The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-10-02
THE EVENING STORY
A Fish Story.

1 AAA - WIGS 44A4ITOTCu IN the lace Oh The
stream. There was an eddy at the tree
foot. with a deepish pool underneath.
Trout lurked in the pool-so big and
wary, they were the despair of all
neighborhood fishermen.
| The Ennis boy, of course, had told
Wilmer all about them. Wilmer. in
deed, had found the lad much like
| local chronicle. In the week since he
had established himself at the Ennis
| farm house he had been possessed of
at least half the ms and outs of Brush
Creek neighborhood.
Ostensibly, Wilmer was a vagrant
vacatioEer; really. he was looking out
for remnant tracts of hardwood tim
Der. new railway was mooted. not
yet even in the air. but in the minds
| of certain men. Before building it,
they wanted to make certain. Of sure
and quick returns. Walnut, white oak,
cherry and ash in sufficient amount
would furnish such returns.
Wilmer had been told to spend a
fortnight looking for timber. Now. at
the middle OF the fortnight, he knew
he need look no more. so he was giving
his whole mind to the enjoyment of
fishing.
Hence today's excursion begun at
sunrise. So far the excursion had been
fruitless. The Ennis boy was distress
ed. He had rather Dragged of the
sport they were to have; besides, Will
mer had promised him a silver dollar
If they managed to catch even one big
trout.
Wilmer had his reasons, aside from
natural hberality. He was on the edge
Of falling In love with girl. dragon
guarded. The dragon was a crusty
uncle. whose sole enthusiasm was for
fish and fishing. If Wilmer could send
off In the nights mail a snapshot of
even two-pounder along with
chatty account of the place where such |
fish might be caught, he knew he would |
come near to establishing himself in |
the dragons good graces. He would
also do well for his immediate princi- |
pals, since the dragon was among the
chiefest of those depended on to finance
the new line.
So he came to the willow tree with
something beyond sportsman eager
ness. Approach to it was not directly
along the waterside, but across a tiny |
promontory of gravelly turf. He knelt
among the raunt outstanding roots
hook, batting 1t with the choicest min
now in the bucket, then, advancing
covertly. still in shelter of the trunk,
flung it mfdstream, little way up
right over the depths Then, watching
the ripples spread and turn the water
mirrors picturings to grotesque carl
cature, he became aware that the hole
was pre-empted-there was a home
made line of black flaxthread. with a
cork likewise homemade. dangling
from the tree, the cork bobbing AMI
dipping in exactly the middle of the
pool
He dared not speak. The Ennis lad
had warned him word was death 20
his chances. The boy, also, had seen
the intruding line. In swift pantomime,
by throwing himself prone and lying
at ease, he counseled Wilmer to stay.
1t was good counsel, Wilmer decided.
He stood fast, keeping well away
from the bank, and so maneuvering his
rod as to keep his bait properly in mo- /
ton.
The eddy was big and Glow, so slow
It made one sleepy watching it. The S
vital, the drone of bees in the bass
wood tops or over the sparse white
clover blooms, a lulling chant There
died to utter stiffness. Wilmer watch s
ed his float and the homemade one ]
until he grew drowsy. And then some
thing happened that made him wildly |
awake.
The bungling cork went under with
q rush. The next second there leaped ;
to view, half his silver length above I
water, monster trout, the most beau
fast, having bolted the hook, but that
clumsy line would never hold him.
Moreover, it appeared to be but light {
ly tied to swaying willow branch. No
There could be nobody in the tree.
However, the water mirror had
been shattered, it had had still mo-
ments during which Wilmer had stud {
go1d-green LEAKAGE, the rough and I
blackness of the trunk. {
What wonder that he scrambled up t
the slope of 1t, made to fling himself 6
along it, and reach for the line? That t
fish must be landed-it was prize t
beyond hope. His fingers were almost IA
upon the cord, when he snatched them T
back as If from fire. Another hand L
had reached for the line--one small Q
and sunburned, with strawberry-stain-
ed fingers that yet were beautifully Il
tapering. It was girls hand, very t
pretty girls. He saw that at glance, 1:
as he said rather breath1essly.
Don't lose him! Give him 1ine-as
little as you can. Heavens. how he
lights! You-you had better come down
or let me land him Tor you.''
you better look at your own g
hooki" the Ennis boy shouted.
Wilmer half fell from the tree. His ! "
own float was dipping, dancing, dis
appearing, coming up again, in the e
most maddening fashion. But no sill
yer fish broke, lance1ike, through the Il
waters-instead, tug as
might, there was a sense of something !,
heavy yet alive at the other end of the
line. His own battle absorbed him, G
vet not to the degree of making him t;
perch was at obvious disadvantage II
still she knew the game. Back and
forth, up and down, weaving sidewise,
she let the big fish pray. Wilmer
must. himself, have hooked the grand
father of all trout. but 1t was nothing F
ike SO game. q
Hi, thar, you up tree! You better t.
but the fisherwoman renamed invisi- p
ole. That's nobody but just that n
plain Joe Lane-you know I've told
you she wasn't more'n half a gal" he 4
,onf1ded in low tone aside to Winner, I
who nodded comprehension. /"
He had been hearing things about : f