The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1907-10-01
Ir1pudence
VERSUS
| HerOiSm.
n. tANE n ~,,yrS
= Copyright, 1907, by Mary McKeon.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
BY JANE LEWIS

DutStSNllic vas lAhc any UAneE udih-
let 1t had a. store. a postoffice, a
blacks!nith's shop and ruined old
iawmill. 1t had river and a dam, and
there We're fish in the river The lat
ter fact was told to Bessie Foster.
niece Of Uncle Joe and Aunt Mary
Warner. who had come from the city
for vacation and who was looking
about for a new diversion.
The girl was rugged out with pole,
hook. line and bait. and Uncle Joe
went with her to point out the spot
where he once had bite from some
thing almost as big as whale. and
for half an hour she was so intent on
her fishing that she was oblivious Of
her surroundings. Then cough from
a human throat startled her. and she
looked up to see n young man fishing
in the same waters and not over twen-
ty feet away.
At first g.ance she saw that he was
stranger to the hamlet. As she
looked up he raised his cap and bowed.
How long he had been there she could
not determine, but his action In sneak
ing up In the first place and In max
ing the bow in the second irritated
her She at once gave a vicious jerk
to her line, intending to quit the spot
at once. but she was naturally defiant
and changed her mind In an instant.
She would not be driven away. She
had simply stared at him In naughty
manner when he had lifted his cap.
and should he attempt to push mat
tiers further he would get n rebuff TO
freeze his blood.
For the next quarter Of an hour the
two fished in silence. Now and then
the young man reeled In his line and
made new cast and hummed or whis-
tied to show that he had not been
snubhed. Now and then the girl gave
her head q toss just 10 prove that she
thought herself alone. During this
interval the aEckers In the river had
remained quiet or had business else
where. All Of a sudden. however. one
Of them found the girls hook and
gulped II Gown. There U;as a mighty
tug frCn the captive AMI Il scream
from the girl. Ii was the first time
the sucker had ever been hooked and
the first time the girl had cve~ hooked
a fish. The yourg man saw the situa-
tion and cane running rP to call out:
You've got him. You've got HIN!
Don't handle him that way or youIl
lose HIN. Play him. Play hin
Miss Bessie Foster was excited. but
she didn't lose her presence Of mind.
She realized what the situation called
for. a.d she gave the young man one
awful look and then threw her fish pole
into the water and TUNED and walked
away. In that one awful look she no
t.ced that he was rather good looking
All had certain hall marks OF a gentle
Elan. but despite that she continued TO
toss bar head, and her cheeks kept get
ting redder and redder as she left him
behind.
'For the lands sake. what has
happened to you" exclaimed Aunt
Mary as the girl entered the house OIL
half run and pumped down into the
rocking chair.
live found an impudent man"
was the reply.
"FJ:2l n what? I've vel IL ia.
kersv.te c-'es since was l:uee E:::li %
grasshop2ar. and I've aegcr run
across al .-2rglcat man yet. How
was be- Imy3Ca IT,
"Ilc !Jo..ad at me. Ilc RACED his
cap and bowed. He san- d y.iaistled.
When hal hooked a flsn. he came and
wanted 70 boss things. And. Oh. a;Inty.
It was sue. n lovely llsh aml such big
one. and he was so willing TO be
caught
When Amt Mary bal extracted att
the information possible - went 10
t1e Kitchen Lp9s aud Lew :tn horn for
1i1aer tl5rg.l il vas Ls!f 90 hyar
aneaI Of slime. Uurle jJ,. came up
from tie lot In wl,Ic'1 lr was working.
and h answer - ',' Surprised look on
hjs facF RessIe I'D her story over
again When ale had flushed. Aunt
Mary de- hcr II Up ami added:
AMI noe'. Joeph Warner. you will
eat yo1rr t5#7or and then start out and
find t,,at ,-spudeut young man and
gi"e him n p:cre ~ yosr nlrd. He has
got u b' t9lse1 - god aad hard. aud
Il y3I aro not the man - - Il | am."
al hour III r Inc.e 10, went down
10 DE ls3e'o~. 90 10 mako Injuries con.
rgFt.Hy tig" *'~3rse AMI ,h~pay young
man. III .lr cDalI fnl out was that
the newcomer was stepping at whites.
nj tha other end Of the ban lot. aud was
thought TO be O college a'udent on his
vacation. Tie old mill wac next vis.
tied, and thee II was found that Bes-
sizes pole aud line had hen.t recovered
and left In conspicuous position.
t'n"lo jos carried them hone and told
his story. aud Aunt Mary threw up her
arms and exclaimed:
"Did any one IN all this world ever
zee such a ease ~ iTnpudence! Joseph.
u you were . man you'd 90 up 30
whites aud take that young man by
the ear and make him leg Bessle's par.
don. She can't go fishing again ~
long as be Is hanging around here"
But wiIl!' declared the girl as shs
flared w and stuck her chin In the air.
t'I'li show him. WhDpyeF no "a that ha