The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1895-09-11
HIS FISH STORY.
A Delightful and Profitable Experience
Told by u Genuine Liar.

Told by u Genuine Liar.
"Speaking Of summer vacations"
said the man with tho dyed whiskers,
"but 1 had three weeks trip in the
state of Washington which will DO for
ever engraven OH tho tablets of my
memory. Talk about fishing = yum
yum!"
"You found fish, did you?'' sarcas-
tically Qucried tho man with u cataract
in his left eye.
II should remark 1t was ut place
called Fish Lake, and tho owner of tho
hotel carried all guests from the rail.
road, distance of Is miles, free Of
charge. He also furnished fishing tackle,
bait and boats without cost, and board
was only SO per week.
HE must have been in it for fun"
snapped tho cataract man as he tried to
tinker up broken cigar.
Yes; l think he was" continued the
man of tho weed. AT least no was no
robber. had only got there when he
informed me that he would pay go cents
per pound for all tho fish could catch
up to five tons week. AS was strange
to the place didn t catch but 200 pounds
the first day"
"Only 200 pounds?''
81 said only 200 pounds, sir, but the
next day my catch was about 500
pounds. Taking day i'll and day out for
the two weeks, averaged 700 pounds
per day. In tho ii days caught $500
pounds. "
And the landlord paid you 81, 800,
less Sc for board did her'
Il was about to say he did. and he
was much disappointed to think hadn't
caught more. He had forgotten all about
the SO due for board, but of course 1 re-
minded him of it. Yes; he gave me
check on a bank at Olympia for my
money, and it was promptly paid on
presentation
Weren't you sorry to leave there?"
asked the man with tho cataract.
Yes, of course, but when death steps
in it must alter our plans. 1 got news
that my wife was dead"
"Oh, your wife died, did she?"
so l stated, sir, and believe my
enunciation is clear. -
Did she die before knowing that you
had caught half ton of fish and sold
them on the spot for 81, $50?
She did. 1 wrote to her to that eff
feet, but she was in the shadowy land
before the letter reached her. Poor
Maryl'
And you-you used the money tc
buy her monument" queried the cata.
ract man, as he turned red and white.
~ was about to remark that did,
SIR
with an angel on top of it?"
Yes, sir, with an angel on top of it
AN angel with outstretched wings and
a glad smile on her face
Yes, Il smile OH her face No won.
der she smiled! She had been reading
tho epitaph down below Sacred to the
memory of Mary, wife of the biggest
liar i'll America
"Sirr' exclaimed the widower, edo
you wish to insult me?"
No, don't! What l wish to know is
why in thunder you didn t go back there
the next summer-why you aren't there
this very minutc?''
cob! That's it! Well, that's easily
told. That fall there came cloudburst
and an avalanche, and lake and hotel
wero swept away-lalse, landlord and
hotel. Under those circumstances I could
not return, but l have my eyes
OH Dnrn your eyes - interrupted
the cataract man. and he got up and
kicked his chair aside and added:
p" WAS there after you left, and I'll
give You Il pointer. started the blamed
old avalanche myself, and the only thing
L have to regret is that it didn't take