Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1907-05-09
CHAPTER xxx.-contInusd.


Whatever the nature of Mr.. Folletts
business. his confidence in the sound.
ness Of his attitude toward II was per
feet. He showed no sign Of abstrac-
ton or anxiety; no sign OF aught but
a desire to live agreeably in the pres
ent,--a present that included Pru-
dence. When the early breakfast was
over they went out about the place. |
through the peach orchard and the |
vineyard still dewy. lingering In the |
shade OF q plum tree. finding all mat |
tiers TO be OF interest. For time they |
watched and laughed at the two calves |
through the bars OF the corral, cavort- |
ing feebly on stiffened legs while the |
bereaved mothers cast languishing
glances at them from outside. con-
scious that their milk was being base
" diverted from the rightful heirs.
They picked many blossoms and
talked OF many things. There was no
idle moment from early morning until
high noon; and yet. though they we're
very busy, they achieved absolutely
nothing.
In the afternoon Prudence donned
her own sombrero, and they went to
the canyon to fish. From a cluTnp OF
the yellowish green willows that
fringed the stream, Follett cut n
slender wand. To this he axed line
and tiny hook that he had carried
In his hat, and for the rest OF the dis
lance to the canyons mouth he col.
lected such grasshoppers as fingered
too long In his shadow. Entering the
canyon they followed up the stream,
clambering over broken rocks, skirt
ing huge boulders, and turning aside to
go around a gorge that narrowed the
torrent and flung II down in a little
cascade.
Here and there Follett would flicker
his hook over the surface Of a shaded
pool poise It at the foot OF q ripple.
skim II across an eddy, cast II under a
shelf of rock or bangle 1t in some
promising nook by the willow roots,
shielding himself meanwhile as best
he could: here behind boulder. there
bending a willow In front Of him. again
lying fiat on the bank. taking care TO
keep even his shadow of the stream
ana 10 90 silently.
From where she followed, Prudence
would see the surface OF the water
break with curling CLEAN of gold,
which would give way to a bubbling
splash; then she would see the willow
rod bend, see il vibrate and thrill and
tremble. the point working slowly over
the bank. Then perhaps the rod would
ntr Al. F,V. %,
onds only to bend again. slowly. gent
ly, but mercilessly. or perhaps the
poin: continued to come In until II was
well over the bank and the end of the
line close by. Then after a frantic
| splashing on the margin of the stream
the conquered trout would be gasping
on the bank, a thing OF shivering
CLEANS OF blended brown and gold and
pink. At first she pitied the fish and
lett had other views.
why" he said, "a trout is the cruel
est beast there is. Look ut II trying
70 swallow this poor little hopper that
II thought tumbled into the water by
accident. II Just loves to eat fits stuff
alive. And It isn't particular. II
would just as lief eat its own children.
Now you take that one there. and say
he was ten thousand times Is big as
he is. and you were coming along
here and your foot slipped and Mr..
Trout was lying behind this rock here
hungry. Say! What a mouthful
you'd make. pink dress and all-he'd
have you swallowed in a second. and
then he'd sneak back behind the rock
there. wiping his mouth, and hoping
your little sister or somebody would
be along In a minute and fall in too"
"Ughl-Why. what horrible little
monsters! Let me catch one"
And 80 she fished under his direc
ton. They lurked together in the
shadows of rocks, while he showed her
how 10 flicker the bait In the current
here holding her hand on the rod
again supporting her while she leaned
ont 20 cast around n boulder, each
feeling the others breathless caution
and looking deep into each others
eyes through seconds OF tense silence
/ Such as they were. these were the
only results of tho lesson; results that
left them in easy frieEdllness toward
each other. For the fish were not de
celyed by her. He would point oui
some pool where very probably hun
CRY trout was lying In wait with hi
head TO the current, and she would tr,
10 skim tbs lure over t. More thar
once she saw the fish dart toward Il
! but never did she quite convince them
) oftener she saw them fit upstream Il
. fright, like flashes OF gray lightning
! Yet at length she felt she had learne'
! ali that could be- taught Of the art
) and that further failure would meal
I merely a lack OF appetite or spirit u
tho fish. So she went on alone. Will
Follott stopped TO clean tho doxeI
! trcat he had caught.
While ahe was IN sight he watches
9 bar, the figure bending 1.-THE a. tn