Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-07-31
CHAPTER XXI.
A LESSON IN FLY-FISHING.

Miss Carry Hodson returned from Paris
In very radiant mood she had had what
she called real good time; and every
thing connected with the wedding had
gone oil most successfully. Her dress,
that she had ordered long before she came
to the Highlands, was a perfect mt; Lilly
Selden made the most cha ming and heau-
tliul of brides and no less a person than
a prince rather swarthy, and hailmg from
some mysterious region east of the Carpa-
tnianSl had proposed the health of the
bridesmaids, and had made especial men
ton of the young ladies who had Travelled
long distances To he present on the aus
piciouS occasion.
However, on the morning after her ar
rival her eluanlmity was somewhat
dashed When she went along the pas
sage to the little hall-to see what the
morning was like outside-she found
waiting there "A respectable-lOoking elder
ly Highlander, with grizZled locks, who
touched his cap to her, and who had her
waterproof over his arm, This last cir
cumstance made her suspicious: instantly
she went back to her father.
who is that man - she asked.
"W hat man -
"Why, an old man, who is waiting
there, and he has got my waterproof
slung over his arm
"Well, that is the new gillie.'
"Isn't Ronald going down ?" she said
with very evident disappointment
"Of course not her father said, with
some sharpness. 81 think you have taken
up enough of his time And just now,
when he is getting ready to 90 away, do
you think ! could allow him to waste
day after day in attending to us Seems
to me it would be more To the point if you
put your small amount of brains into de-
| vising some means of squaring up with
him for what he has done already"
"Oh, very we'll" she sailor rather
what she did really say was, oh, vurry
well and the pretty, pale. attractive
face resumed its ordinary complacency,
and she went oil to make friends with the
new gillie. She was on good terms with
the old Highlander in about a couple of
minutes and presently they were on their
way down to the loch, along with the lad
John. Her father was to follow as soon
as he had finished his letters.
But she was now to discover, what she
had never discovered before, that salmon
fishing on loch is rather monotonous
atfair-unless the fish are taking very free
ly indeed. For one thing, the weather
had settled down into fine, clear, spring
like calm and quiet that was not at all
| favorable to the sport 1t was very beau
tiful no doubt; for sometimes for hours
together the lake would be like a sheet OF
glas--the yellow shores and purple birch
woods all accurately doubled with nearer
at hand the faint white reflections of the
into the soft and deep blue: and when a
breath of wind, from some unexpected
point of the compass, began to draw q
sharp line of silver between earth and
water. and then came slowly across the
loch to them, ruliing ont that magic in
verified picture on its way, the breeze was
deliciously fresh and balmy, and seemed
to bring with it tidings of the secret life
that was working forward to the leafines,
of summer. They kept well out into
the midst of this spacious circle of lowell
ness for old Malcolm declared they would
be doing more harm than good by going
over the fishing ground so she had 1
sufficiently ample view of this great pan
Drama of water, and wood and far noun
tain slopes. But it grew monotonous
She began to think of Paris, and the
brisk, busy days,-a hurry of Sayety and
pleasure and interest using up every
possible minute. She wished she had {
book, some knitting, anything. Why
when Ronald was in the boat-with hi
quick, sarcastic appreciation of every
story she had to tell, of every experience
she had to desCribe-there was always
enough amusement and talking, But Thu
old man was hopeless She asked hin
questions abont his croft. his family, hi
sheep and cows, and he answered gravely
but she took no interest in his answers, a
her iather might have done She VA
Enthusiastically GLAD to yet ashore for luncl