The Press., 1908-07-29
flsberrnan's
 Love.
Copyrighted. 1908. by Associated
 Literary Preaa
By TEMPLE BAILEY.

!
 Copyrighted, 1908, by Associated IT Literary Press- T
 
 "Oh. If you don't mind" said the girl in the broad hat, would you put this worm on for mer'
 Halleck looked up. She was dam gling a line in front of his nose, and she held out to him a tin can.
 "I simply can't put them on the hook," she said, with a little shudder. "I hate to see them squirm."
 Halleck looked at her again. She didn't seem at all the type of young woman who made acQuaintances pro miscuously. She had a grave, direct glance, and at present her mind was bent seriously on the question of Ash ing.
 Tn silence Halleck impaled the w0rm.
 'HThank you," she said and dropped her line into the water.
 In a moment there was a splash, and with little cry the girl landed a fish.
 Please take it off," she said, and Halleck found the line again dangling in front of his nose, but this time with a golden. jewel spotted fish at the end.
 Without harmlng the charming crea- ture Halleck slipped the hook out of it's mouth. You'd better throw it back" he advised. 'Ifs too small to eat" \ GEUarv -von Oha awHH end xvakoha<a the little sunfsh as it swam through the liquid water to freedom.
 Then once more she held out the tin can.
 Please put one on," she said.
 Again Halleck patiently laid aside his hand net and baited her hook. and again she dropped her line in the wa ter, to bring 1t out again with another infinitesimal fish
 This one Is too small, too" Halleck told her. You can't catch any Ash worth keeping on the pier"
 "Why are you fishing thenY' she questioned.
 'T am catching bait" was Halleck's information, and when have enough am going out in my boat for pick erel"
 Her eyes shone. "Oh, I should love to catch a pickerel," she said eagerly. Do you know, those two little fish that you took of of my line are the first ever caught2"
 Halleck looked at her with a specu- lative eye. "I could take you Out"- He hesitated. Could you?" Then in a business like way. How much do you charge | for an hour?'
 Halleck stared at her.
 "I don't understand" he said at last.
 The grave eyes met his in a direct l gaze.
 Aren't you the man who rents the boatsT ---
 "No"
 "Oh!' Her tone was startled. "Oh, beg your pardon. I thought
 That's all right" Halleck assured her.
 But her face was stained by a burn ing blush.
 'I must have seemed very-trouble- some"-
 Not a bit. l am one of your fellow l guests at the hotel. sit at the table next to you. saw you last night with | an elderly lady"
 "Yes. my aunt"
 She spoke abstractedly as she gath | cred up her rod and little basket. II | don't think I will fish any more," she | remarked.
 Please don't run away on my ac- count" Halleck begged. q am going out in a few minutes, and you can have the pier all to yourself"
 He did not offer to take her with him. He knew now that she was not that kind of girl, and he was glad she was not.
 He put his traps into his boat aud pulled out. lifting his white linen hat gravely as his boat shot into mid stream. f---E-
 That night he saw her again at the table. She was in pink, and she wore her hair in pretty golden puffs all over the top of her head. Ne liked her lit tie stately manner and the deferential. way she had with her aunt
 The older lady was tall and fhsa4s with sparkling brown eyes. The spaS- kling eyes rested often on Halleck dur ing the meal. and when dinner was over and the two ladies passed him at the table the aunt stopped.
 You are MT. HalleckT she ques- toned.
 "Yes." Halleck rose and stood be- side her.
 ''I asked at the ofice," the lady ex- plained. My niece has been telling me that she took you for a boatman. She feels badly that she should have spoken as she did. But I am glad 1t happened. am Mrs. Evans. know your mother well. MT. Halleck, and I might not have met her son If hadn't been looking for the man that Helen fancied she had offended"
 Halleck walked to the door with her, where the girl in pink waited foP them.
 This Is MT. Halleck. HeIen," Mrs. Evans said. He isn't a bit offended, and he writes delightful books, as his mother did before him."
 Helen surveyed him with the grave eyes that had delighted him that morn ing.
 Did you catch any pickerel?" she asked.
 -Four" he informed her, ''big Ones" ~Helen is simply crazy over fishing" Mrs. Evans stated. 'She has always lived inland, and now she spends noon and night on the lake ''I'n tell you" Halleck planned, ''wv will go tomorrow, and we will catch our fish and cook them on the island" And they went, the three of them, in Halleck's boat, and for bait they had minnows, and their prey was plckerel, and before nOontlme Helen had caught ' two shining, slender beauties, and Mrs. . Evans. who. in broad hat and with ! mA0aZina had mado hnraolR nn,,n- l |