The Marshall republican., 1908-12-25

INTO view. On the opposite bank vas
Vincent in high boots, knockerbockers,
white shirt with sleeves rolled up, and
a farmers broad-brimmed hat of
straw. He was busy over a broken
fishing rod which he was trying to
mend. In the center OF the stream,
where the current ran swift and dan
gerously deep, a girl stood on a large
bowlder, fishing, Other powders at in
tervals between the n she was stand
ing on and the shore where Vincent
was indicated the means by which she
had attained her precarious position.
| recognized the girl as Agatha Sec
ond, and smiled pityingly as | thought
OF poor Vincent, invariably wasting his
time with the wrong Agatha.
"Hullo!" they cried, c%heerfully, and
we waved our hands and asked them
what luck they'd had. This isn't al
ways a safe question to ask a fisher
man, but | notice that people who are
not fishing themselves invariably find
great satisfaction in asking It. Vim
cent said he hadn't caught any fish,
and asked if I'd landed mine yet. Just
like his impudence! He'd say any
thing II he thought 1t was funny, no
matter how II might annoy other peo.
pie.
Just as l was thinking of some re-
tort polite enough to utter aloud,
Agatha Seconds rod began to bend
and jerk, and Immediately there was
so much action going on that in my ex-
pftnYonnt cnrnnt yyhnN 7 40, nAA,,N 80
say. l am a fisherman of some skill
myself. Well, the pole began to bend
and the Agatha on the rock began to
scream, and Vincent shouted dlrec-
lions from the bank-"Easy there,
easy" he entreated her; give him
more line, Aggie, more line"
81 can't" she screamed at the top
i of her voice; Something's caught, and
he pulls So"
"The reel" l shouted, jumping up
and down. "The reel! Press the knob
and let her go!"
| knew in a moment the sort she
had. 1t was just like mine, a patent
m with a spring reel-mine often
stuck that way. All this time the
fish was leaping about, sometimes
jumping out of the water so that we
could see him, and he was a big fell
low.
Let me alone; ! can do 1t myself"
cried the girl, as Vincent started TO
help her, but even as she spoke her
trim little foot slipped on the wet
stone, and, losing her balance com.
n1nfnlU che fa11 hnalruyo,J tr.o Ar
deep water, while the rod disappeared
upstream.
In a moment Vincent was running at
top speed along the bank till he came
20 q little point Of land near which the
drowning girl must pass. AS she APP
preached he leaped into the water,
and, striking diagonally upstream,
seized her by her clothing, and, fight.
Ing his way back, safely gained the
point of land. Meantime had run
- the river toward a boat that | had
observed near the bank. Jumping In
soon reached the spot where lay the
unconscious form Of Agatha. Second.
All this time | was dimly aware of the
fact that Agatha Third had never
stopped screaming and was now run
ming VI and down on the opposite
bank sobbing and wringing her hands.
When ] reached Wilfred he was anx-
iously bending oven the girl. but APP
parently without the slightest idea
what to do.
! Immediately fell to chatting her
hands and resorting to the other we'll
known ~eXpedients for reviving he
drowned, and to enable her to breathe
more freely | removed the tight-ftting
hickey of her sailor suit. 1t was not
long before she began to regain con
sciousness, and 1t was at this mo.
ment that | made a most amazing dis
covery. for around the neck Of the
girl | saw a little silver chain, and
on II was strung a heavy gold ring set
with a large cross of ~old.fashioned en-
eralds.
l called to Vincent, and as ! pointed
at the magnificent and telltale piece
Of jewelry we both gazed at 1t,
speeches. with surprise at discover
Ing in such u n the secret of the
Honorable Agatha's identity. Before
she had quite regained her conscious
ness | readjnsted her dickey, and
when she was able to stand we
wrapped her in our coats and carried
her to the boat. There wasn't room
In it for more than two. so l made
Vincent get In with her and row back
TO the castle, So they left us, and
Agatha Third and /, too thoroughly up
set by the accident TO wish TO carry
through our picnic. followed them
back. walking one on each side OF the
stream until we reached the bridge,
where va Joined forces.
"A ~ returned | did a great deal
OF thinking. So It was Agatha Second.
after all. who was tho real Honorable
Agatha. For certainly her possession
Of the Wyckhon ring. mentioned Ia
the win, was proof positiyxk Now that
hought OF Il the nispiei0ux ciscum.
4tH4f4f w. RIMf