodness he won't
catch a single fish, the brute! won't
look at him!' for she had been peeping
down through the branches OF the add
ers, while the gentleman was rapidly
preparing for his cruel sport.
1t was rather an embarrassing situa-
ton for timid spinster, to be sure
The gentleman was so close to her that.
but for the screen of alders, she could
almost have touched his hat with her
hand. The alder-bushes were barely
high enough to hide her from view, as
she sat. The moment she arose she
might be discovered. Besides the un-
pleasantness of the situation, she had a
profound horror of fishing.
81 won't look! / W0n't lOokr' she
said to herself over and over, and reso
lutcly bent her eyes upon her book.
But try as she might, she could not
take the sense of what she read, and
could not keep her eyes from stealing
glances now and then through the
leaves, down at the unconscious figure,
sitting so motionless almost at her feet
How absorbed he was! She could not
see his face, of course, for his back was
toward her; but she fancied that his
eyes were bent immovably upon his
line, watching for the least intimation
of bite or nibble.
Before she was aware, she, too, be-
gan to be interested. Luckily, or UNI
luckily, she could see bit of the line,
just where it entered the water. There!
did it not tremble little? No, it was
only a ripple in the water that moved
it. There, again! That certainty was
something. Oh, dear, it was too dread
full! What if some poor, little. hungry,
unsuspecting fish were to come along,
and be caught on that cruel hook, de-
ceived by the tempting bait, and she
should be obliged to witness the bar
barOus transaction? She scould not
look another second. But, somehow,
she couldn't stop looking, and every
minute vibration of the line only in
creased the fascination, and made her
the more anxious for the result. Once
or twice the hook was lifted out of the
water for an instant, and each time she
almost shrieked aloud.
If he should bring up poor little
struggling creature, 1 shall scream,
know l SHALL" she said to herself. cit
seems as if must throw something at
him, the great. awful brute!''
She had half risen now, and was peer
ing over the tops of the alders with
anxious, frightened eyes riveted upon
the line, feeling, as she had just said,
as though she must scream, when, all
at once, there was a very perceptible
pull downward, followed Instantly by a
most vigorous jerk upward, and she did
scream, for, good gracious! what was
it Juggling at her hair, as though the
purpose was to take it all out by the
roots?
Her scream brought the gentleman
to her side almost instantly.
GOOD Heavens, MADAME he ex-
claimed. excitedly, 81 hope you are not
hurt. What is it? All! / see; nv fish
hook caught in your hair. How awk-
ward OF me! However, be calm, mad
am''-this, by the way, was wholly uu-
necessary, for Aunt Calista was as quiet
and composed, to all outward appear
ance, now rs she ever was in her life
~ can very soon extricate it, if you
will allow me-" And without waiting
for permission with deft plant fingers.
he set about his task, talking vofubly
all the while; now a word or two Of
apology for himself, then q remark up-
on the beauty of the day, then her book
Bryant was favorite of his, too
then q compliment to her hair-he
wouldn't have believed it was natural
until, at last, in tone of satisfaction.
and with little flourish of the hands,
"There we are," he said, "clear at
lastr' And Aunt Calista thanked him,
without exactly knowing for what, how
ever; and taking her book and hat, pre-
pared to return home.
Half an hour later, her sister and
nieces were electrified by seeing her
walk shyly into the house, accompanied
by Lawyer Chester, for it was he, and
this is the way their acquaintance began.
How it grew and ripened shall leave
you to guess from this slight bit of con-
versation which somebody overheard
the following Christmas: