The Democratic advocate., 1906-07-27
gelett gtnrp.
HER GREAT CATCH.

stabbing the spring air vlciously with her
rod
1t was long reed, cut from the cane
brakes down ON the river, innocent OF reel
and equipped with home made line,
cork float and bullet sinkers above the
cheap hook. Her frock, clean, but
faded, calico, was short enough to show
stout leather shoes, with glimpse OF
home knit stockings above. But none of
these things dimmed sparkling eyes or paled
the wild rose flush in delicately nodded
cheeks. Alicia was beauty quite lnde-
| pendent of clothes her dearest friends
admitted it. Susan Hates to whom she
had spoken, was pretty IN 4 way, but
largely by the help Of artiiee,
Susan was also pious jus. the glrl for
a preach wife, all Brush Greek neigh
! borhood declared Hence, when 1t was
known that the new Methodist minister
was a bachelor aud something Of a beau,
the amen corner sisters all agreed that It
was clear case of proyidential interfer
ence Susan herself shared their opinion,
| albeit she was too wise to say -. She
had c,me the day before To spend week
| with Alicia. although the Blair homestead
was but three miles from her father
farm.
Nine Blair. Alicia's grandmother and
guardian, was the leading spirit in Meth
1 odism thereabouts-as such she had sent
word TO Rev. Paul Redmond to make her
| house hls home until he could suit him
self better
The invitation made gossip. Of course.
Madame was keen 0ne; she meant 10
marry off that Eighty Alicia The new
/ preacher would be- sacrificed to her before
/ he fairly knew t. Didni somebody say
| he had been to college aud was moreover
pretty well Off Nine. Blair had an eye
to the main chance. the same as the un-
| eodly-she had broken up the affair be
/ tween Alicia and that scatter braiued
| young Ciarkson with a mighty high hand,
| Clarkson was poor aud likely to stay -,
but then Alicia would have plenty for two
Usually new ministers came in the fall.
+ Paul Redmond was a 'sapply, taking
the place of the regular i,inerant. who had
{ fallen III The make shift parsonage had
been rented cot, and the supply minister
might have boarded around all over the
circuit bat for Nme Blair Alicia was
/ angered by her grandmother Intericr
/ enoa
/ She had no, been very much in love
+. wiIh Billy Clark~,n until GrandmoiheI
/ Blair had coyue between them She was
nos in iosc w,sh the real BjIly even nov,
bot cherished pass'oasIely an ideal she
/ called by Billy's name. Naturally she ~
=cnlcd Redmond and all hi. works Quite
as naturally she had ,nyciglci the coy yet
xilling Susan into this loug visit. With
ses purIs~e Of ainging the pair at each
other heads and IT possible comprising an
engagement before fortnight passed
II doa ,hiHk i. looks respectful to
the Gospel noF-uoF anything, Susan
saii primly, sittiag down upon the upper
step Of the porch Alicia lauehed--so
srimly It showed she was Blair ali
lhroagh. Thea you stay here and BE-
rcspcctfal-to the G0~pel-for bosh Of
Us. she saii, viih her chin high, whist
ius the next minute to Flossy, her pct
Shepherd dog, and swinging down the path
TO the hack ga's
The creek was less than halt mile
away. with Blair fields on each siie Of it.
Alicia knew every bend aud ripple oi 1t
and loved them as well as knes them
She meant to hsh first the Blue Hole,
which lay just inside the upper wAIer gate,
suias thence down stn.am and ending at
the lower gate, - as TO 20 home By the
biz rad
Only blind track ran past che upper
gate SsEagslers never found It cut, not
even the most iuseierate frshermen who
might be lursi by this exceptional morn
iug, with water IN just the night stage
Something in the day made Alicia van, to
sing She did not do ii, being frtnly ui
! opinion that hsh have ears and are mighty
wary Of human sounds And today she
was bent GA catching the patriarch OF the
pool, big trout, known To inhabit it this
three years or more, which quite disiained
10 notice the most artistic flies Of the gen
tleIncH sportsmen, OF their hyeliest min
nows Ills special haunt was beneath the
, roots Of the big bending sycamore, which
leaned far out over the stream Without
tremor she climbed into the tree ; low
crotch By pathway OF loosely laid rails,
established herself as comfortably as posi-.
: BILE aud dropped her hook right il front Of
the big fellows nose.
~ ,-,,,iA .,s -, a -.
Just delicately turbid from rains two day:
back-but she felt him nibble bit, then
saw the water swirl rs with an upward
rush Presently she saw him leap halt
out Of the water 10 yards. She drew in
her hook to find half the bait bitten off,
and as she put on fresh worms she said
with smiling nod ''Old man, Sukey
ought TO have come along. She could
have got points on how to hook and land
the preacher
, She was too intent on sport to hear a
little stifed laugh. Indeed, she had nJ
consciousness of anything just then but
| the matter in hand She had cast little
way from where the trout broke. Fol
perhaps two minutes the float lay agra
vatingly expresSionless, simply drifting .
bit in the eddy of the pool. Then it went
under with rush, TO come up two yard.
away and 90 down almost instantly. The
trout, bold from long impunity, had swal
lowed the hook
Alicia did not try to haal him in at once
Instead she let him play upstream and
down, taking in the slack with bare hand,
and letting it 90 back with rush that
5 must have bewildered her captive. After
r a 10 minutes fight she hauled in hel
quarry, two pounds of cleaning silver, anC
holding him fast, made to scramble dowr
to the banks.
Dismay smote her as she turned about
The rails had slipped down. She was fair
ly entrapped. The tree crotch overhuns
| the water, which was, she knew, well ovel
her head Although she could swim
Little, she did not like to risk plunge, ye
there seemed no alternative. The land
ward side of the big trunk was not to b,
reached from where she sat. She mad,
an impatient little swing to her catch, say
ing There You Il get back into thu