The San Francisco call., 1905-01-15

(Copyrigh. by S. S. Mcclure Company
"HE Hon. w. H. MCGUIRE sat on a
log on the bank of Walnut Creek
getting his paraphernalia ready
i for days fishing.
Already he had secured his bucket Of
minnows and had selected his location
for angling, a pool just above the rifle,
bordered on the opposite side with
dropping willows that almost reached
down to dabble the ends of their over
hanging branches in the water. If bass
were to be found anywhere in Walnut
Creek, by all indications it should be
right there.
AT this particular moment he was en-
gagged in putting together his jointed
bamboo rod: AS he lifted the third Sec
tion to screw it into place he was
struck with thought of such startling
nature that he paused involuntarily and
was soon lost in reverie. 1t had sud-
denly come to him that he was lost,
had been lost for many years, and that
he had not realized it until now.
Not bodily lost. He knew his present
location, even to township, range and
section. Nor yet lost in physical or
moral sense. He was a very good man.
was the Hon. w. H. Mcclure, and held
in high esteem by his fellow citizens as
the last November vote had testified.
But as he sat there there came to him
Q sudden memory from his boyhood
days. He had been so very. very busy
these past dozen years that he had
hardly given thought to the old days.
Now he called to mind just how his
name looked in the big leather bound
family Bible, written out in his fathers
lott Ill fa-
Henry. third son Of John and Mary Nc
Guire"
He thought of that September morn
Ing when he had started for college. All
the boys and girls of his set were down
to the $3.50 train to see him off. His last
memory Of their faces was the glimpse
he had from the car window as the
train pulled out OF the station The
boys had yelled "Good-by, Billyl" and
the girls had shouted BE a good boy,
Billy!" and had waved their handker-
chiefs until shut from sight by the
curve around Gravelback Hill. Now
the fact dawned upon him that was the
last time he had heard a friendly voice
say Billy"
In college he had been plain Mcclure
During the time he was reading law in
the office in the city he was young
Mcclure" Then, when admitted to the
bar, ne had hurried away to the West
TO woo fame and fortune; had picked
out the county seat as an eligible place
to begin. and, for a time, was w. H.
Mcclure, attorney. Later he became
our leading lawyer, MCGUIRE" and at
last, our eloquent young orator and
present Representative from this coun-
ty, the Hon. w. H. MCGUIRE
As he felt the breath of the south
wind blowing up creek and listened to
the whistiing of the redbirds he
thought, for the moment, that he would
gladly give all his honors for the sake
OF hearing the boys say BILLY" in the
old, careless, affectionate way.
do you care if I fish in this hole.
too?"
Mcclure looked up. A ten-year-cld
boy. with a fishing pole across his
shoulder, stood before him. The lad
had a sunburnt face beneath his
straw hat, and his deep blue eyes set
Mcclure puzzling as to when and
where he had seen their like before.
Aside from the straw hat the boys
wardrobe consisted CT two essential
garments--a checked suIt and a pair
OF blue denim overalls, held in place by
a solitary suspender.
DO you care If / fish in this hole,
too?" repeated the boy, not quite sure
whether or not the gentleman had
heard his first query.
Mr.. Mcclure did not care. In fact.
he would be very glad to have his
company. He said so.
This Is my pas crick, volunteered
the boy; but he let's anybody fish in it
'at ants to-"
He unwound the line from mis- hick-
ory pole. dug a worm out of the dirt in
his old tomato can, impaied it, spat
on the bait and cast 1t with a swish
into the pool. Mr.. Mcguire went to his
own bait can, selected 1ninnow, hook
ed 1t through the back and made a
long cast into the deep water by the
willows.
do you use Ininnies for bait?"
Yes. I'm fishing for bass.''
And can you catch 'em that way?"
Sure! Can you catch 'em any other
way?"
"No, I can't. I've tried lots o. times.
too. rye seen 'em in the clear water
great big fellows-and I've tried time
and time again with nice fat grub
worms. They'd always swim around,
sort o. lazy-lilxe, and act like they was
smellin' the bait, and then they'd sort
o. turn up their noses and swim Off like
they was sayin' i amt much hungry
Sorg ggrubs to-day thought there ought
TO be some sort O. bait they liked, but
1 never could make out what 1t was.
Oh, look-ee! You've got bite!"
Mr.. Mcclure was already looking.
HIS line was cutting through the water
If q tremendous rate. He checked the
reeling out OF the line with his thumb
Tor an instant to make sure OF fasten-