The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1902-12-05
THE CORAL FISH'S
M7I1JVT CHARM. NJIVIV5N
By Marie St. Felix.

T UST when 1 fell in love with
u Bobby, or Bobby fell in love
with me, we were never able to
agree.
Bobby held that it was in those
days when he valiantly saved all his
pennies to buy sugared caraway
seeds for my enjoyment-and as It
took four pennies to buy an ounce,
he was sure it proved his DEVOTION!
But if this was true, argued [, how
much more must he have adored that
little freckle-nosed thing, Fluff Fair
fax, whom he provided with cream
cakes, at five pennies apiece, the fol-
lowing winter. No, certainly, it
wasn't then he truly fell in love with
me, and as for my own HEARTH was
set on the caraway SEEDS
1 think it was when Bob won the
Potch scholarship, which would carry
him abroad for two years, that first
awoke to his wonderful value. Two
years without Bob looked very bleak.
1 remember distinctly the dumb
misery felt when he came to tell me
goodbye. / felt the earth slipping
from under my feet and the chill of
the nowhere, beneath, enveloping me.
Certainly L cared for him then,
though L did not realize how dearly,
for Bob had been like brother to
me all my life;-but 1 realize, now,
no brother could be half so dear!
And, of course, it was because 1
really cared that 1 begged him for
the fish that morning.
Now the fish was seemingly in
animate object of carved coral that
Bobby wore at one end of his watch
chain; but it was a fish of amazing
qualities, and Bobby held that he had
often heard it's heart beat, and was
convinced that it was alive! 1t had
been presented to him at his christen-
ing by an eccentric old Englishwo-
man who had lived most of her life
in Bombay, where Bob happened to
be born. 1 think it was Bob's Bonn
bay boyhood that was responsible
for his belief in many things the
New England mind cannot enter into;
but no amount of New England edu-
cation seemed to knock the eastern
element out of Bob, and this bit of
blood-red coral carved into wee
fish, with tiny gold ring in it's
mouth, was more than mere
charm to him.
Guard it WE'LL" the old lady had
said, as she strung it on a ribbon and
tied it around his little neck; "don't
Lot
thee, be sure harm is near"
Baby Bob loved and cherised it;
cried if it was taken off his neck, and
cut two rows of pearly teeth upon it..
When he grew into kniclers, and be-
came the proud possessor of sill
yer watch, the fish was added to the
chain, and when the watch of silver
was replaced by one of gold, the coral
still found place; but while attached
to one end of the new chain, it was
now tucked away in his waistcoat
pocket, instead of dangling on view.
what shall I bring you?" he
asked, the day before sailing.
ooh, gloves, and tortoise shell
fan, and fine handkerchiefs," 1
ldugDGu, UndU UHc usual
Meanwhile-just so l won't forget
you-you could leave me the fish,"
''The fish" gasped Bob. "Oh, Doll!
You're cbaffing!"
''Not at all. I never had coral
fish. and think I'll like one
sob, but / couldn't give that up,
Dolly. Why, I've had it ever since
I was baby, you know"
"And being man, now. you should
put away childish things"
''That's al! very well, but ] should
be like chap at sea without com
pass. Just so long as that little fish
stays by me / know there's nothing
to dread. 1t always warns me, you
know, if anything horrible is to hap
pen"
My lip curled derisively. what
rot!' 1 calculated, politely. "You
don't really believe it, Bob!"
"But it's true, DOLL" said Bob, ear