The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-12-15
The Crime
CONTINUED
FROM PAGE 9

Now" said I TO myself, this is id
tooiishness. I'll just go and try for that
trout, and I'll catch him too / added
gritting my teeth to dull the pain In
my heart-"I'H catch him by fair means
or foul-yes, by lingo! I'll use a
worm!" No, ] felt no horror for the
deed I was about to commit. All that
was base and depraved in my nature
had risen with my better feelings tc
combat a depression. a sorrow. that
was so sudden, so deep, that ] hardly
understood it.
Under such circumstances the truly
good come out strong-in novels; others
do something wrong to occupy theil
minds. Wallowing dulls the capability
of suffering-for a time II is much
prdcticed by weak and strong, contem-
porary fiction to the contrary.
So ii happened one day in early June
when the sky was china blue and filmy
clouds trailed like lace across the disk
of pale sun, that ], Henry Stenhouse
well and sound in mind and body, de-
cided to commit a crime.
I started down the road, swinging my
creel over my shoulder and whistling
buoyed up by that false exhilaration
which always took possession of me
when 1 felt myself on good terms with
the devil. In my pocket nestled my
luncheon, a small flask of Bordeaux
f1y-book, harmonica, reel and a tin bait
box.
Imagine what it costs me to write
thisl
Well it's written-and on / went
whistling "Sir Daniel O'Donnel," as
though 1 had not a. care i'm the world
NJ Love l.. 4
Yet, whistle as ] would, 1 could not
close my eyes to the caustic criticism
of the sunny world on my solitary con-
dition. Robins hoped about the pas
lures in pairs, blue birds flew from sap
ling to fence. i'm pairs, yellow butter
flies whirled over the clover in dozens
and dozens of pairs, and the very trees
the silver birches the NAPLES and elms
all seemed to grow in pairs. Two by
two I counted oak and beach, nestlins
in each others shadows, two by two the
twinkling silver aspens seemed to Uinl
at me with every leaf.
/ alone was alone
Because" said l TO myself I've got
brains;" but the boast fell only on thu
idle unbelieving ears of the corn, too
young to understand or sympathize.
A great tenderness was i'm my heart
but l crushed it out, and turned into the
fields, treading my way through rust.
ling corn where June breezes fingered
whispering.
When I struck the hazel patch I fell
better. and I Whistled "Sir DAME
ODonnel" again.
A wood-thrush, striving to initial,
me, produced an unconscious master.
piece; cat-bird mewed increasingly
from the deeper growth. Both haC
mates.
l took the hidden path through tn,
beechwoods until l came to a big pine
Here, following trail known to my
self, entered the denser woods crossed
the two spring brooks that feed the riv.
err and after a few minutes rapid
walking came to the oak which spread,
above the limpid silvery pool, the abod,
of Mine Enemy.
AS long as / have sunk to the leve
of a pothunter," said I, treading soft.
ly over the moss, Il might as well dc
the thing thoroughly"
Very cautiously l produced an angle
worm from my box, baited my hook
cast the internal machine into the pool
and then, placing my rod on the bank
put fiat stone on the butt and sa
down to smoke. When I had finished
my cigarette l lay down, stretching our
on the moss under the oak tree.
And as / sprawled on my back look,
ing skyward, I was aware of a pair Of
stockings-black stockings-hanging
hanging from a limb directly over my
head.
Astonished and indignant / lay per-
fectly still, staring at the stockings
They had been wet but now were rap
idly drying, swinging gently in tho
warm June wind.
This is pleasant" I thought; ''sone
credulous country wench has taken my
pool for a footbath. I'll not put uI
with it, by lingo, Have fishermen nc
rights? Is this a picnic ground? Is
that river resort for barefooted gig
Cling girls?"
If there were any people splashine
and padding about among the stones
down the river 1 knew that every trout
within range would bs paralyzed with
fright. l sat up and tried TO see through
the foliage which bOrdered the shallow
river where it curved into the woods.
They're down there" I muttered
''and I bet they've done the business
for every trout between here and the
falls. Idiots!"
I looked up at the stockings. They
The sun brOnzed the pointed toes, now
almost dry. And while I looked there
came a faint sound of splashing close
by, just where the river narrOws to
curve into the woods. Something bright
was glistening down there between the
branches, something white that moved
slowly up stream, nearer and nearer,
now plainly in view through the
leaves.
1t was a young woman in a light
summer gown with big straw hat on
her head, and she was slowly and de-
liberately wading through the shallow
water toward my pool
She seemed to be enjoying il; the
swift water rippled around her an
kles 6ashing her skirts with spray, as
she lifted her wet pink feet carefully
over the sharp rocks and deeper cham
nels. Her skirt gathered naively in
both hands, fluttered perhaps a trif1e
higher than il might have done under
other circumstances. It was a pretty
innocent picture, but il was out of
place in my front DOOl and / stood