The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-09-15
That Affa ir of the Trout,

4
| lighted when Johnson told him over the
! telephone that if he would send down his
| office boy he would present to MIN box
of brook trout. Johnson had just re-
| turned the day before from the Catskills,
! where he had caught the trout.
Put the box in some cool place till /
start for home" Grimsby had said to
! his office boy. But Worth street dry
! goods houses do not abound in cool places
on midsummer afternoons, and when at
S o'clock the office boy produced the box
| of trout for the departing Grimsby he ad-
ded, with a respectful smile: 1T wouldn't
| do no harm. sir, if you was to sit in the
| smoking car on your way out"
! what do you mean?" demanded Grims-
| by.
The office boy said nothing. but shifted
rather suggestively in the direction OF the
| trout.
What nonsense exclaimed Grimsby,
angrily. "They were caught only yester-
! day" And he thought what a delightful
surprise they would be for his wife. They
would have some for supper.
Grimsby lives in New Jersey, and is
| one of that sad-looking band Of commu-
ters that press to the front of the ferry
| boat and stand each night, wan and
weary, under the rays of the setting sun.
| But tonight Grimsby noticed that the
crowd around him was thin. In fact, it
| formed a fairly respectable circle, and
some Of the people made ill-natured re-
marks about giving it air" Grimsby was
indignant 1t was perfectly absurd to sup
| pose that trout caught only yesterday
could begin to spoil so soon. Besides,
Johnson had told him that the fish were
packed in grass, as they would carry
much better that NAV than IN
All the same, it was an unpleasant CO.
| incidence, 5000 after he had sat down in
the train and placed the box under bis
seat, that two or three old men near him
should rise, make testy remarks Of ''how
close 1t was" and then throw the car
windows up with bang.
When Grimsby stepped off the train he
made rush for a carriage. Livery sta
BILE hacks come high, but he felt like
getting home quickly.
Cornelia was a devoted wife, but she
sometimes lacked tact She started to
greet her husband with more than usual
cordially, when she suddenly stopped
and gazed at the box suspiciously Grims-
by came to the rescue at once:
That contains a mess of beautiful
brook trout, fresh caught. Johnson was
kind enough to make me a present of
them,' and Grimsby set the box down
with busting cheerfulness.
'tBut they've gone bad, Fred" she
blurted out; you can smell them a mile
off. Why, it's simply norrlblen
Grimsby flushed angrily. My dear" he
said, you may think you know all about
housekeeping, but when it comes to fish
and game you're nothing but a baby"
and Grimsby glared at her indignantly.
Besides" he added, those trout were
given to me by one of my best friends,
and we're going to have them for sup
peril"
Very we'll, num-" said Katie, holding
her apron to her nose, after Grimsby had
gone upstairs, "but I'm thinking that
them poor fish needs an undertaken more
than they do cook"
1T has occurred to me-" said Grimsby,
when he came down to the table some
what Modified by seeing some Of his pre-
cious trout ready for him. that it would
be nice thing to give Robinson and his
wife few Of the trout. They get so
little in the way of the seasons delica-
cies." And Grimsby sat down braveiy be-
fore his fish. They certainly had a curl
Gus odor, but then Grimsby knew that
trout were wholly different from other
fish, and he fell to work.
MY dear he said finally to his wife,
do you know these trout are perfectly
splendid; but never cared for the flavor
of brooo trout. 1t is taste that every
one says has to be cultivated. Robin
son, though, am sure, appreciates trout.
How would 1t do to send him over the
whole boxful? believe in being neigh
borly, and they would be a real treat for
Robinson and his wife"
Right after supper Mrs Grimsby sent
Katie over to the Robinsons with the
box Of trout and a cordial message from
Mr. Grimsby to Robinson
MY gosh!' exclaimed Robinson. the
moment that the Grimsby cook was be-
yond hearing, what trick Is Grimsby
trying to play on me now? When he
starts to send me deceased animals, 1
begin to object"
Now, Robinsons wife had great ad-
miration for Grimsby and protested We
hemently that the gift was a most gener-
Gus and gracious one. "Of course the
trout are fresh and a great rarity" she
declared, and began carefully to remove
the cover Of the box
They look lovely" added Mrs Robin
son, when she had fairly got the cover
off, but neither of US has ever cared for
trout. They are really a cultivated taste,
you know"
''Umph!' grunted Robinson.
Soon after dusk the Robinsons' maid
might have been seen vending her way
through the back yard with a covered
basket in her hands She was on her
way to the HiNs. in the next street, great
friends Of the Robinsons
Mrs. Robinson sent a sweet little note
to Mrs. Hill that "a friend has Just sent
up some beautiful, fresh caught trout
but, unfortunately, neither my husband
nor I care for trout. and we hope that
you will accept them"
How sweet of herr' exclaimed Mrs
Hiil, but her husband eyed the basket
Askance. Smells more Hike a dead cat"
he blurted out.
Il declare" said his wife, who by this
time had put the basket on the hall ia
Die and had taken of the cover. 81 de-
clare, they do have a curious odor Why
they are smelling up the whole house
We can't stand this" and she hurried
out again with the precious trout and laid
the banket on the front porch.
do you know. jim" she said, after
gazing for several moments at the odor
bearing basket, Il believe that those fish
are probably all right The fact IS. we
don't know a thing about trout We've
always lived by the sea. where they
catch Dothing but shad and codash
balls"
IN tell You what" and she clapped
her hands at the thought. well send the
trout over to the Grimsbys. Crtmsby is
all the time telling about his elegant
friends. and we'H tell him that we have
some. too. who shower trout upon Us.