The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1902-05-30
A SHOOTING MATCH.
A Tale Of Reelfoot Lake.

| the mosquitoes. ! ne pldS ue.
things like to have eaten me up last
evening while was doing Nick's
Tow Head. But l got an excellent
picture of that pretty little island
despite the fact that spent hall
the time fighting the bloodthirsty
insects. I'll tell you what I'll do
Miss Ada; I'll give you half dollar
an hour to keep the gallinippers OF
me while | use the brush. You car
have a camp stool near NINE, and il
you will use the palm leaf occasion
ally, I cap work in peace. A hall
dollar an hour-what do you say
1--WE got your company, as the
fisherman say" laughed the young
lady. "Get your easel and stools.
I'll keep the mosquitoes off you al
day for fifty cents an hour"
Cloud Mathews was not only a
great sportsman but quite an artist
and, having money, he could easily
afford to crafty his passion for
both. He had come down to Reel
foot Lake from Nashville for few
weeks outing, and had taken board
with Mir. Benrow, whose home was
but a few hundred yards from the
lake; and it was to his daughter
that he made the proposition to
keep the mosquitoes off him while
he sketched Burdick's picturesque
fish dock, with the great strings of
ducks hanging around and several
skiffs tied to its side.
A number of fishermen and hunt
ers, who were not then engaged i'll
their usual avocations, came up and
Interestingly watched the picture
as it emerged from it's rough out
lines into a correct presentation
of the dock.
Miss Ada is getting fifty cents
an hour to keep the mosquitoes off
me, so l can work." said Mathews.
by way of explanation. "She isn't
using this tan for love"
81 am glad to hear that, earnest
ly commented young fisherman by
the name of Jim Seigell, at which
all the men laughed, and Adas face
cr1msoned and, though she said
nothing, she gave the speaker a re.
proving, cutting glance.
When the picture was finished
Mathews looked at it approvingly
and said
"Well, that a pretty fair sketch
it l do say it myself; and the only
one I've done in any peace and com
fort. That palm leaf, properly ma
nipulated, is great thing, Miss
Ada, and during the remainder o
my sketching you can earn fifty
cents an hour, if you wish.
wouldn't have the poisonous things
to bite me again like they did las
evening for a dollar an hour
You had better go up on you
price then, Miss Ada" remarked
one of the fishermen, laughingly.
ooh, no; fifty cents is good pay
and more than the service is worth,
was the answer; " but the PROPOSE
ton was Mr.. Mathews, so shall
hold him to his word"
Ada was pretty little blonde O
nineteen summers, who had received
fair country education at the
neighborhood school. Her fathel
was a poor man, who made his liv
ing by fishing, and by occasionally
entertaining sportsmen from
abroad; therefore the money she
earned by acting as an electric far
for Mathews was greatly apprec1at
ed, This fact, known to the Nash
vile man, was what prompted hin
to offer her fifty cents an hour wher
he knew she would gladly have
worked all day for that sum; anc
the sketching of the fish dock was
not the last work of Mathews, b.
any means, in which she assisted
him by tanning away the mosqui
toes while he piled the brush. ShC
was a fair conyersationalist will
one with whom she felt at ease, anC
her recital of the hunting and fish
! ing incidents i'll the life of the ma
tives interested him; and he, il
turn, amused her and added to he
store of information by telling he
tales of city life.
II should so much like to see ;
city," she said one day, as sh;
welded the fan while Mathews
painted industriously away.
"Never been in a city," ques