News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1890-06-12

HOW SHE CAUGHT FISH.
Il don't care if Freddy Colby is COM
ing, Aunt Frances I'm going fishing
with Tom Why shouldn't l, pray9 l
don't know your paragon of perfection
i don't wish to know him. If father
and mother would persist in promising
us to each other when we were nothing
but babies, that does not go to show
that we have got to keep to the promise.
We had no voice in the matter and we
were the ones to consult. For my part
is coming to see you and | am going
fishing with Tom. l don't know when
We'll get back, either.
And Minnie Jones tied on her big red
sun bonnet with a little air of bravado
as she vanished out of the wide open
door of the farm house kitchen, while
Aunt Frances looked after her over her
spectacles with an air of one who knew
something which she did not care to
tell. 1--WE will wait and see" she said.
While Minnie, entirely forgetting her
aunt's expected guest, went with her
cousin Tom out to the river and sat on
the bank under big, shadowing trees by
the waterfall the farther side of the
wood from Grey's farm, watching red
headed Tom patiently waiting the pleas
ure of the perch snugly hidden in the
quiet pool below. Her huge sun bon
net lay on the grass beside her as she
leaned toward, her hands clasped round
her knees, her dark face raised toward
the sunlight that flickered through the
boughs overhead.
They were city peOple-the JOneses,
but Minnie was spending the summer
with Aunt Frances Grey, her mothers
only sister, who cared for her as though
she were her own, but whom Minnie
THOUGHT unllind for siding with her par
ents in regard to the son of her fathers
old friend
tom, said Minnie suddenly, un-
clasping her hands from around her
kness, I'm tired watching you fish;
you catch nothing Let NE try"
Just as though girl could catch
fish," retorted Tom, disrespectfully,
swapping black beetle into the water.
Don't, said Minnie. You cruel boyl
The bug wasn't hurting you"
NO" replied Tom, calmly, leaning
his chin in the hollow of his hand, but
it's lots of fun to see him sprawlin'
round in the water. Look at his legs
fiyl You bet they never went SO fast
on dry land. Hi, there he goes" as
fish came to the surface and the bug
went down. Good for you, finny.
Come an try my hook" and he dab
bled the bait temptingly over the spot.
Let me try. said Minnie. IN catch
him"
''You can't" said Tom, though he
slowly handed her the slender pole.
Girls do know how ter catch fish.
They make too big a fuss over it. ="
''Do theyY queried his cousin, with
an air of superior wisdom. There, :"
with little scream, I've got him-Fve
got him, Tom, What do you say now
to girls catching fish?' And she whirled
the poor little haSlnless sunfish up out
of the water with enough power to land
six pounder-up through the soft air
and around under the shadowy, tlutter-
ing leaves, just as gentleman emerged
from the thick underground in time to
catch the Topping, sloppy fish in his
face.
"Ughl" he exclaimed Indignantly.
You must have heard me coming
You might have been more careful"
Then OF IL sudden he broke into such
a me?. laugh that Minnie had all she
could do to refrain from joining him
but after such a blunder she would
have done much to keep her frigid dig
nifty. But Tom had no such scruples. He
was lying flat on his face, kicking his
feet up over his back, his chin deep in
the hollow of his hands, as he burst out
in an agony of mirth:
"Sure's you live, Min, you did catch
him"
And poor little mortified Minnie sat
still on the bank, helpleSsly staring at
the stranger, at the Topping fish, at dis
graceful, disagreeable Tom kicking hys-
terically at her feet.
Il beg your pardon, said the stranger
gravely, without so much as twitch-
ing of his lips II was out in the woods
looking up place for shetching when
heard you scream. | thought there
might be cause for alarm and came at
once. am sorry if | have made you
at all uncomfortable.
might be cause for alarm. This
unfortunate remark did not help to
cool Minnie's anger. She could have
hung poor Tom with a good grace
Let me get him off for you" He
stopped and grasped the wriggling fish
in one hand and struggled with the
hook with the other without a blush,
though even Impractical Minnie had a
suspicion that so much force was not
necessary.
This part of the world looks to me
as though there might be trout. Have
you ever tried to catch them9 They
are the fish to give some fine maneu-
yering."
" 'Twouldn't be any use for her to
try" broke in Tom; "she makes too big
a fuss about it.
Minnie scorned to offer reply to this
disparaging remark, but the angry fire
In her eyes was not missed by the OBJ
serving eyes of the stranger.
81 wish l could sketch you just as
you are now," he said, impulsively, re
GREETING the words as soon as they were
uttered, for Minnie rose hurriedly tc
her feet, an indignant flush on her face
SO, he not only laughed at her, but ac
tually insulted her. Meeting Fred
Colby were not as bad as this. Why die