The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1908-10-15
A DOUBLE MYSTERY.
Icrigina,.1


Icrisiua,.l
Chester Ward was an angler. When
summer came, around and II was time
for vacation he always hied himself
to the woods and waters with his rod,
established himself ut some point
about which fish congrcSatc and pro-
ceeded TO enjoy the days. lie never
took u companion With him for the
reason that he had 10 chun who loved
fishing as he IL. So any one who
was indifferent to the sport would
spoil it for him.
One summer Mr.. Ward located his
headquarters at the village of D..
surrounded by lakes, in which We're
4 many kinds OF fish, and by streams
well stocked with trout. On the morn
ing after his arrival before other peo-
pie had risen. he was stepping; lightly
along the street OF the village, armed
to the teeth with weapons to attack
fish moving in the direction of a lake.
when he passed a White cot sc with
green blinds. On the pore hung a
small school blackboard, on Which was
r..1.,,.gI:
Ward surmiscd that the first was a
notice to the iccman and the second
a notice to the n!lkman. Thinking it
would be good Joke to make 4 sign
! of it. he took up piece of chalk that
! lay handy on a window sill and wrote
under the other words land soda wa
| ter" SO that it read:
Ice Greenland Soda Water.
When he returned in the evening the
blackboard had been wiped clean. but
the next morning When he Went out
again he saw written on it,
Fish.
Ey this time he was Il bit ashamed
OF Himself t." having inlcrfcrcd with
some housewife, as he supposed, in
| her notifications to tradCslncn. and,
desiring to make PREPARATION. he re-
| turned o ibis quarters and. selecting 4
/ fine pckcrcl from the mess of the day
I before. left it at the back door, where
I it would doubtless be discovered by
/ the cook when she came down and
opened UP the kitchen for the day.
| Tho next morning as Ward passed
on his daily journey to the fishing
grounds he looked. as usual for the
notice of what was wanted in the way T
Of supplies. The notice read:
Trout.
! 1t so happened that he had brought
/ home a fine string Of trout the day be-
/ fore, and. being quite pleased at the!
! whimsical idea of furnishing supplies
/ to the housewife who supposed she
! was getting them from the trades men,
he turned again TO his quarters. got
! hair dozen fat trout and deposited
/ them ut the Kitchen. door. He chucllcd
10 himself ut the dialogue between the
/ housewife ana the ,fiShmongcr in their
efforts to explain the mystery. There
was 4 bit Of mystery for him rs
well On his return evenings. which
WAS usually about :, o'clock, when he
! passed the house he looked ut it, hops
! ing t" catch sight of the housewife.
for ut that hour. Of course, every ono
iii the town was stirring. But never
once did he Sc" Il human being in OF
about the cottage.
On the fourth morning that Ward
went out on his journey the sign on
the blackboard read
Berries
IT happened that the route to tho
fishing ground WAS lined with luscious
/ hIacl>berrics. Ward. who by this timo
w;tS nearly rs much Interested in the.
requirements Of the white cottage as
Win HIS hShing, hurried on gathered
couple of quarts of berries went
back 10 the house and deposited them
! III ii hrhp on the morning paper. Then
he sped away. fearing some one might
get out of bed and discover him.
Inc next morniM. came Il SURPRISE
When Ward looked at tho blackboard
DC did so with wide open eyes There
WAS the word:
Flowers
Now there were no flowers to be-
purchased in the village, ut any rate
Ut that hour i'll the morning But
W ara h;th seen lots OF wild flowers in
the woods. He repeated his; effort of
'he Gay before. only this time he gath
ere" flowers instead 81 berries, and
hurri"i back to the house will, tbcn,
instead OF taking them to the Kitchen
he stepped hiInbiy on to the porch
ANA WIS about to lay them before the
front door when it opened and There
STOOD as pretty Il Gi-l as he had ever
seem biushinG, laughing and. above
an h"r eyes dancing with mischief
He dotted his hat
nave TO thank YOU said the ..irl-
Tor the delicious fish and berries vor,
';'N" brought me and now for these
beautiful flowers