Mrs. Grundy. (Tracy City, Tenn.) 1903-1930, 1904-03-31
|.
TWO YuuE ! PEOPLE. 4 SHIP. AND A
FISH

Goes. Inc seventeenth century was
not II years old, but the girl who
walled slowly down to the river bank
was three years its senior, She car
RED fishing-rod and line, and her
name was Kate Bonnet. She was
b;ight-faced, quick-moving young per-
son, and apparently did not expect to
catch many fish, for she had no bas-
ket in which to carry her finny prizes.
Nor, apparently, did she have any
bait, except that which was upon her
hook and which had been affixed there
by one of the servants at her home,
not far away. In fact, Mistress Kate
was too nicely dressed and her gloves
were too clean to have much to do
with fish or bait, but she seated her
self on a little rock In shady spot
not far from the water and threw forth
her line, Then she gazed about her;
O little up the river and good deal
down the river.
There was a bunch of white flowers
very large one, and not very small
one, but of such a size as might be
easily seen from the bridge, had any
one happened to be crossing about that
time And in fact, as the wearer OF
the hat and the white flowers still con-
tinued to gaze at the bridge, she saw
some one come out upon 1t with
q"ick, buoyant step. and then she saw
him stop and gaze steadily up the
river. At this she turned her head,
and her eyes went out over the beauti-
fui landscape and wide terraces rising
above each other towards the sky.
1t Is astonishing how soon after this
@ young man, dressed In brown suit,
and very pleasant to look upon, came
rapidly walking along the river bank.
This was MASTER Martin Newcomhe,
young Enslishman, not two years from
his native land, and now prosperous
| farmer on the other side of the river.
AS Master Newcombe stepped near
his spirits rose, as they had not al
ways risen, as he approached Mistress
Kate for he perceived that, although
she held the handle Of her rod in her
hand, the other end Of 1t was lying on
the ground, not very far from the bait
and the hook which, 1t was very plain,
had not been In the water at all. She
must have been thinking Of something
else besides fishing, he thought: But
| he did not dare to go on with that
sort Of thinking In the way he would
have liked to do it. He had not too
great belief In himself, though he
was very much In love with Kate Bon
net
is this the best time of day for
fishing, Master Newcomer" she said,
without rising or offering him her
hand For my part, | don't believe
1t is"
He smiled as he threw his hat upon
the ground Let me put your line
| little farther out" And so saying he
took the rod from her hand and
stepped between her and the bait,
which must have been now quite hot
from lying so long in bit OF sunshine.
He rearranged the bait and threw the
line far out into the river. Then he
gave her the rod again, He seated
| himself on the ground near by,
This is the second time / have
been over the bridge to-day" he said,
land this morning. very early, | saw
| for the first time your fathers ship,
| which was lying below the town. 1t
| is a fine vessel so far as | can judge,
being landsman."
Yes" said she, land ! have been
on board of her and have gone all
over her, and have seen many things
| which are queer and strange to me.
But the strangest thing ABOUT her, to
| my mind, being a landswoman, is
that she should belong to my father
| There are many things which he has
not, which it would be easy to be-
lieve he would like to have, but that
snip, with sails and anchors and
hatchways, should be one of these
things it is hard to imagine"
| Young Newcombe thought 1t was
impossible to imagine, but he ex-
| pressed himself discreetly.
at must be that he is going to en-
gaze in trade" he said; has he not
| told you of his intentions?"
mot much" said she. He says he
is going to cruise about among the
islands, and when | asked him II he
would take me he laughed and an
| swered that he might do so, but that
| must never say word OF 1t TO
Madam Bonnet, for II she heard OF 1t
she might change his plans"
The wicked young man found him
self almost wishing that the somewhat
bad-tempered Madam Bonnet might
hear of and change any plan which
might take her husbands daughter
from this town, especially In a yesseli
for vessels were always terribly tardy
when anyone was waiting for their
return. And, besides, 1t often hap
pened that vessels never came back
at all.
81 shall take a little trip with him
even if we don't go far; 1t would be
ridiculous for my father to own ship
and for me never to sail In her"
THAT would not be SO bad" said
Master Martin, feeling that short abb
sence might be endured. Moreover, If
little pleasure trip were to be made,
1t was reasonable to suppose that
other people, not belonging to the Bon
net family, might be asked TO sail as
guests.
What my father expeSs to trade
in" said she, contemplatively gazing
before her, 81 am sure do not know.
1t cannot be horses or cattle, for he
has not enough of them to make such
a venture profitable. And as to sugar
! caue. or anything from his farm am