Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1907-02-28
WILSON'S
FISH STORY

N0AhN ~ sNaAN NV
I'VE were hunting moose in the
Canadian woods. A bowling blizzard
had kept us In the lodge the greater
part OF the day, and nightfall found US
with our pipes In front OF cracking
fire.
AT that time" went on Wilson,
after we had settled ourselves In
comfortable positions. II was more in
love with this whimsical old world
than now, and every summer found
me at one Of the fashionable resorts
on the Atlantic coast.
Il had arrived at the age when mat.
rimony was merely a matter OF find.
ing a responsive heart, but OF all the
girls In the circles In which moved
not one appealed to me. nor was my
friendship with any more than a pass
ing one. Besides a good position In
my uncles banking house l had a
comfortable annuity bestowed upon
me by my father at his death. and as
a result did not look upon matrimony
from a mercenary viewpoint.
1T was in August tat / first met
her. was summering at a rather eX.
elusive resort on the coast She had
come with her mother from a south
eTn city, the name of which is no mo-
ment in this story.
Before a week had passed felt
that / had known her for years; at
the end of a month she was the only
person in my thoughts. ] dreamed of
her by night and was in misery when
not in her company by day. Before
her departure resolved to tell her
what was nearest my heart.
1T was the night previous to their
leaving for the south. We had left
the ballroom and strolled to the pier.
which extended far into the water.
The ocean was as Of glass, and the
moon cast q path of silver across It's
surface as far as the eye could reach.
What passed between us Il is un.
necessary to relate, but before we left
the pier took from my vest pocket a
beautiful diamond solitaire. had
carried II for weeks. Without word
she held out her haRd that might
place Il upon her finger. Joy had com.
pletely unnerved me. for as reached
forth my hand trembled like an aspen.
had Just touched the tip OF her
finger when the ring slipped from my
grasp and fell with tiny splash In
the water. For a moment / stood as
one turned to stone. Was Il an III
omen? Did II mean that. after all.
was not to know the happiness OF
which ! had dreamed? Suddenly
turned to her. She looked into, my
eyes. placed a hand on my arm and
kissed me. And that kiss knew to
be as strong a seal as any ring ever
made.
Wouldn't Il be funny II a fish
should swallow the ring?' she said
playfully. on our way back to the
hotel.
That night the incident haunted
me in dreams. | could see the ring
dropping through the water, glittering
and flashing as It went, when sudden.
~ a fish darted up and closed its jaws
over II with a snap.
q When awoke a cold sweat was on
my forehead.
We'll, to make a long story short,
sent her another ring. and the event
was arranged for eight months later.
Her letters. meanwhile. were filled
with hope and encouragement, and
the sweet simplicity of the true WON.
an. lived in them. They were meat
and drink to my soul.
''Fate's DEGREES are fathomless. Five
months later she was taken with fever
and died. Then the world began to
grow old. Instead OF spending my
summers at the resorts l took to the
woods. found sOlace in nature.
Five years later to a month--it was
August, you will emember-relative
insisted upon my spending a few
weeks with them at the resort where
we first met found the place
changed considerable, but the old pier
was stlll standing.
Now comes the strange part OF my
story. One day we were fishing from
the pier close TO the place where l
had dropped the ring. Ill luck was
with me from the start For an hour
sat there. my mind flooded with
memories, and caring little whether
fish were biting or not.
we were on the point of leaving
when there came terrific jerk on my
line and I landed a beautiful seven
pound sea bass. As Il lay struggling
ON the pier, tia large mouth dlstended.
there suddenly flashed through my
mind the dream OF five years before.
Il was Just such fish that had seen
in my dreams. the Hsh that had
snapped lts Jaws over my diamond
ring,
We took Il 10 the hotel and had
Il served for dinner had Just placed
a tender morsel In my mouth and
closed my teeth on It when / BIT on
something hard. Il felt round and
amonih 10 the tnnena. UnnhaarNad I