The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-07-01

| could not be refused. / will call papa
to help gather them.'
Together the three proceeded to the
| bed of Old-fashiOned flowers but neither
the young lady nor the old gentleman
noticed the triumphant smile John
flashed quietly at Jim as the trio turned
the house corner.
I could easily buy my dying friend a
bouquet at a greenhouse explained
John, but they would not be the kind
that his mother raised back in York
state and of which he continually bah
bles in his delirious sleep" And here
John wiped his eyes in a mournfuI way
and the young lady in sympathetic grief,
too, brushed away tear with her dain-
ty handkerchief.
What are those beu-shaped flowers
that look so pretty?" exclaimed John,
the choice collection interspersed with
a few fern sprays. "Petunias,' she said;
they are very fragrant and pleasant
for the sick ROOM
"Pe-tOO-nas; he often speaks of them
Madame; he will bless you to his last
hour for your kindness. Please accept
a half dollar for the token of your gen
crosby.
No; then thanks again." and John
passed out to where Jim stood leaning
against tree with a dollar in his hand
to pay the bet
Poor man, 1 felt so sorry for him
didn't you. papa?"
But the young Iady's elder sister who
knew men and their ways better and
from an upper window, remarked:
Pooh. he was simply drunk. III bet
he had no sick friend at ALL" And Jim
softly echoed, That's me-"
'I see that the people are talking Of a
bridge across the Kansas river near
Rossville, said Ananias Fisher a few
nights ago as he sat on an empty
chicken crate in the hay market and
talked politics to the. farmers who were
there.
That reminds me of a bridge across
Mill creek that was carried out by a
fish years ago. All the big fish were in
Mill creek and one of them was the
cause of the country out there being
without a bridge.
1--WE used to catch all kinds of fish out
there in the early hfties before the In
dams were driven away The creek
was bigger then than now and so were
the fish. We used grub worms for bait
we used shrink lines and they beat
any throw or tree line ever invented.
There was vine called the yerba beu-
ma that used to grow out near the old
Indian mission on the Valencia road
and we used this for line. It was about
half an inch in diameter when it was
full grown and strong as a. log chain.
We used to tie one end to a tree or
stake and throw the line into the creek
and we did not have to stay and watch.
Well 1 put one of those shrink lines
out once and went off and left it.
''Well, what's the shrink part got to
do with it?" asked a barefoOted boy
who was interested.
why, I plum forgot that but the
lines would shrink when they got wet
you know, and draw the fish up on the
bank But as 1 was telling you about
leaving this line. I went back in the
morning after I had done the chores and
the tree that I tied the line to was gone.
1t was pulled right up by the roots. I
got skiff and started down stream to
look for it.
THE creek was up and I found the
tree lodged in the braces of the bridge.
The shrink line was all right and on
the other end was a big fish. I couldn't
say how big it was, but it was powerful.
I suppose the fish was so stout that
that it pulled the tree up.
THE fish got under the bridge all
right. The water was high and the tree
caught. The fish was a pretty strong
one, for it pulled the bridge, piers and
all over and not a thing was left of it.
We heard a month or two after that one