The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1899-09-20
"whsre is this wonderful place you

Il
are going to?" he asked.
''Ah, that's secret" she replied,
gayly, II promised I'd never, never
tell"
''Oh, we'll, then suppose iI's .
crime to even guess. And once more
the editor sighed as he glanced out at
the sparkling waters.
'But you have been so kind" ex-
claimed the widow, noting the sigh
and Immediately filed with compunc-
tion. at seems ungracious of me TO
keep il from you who love so to fish. T"
And then as she saw him give another
wistful glance hayward she burst out
impulsively: Promise me not to be-
tray me and I'll tell you-it's Pate
hang lakep' ''Patchangi" cried Mr..
Snively in surprise. "Why, / never
heard of fish down there in my
life.
"That's the charm Of it," she re-
joined, gleefully, ''and the man who
told me about IL (such a dear, dirty,
old fisherman he was) was fearfully
afraid some one else would find it out;
so don't betray me-" And She hurried
away with parting smile that made
the dusty Office seem duller than ever
when he got back to it and reluctantly
commenced setting up his editorial, for
Mr.. Snively constituted the whole
working force of The Monitor.
And his task seemed harder than
ever after the interruption. Thoughts
of his pretty visitor kept intruding
themselves into the midst of his most
impassioned appeals to the voters of
Meloogic.
How blue her eyes we're and what
bewitching little rings OF hair had
blown up under the big hat.
And then the fishing.
The editor of The Monitor shook
hic head. Could it be possible any
man living could have q soul so lost TO
honor as to play joke on woman
who looked like that? 1t seemed inn
possible, and yet Mr.. Snively was as
sure there wasn't fish within a mile
OF Patchang as he was that there
wasn't free silver man in Meloogic.
Perhaps even then Mrs. Tracy was
sitting in that yawl vainly waiting for
the bite he felt certain she wouldn't
get if she sat there till the United
States got an honest government. And
he was actually staying at home and
deliberately abandoning friend to
such fate!
As this agonizing thought occurred
to Mr.. Snively he dropped his type
and started for the door. But once
there he paused and slowly returned
to his form, only to find it more and
more impossible to keep his mind on
his work.
AT last he gave up in despare.
Taking a hasty survey OF what he'd
already accomplished he found his col
umns tolerably full, with the excep-
tion Of perhape a single paragraph on
the local page. BY hard work the fol-
lowing morning he might hope TO set
up his pages and would trust to luck
for the missing paragraph.
Like all fishermen, Mr.. Snively was
firm believer in luck. He was also
man of action when he chose, and
within five minutes of this calculation
he had locked up the editorial depart
ment and was on his way TO Patchang
lake.
When he reached that shallow sheet
of water little lady in blue serge sat
in boat in the center thereof, with
an expression of virtuous indignation
on her sunburnt features.
"What luck?" called the editor from
the shore.
"Luckp' cried the fair sportswoman
dolefully. "There's not enough water
in this lake to catch cold in, much less
n fish. All I've got for my trouble is
a mighty poor opinion of fishermen
in general and one dirty one in par
ticular."
"Come over here" said Snively
81 know pond not thousand miles
away where the fish bite like mosqui-
toes. If you'll try it l think l can
raise your opinion of fishermen be-
fore I'm a day older"
81 can't" confessed the widow,
blushing with anger and modification.
"I'm stuck in the mud"
One moment the man of letters hesi-
tated on the bank aud then, with an
inward prayer that he might at least
be spared to get out that week s
paper, he waded boldly into the ex-
panse of treacherous mud that rolled
between him and the beauty in dis
| tress.
The next morning the editor walked
into the Monitor office clad in his
Sunday clothes. With his accustomed
methodical neatness he pulled off his
coat, hung it behind the door, and
carefully drew on his linen sleeves n
pair of black alpaca ones. Then he
lighted his pipe and took his place at
the form.
There, just as he had left it, was
the vacant space at the end of the
local column still yawning for the
missing paragraph.
Mr.. Snively regarded it for a few
minutes rehectively-then he took up
his pen, as smile gradually spread
itself over his face until it reached his
eyes. 1t still fingered there when q
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