Weekly Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1908-1909, 1908-07-31
CHAPTER v.

less with establishment, as the secre-
tary left the room, and, as took my
way slowly and thoughtfully upstairs,
] resolved that this was another thing
that / would not tell Vincent; he
would be far more likely to ridicule
me than to thank me for my effort in
his behalf.
Some time after this, On a perfect
cay, Agatha Third and II had spent
almost every hour since the dinner in
her company, l may remark-had
planned little excursion which would
keep US outdoors all day. We were
going on a picnic up the little river.
Have you ever tried a picnic for two?
Given the right companion and a day
like that, I'd warrant 1t to cure any
attack Of the blues. Agatha Third had
assured me that the prettiest spot for
our luncheon was little island in the
center Of the stream where the current
ran broad and deep, about three miles
below the castle.
The day was fair, the girl was fairer,
and the moments were full of 10y to
me. We had crossed a little bridge
about a mile from the castle and were
proceeding up the left bank of the
river when a sudden turn of the stream
brought two others of our house party
into view. On the opposite bank was
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, girl stood on a large
bowlder, fishing. Other powders at in
tervals between the one 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, cheerfully and
we waved our hands and asked them
what luck they'd had This isn't al
ways safe question to ask a fisher
man, but l notice that people who are
not fishing themselves invariably find
great satisfaction in asking 1t. 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 il he thought 1t was funny, no
matter how It 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 thatin my ex-
element I forgot what I was about to
say. / am fisherman of some skill
myself. Well, the pole began to bend
and the Agatha on the rock began to
scream, and Vincent shouted direc-
tons from the bank-"Easy there,
easy" he entreated her; give him
more line, Aggie, more line"
Il can't" she screamed at the top
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!"
l knew In moment the sort she
had. 1t was just like mine, a patent
one with 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; 1 can do 1t myself"
cried the girl, as Vincent started to
lAlp her, but even as she spoke her
trim little foot slipped on the wet
stone, and, losing her balance COM
pletely, she fell backward into the
deep water, while the rod disappeared
upstream.
In a moment Vincent was running at
top speed along the bank till he came
10 little point of land near which the
drowning girl must pass. AS she ap-
preached he leaped into the water,
and striking diagonally upstream,
seized her by her clothing, and, fight
ing his say back, safely gained the
point of land. Meantime | had run
up the river toward a boat that l had
observed near the tank. Jumping in
! soon reached the spot where lay the
unconscious form of Agatha Second.
All this time l was dimly aware Of the
fact that Agatha Third had never
stopped screaming and was now run
ming up ard down on the opposite
bank sobbing and wringing her hands.
When l reached Wilfred he was anx-
iously bending over the girl, but ap-
parently without the slightest idea
what to do.
l Immediately fell to chatting her
hands and resorting to the other we'll
known expedients for reviving the
drowned, and to enable her to breathe
more freely removed the tight-fitting
dickey of her sailor suit. 1t was not
long before she began to regain con-
seriousness, and it was at this mo-
ment that | made most amazing dis
covery, for around the neck of the
girl | saw little silver chain, and
on 1t was strung heavy gold ring set
with large cross Of old-fashioned en-
eralds.
| called to Vincent, and as 1 pointed
at the magnificent and telltale piece
OF jewelry We both gazed at it,
speeches. with surprise at discover
ing In such manner the secret of the
Honorable Agatha's identity. Before
she had quite regained her conscious
ness / readjusted her dickey, and
when she was able to stand we