The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-05-15

made n. was only referring to your
husbands great catch-the big fish
that he hooked at Tenbury."
'Mr. Jones! ,Tenbury! and big fish.
Mr.. Jones hasn't hooked big fish OF
any other fish,
Culpepper felt that he had somehow
put his foot in it. 1t was obvious to
him that for some reason or other Mrs.
j. had been kept in ignorance of the
big fish, and he did his best 10 retrieve
his error
didn't he, really? Then / must
have been mistaken. Some other
Jones, perhaps. It's not an uncommon
name"
mo, MIR. Culpepper! Itisvery good
OF you to endeayor to screen him. II
is point of honor among you men, ]
believe. to shield each other; but | am
not to be so easily put of, can tell
you. Mr.. PhilpOtts had the particulars
from Mr.. Jones' own lips, you said
consequently it is clear that Mr.. Jones
has caught a fish, Though | shouldn't
have believed it of him), and that that
fish has been concealed from ME-"
Poor Culpepper looked extremely un-
comfortable. As for myself-well, Mr..
kinglake has recorded that the late
Emperor Napoleon used to turn pale
green when in the presence of the
enemy; l never believed the story till
that evening, but do now.
''But, Maria" / said, sit is really
nothing to make fuss about. l as
sure you L didn't-no, mean l did
catch fish, but it was quite an acct
dent, and it shan't occur again
mo, Mr.. Jones, there is a mystery
here which l am determined to fathom.
You have caught fish-a large fish it
seems. Where is that fish? Why did
you not send it to your once happy
home?"
Mrs. Jones glared at me as if she
thought the fish was at that moment
concealed about my person. 1 believe
was about to answer OOrgetful of its
dimensions) that it wasn't worth bring
ing home, or that I had eaten it all
myself. when Culpepper came unex-
pectedly to the rescue.
81 can relieve your mind on that
score, Mrs. Jones. Mr.. Jones sent it
to his collection at the Fisheries Exhi-
bition." Good gracious, thought,
''what a liar the man is, though he
means it in kindness, no doubtrD Il
saw it there myself yesterday"
This was the ..iie with circum-
stance with a vengeance, and yet
there the man sat, as cool and collected
as if he were repeating the multiplica-
ton table. How envied his calm COM
posure! But the tiend went on to say:
''Make him take you to see it, Mrs.
Jones, if he hasn't already done so"
he continued; lit is really worth
seeing. You'll find it in the second or
third case on the left, just as you enter
the gallery"
ale shall take me to the Fisheries
Exhibition before he is twenty-four
hours older" replied Mrs. Jones. II
will get to the bottom of this somehow.
l wish you good evening, gentlemen"
and she sailed out of the room.
''What on earth possessed you to
suggest that?" remarked ruefully to
Culpepper as the door closed.
Every sorry if I've done any mis-
chief" he said; II really thought it
was the best thing could say. 1 am
extremely sorry ever introduced the
subject; but of course 1 couldn't guess
that your wife didn't approve of your
angling excursions and that YOU had
made secret of this little matter. She
is afraid your hobby might interfere
with business, suppose"
Eyes, that's it," said, only too glad
to jump at this straw in the way of ex-
PLANTATION, and Culpepper shortly after
took his leave. With terror 1 antici-
pated the inevitable explanation with
Mrs. Jones; but it was postponed, for
L found she had taken up her quarters
in the spare room for the night. My
hair is not gray, with years or other
wise, "nor grew it white in a single
night, as men have grown through sud-
den fears But l am quite surprised
that it didn't.
The next morning Mrs. Jones came
down to breakfast with her bonnet on.
"Where are you going, my dear?" l
ventured mildly to inquire.
II am going with yOu. Mr.. Jones, to
the Fisheries Exhibition"
felt that L was going to still further
shame and exposure, but there was no
help for it. What Mrs. Jones would say
or do when she found that there was no
fish of mine at the Exhibition l shud-
dered to think.
We reached South Kensington in SOL
emn silence. Like condemned GRIM
inal just screwing up his courage for
the final attentions of the late MIR. Mar
wood, L followed Mrs. Jones to the
Museum" department. We entered
the gallery; glanced. involuntarily, to
the spot where, according to Culpep-
per's account, my great catch ought to
have been. Great heavens! what did |
behold |! A handsome showcase, sur
by the name of Marmaduke
H. Jones, in large gold letters, and con-
tanning stuffed fish of various sizes and
the center object being a
pike. | felt that reason was
on her throne. Had 1 really
caught all that fish and didn't know it,
Was l somnambulist with double ex-
istence, catching fish (and sending them
to the Fisheries Exhibition) in INV sleep |
and forgetting sill about it in my waking |
hours? The revulsion of feeling was |
too much for mel fell on the floor in |
= dead faint. How long l so continued |
cannot say, but l presently came to
myself and found small crowd round |
NE, and Mrs. Jones holding large and |
powerful smelling bottle to my nose. 1
heard an excited whisper: That's the !
gent as ketched all them fish; he don't |
ook it, do he?" Mrs. Jones perceived |
hat 1 was reviving; she said: 1--WE
will defer explanations. Mr.. Jones. We
lad better 90 home" And we went
home accordingly, in solemn silence as
We came.