Waterbury Democrat., 1902-01-02
HIS FISH STORY.

The minister's daughter was enter taining a few girl friends at the par sonage the other evening, and after the latest bit of gossip had been dls- cussed over dainty cups of the orlen- tai beverage, the father of the hostess was unanimously elected to entertain them with a story.
 'sSome one has said, the good man began, ''that the unexpected always happens. and as a fish story is about the last parson would be expected to relate, I will endeavOr to entertain you with one the truth of which l can youch for.
 Ut was one summer evening in the gathering twilight" said he, while standing on a rustic bridge which spanned a famous trout stream near her fathers house, that I won from the girl I had loved the promise to be my wife. She was just the least bit inclined to f1irt, and 1 had a rival in the field; so to make the affair more binding, drew from her hand ring which she had often declared she would only give to her betrothed lover and transferred it to my own finger.
 It was my mothers engagement ring she said, half playfully and half in earnest, and there is bit of su- perstition connected with it. So long as you keep and wear it we are en- gagged but if you lose it or part with it in any way the engagement is broken. So, as you value my love- take good care of it.
 "A week later she went away on a visit, and then my only consolation was to haunt that favorite spot on the bridge which had been our tryst- ing place. Once while leaning over the railing and thinking of our en- gagement I took from my finger the treasured ring, and gazed fondly on the initials-hers as well as her moth 1 ers-engrayed within. Tn attempting to replace it, however, the golden cir Gle fell from my grasp and disappear ed i'll the waters below.
 'Only a youthful lover under sucb circumstances can imagine my feel ings. Day and night I mourned. dis consolate, my lost treasure. Yet, strange to say. l had singular pre- sentiment or intuition that the ring would De restored to me, though by what means l had not the faintest idea.
 Not long after, while fishing in the same stream short distance below the bridge, fell to thinking of the lost ring. If 1 could only fish it up- and just then there was a culver 2 sudden Jerk and struggle at my line ana aIter some play I drew out a fine large trout. At the sight of him the thought suddenly and unaccountably nasned into my mind that the ring ny lost flng-Was to be found in his Dody: l cannot account for the feel Ing, put l know it was heightened tc almost a conviction, when. unor Srasplng the trout I perceived on one slde of his body a singular prot,ber ahce and felt something like a hard lorelgn substance beneath the surface
 Eagerness had made me cruel anf selzlng my pocket knife I cut off tbf { ylcums head, and then, with unsteadv nanas, l ripped the body open. My hilile grated against some shining suh stance. Imagine my feelings. when Wltn beating heart and tremblins hands I drew forth
 The ring! The ringv' breathlessl1 eAelalmed the girls in chorus
 NO, indeed" continued the frl,tbfn narrator, nsa "only a piece of green class me ring was never found.''
 Ana <, what became of the girl na pas eagerly asked his daughter r
 Tor the past seventeen years. m, uear, the good man replied. as viii merry twinkle in his eye he glance toward the other end of the fabla
 she has filled with satisfaction tb. peasant but somewhat responsible no sltlon of mother to you.''-Chicag gc