Evening journal., 1909-12-21
AD0l nrl7C M [InuT
III ULUulLL Ull llulll
BY NJ. QUAD.

ciation.l
Miss Prue Gordon Of the city and a
summer visitor at her aunts manor
house had never caught a fsh In her
life. She didn't even know that she
wanted to until she strolled out TO
the lake on the grounds on the third
day Of her arrival and was welcomed
by a ragged lad Of fourteen, who had
pole and line TO spare. When he had
baited her hook for her and spat on
the bait he bluntly asked:
"Say. you got a feller yetl"
"A fellerf" she repeated.
"Yes. beau"
"Of course not l'm just out OF
school,"
"well. you'll get one in time. All
gals do Fellers are looking for gals,
and gals are looking for fellers. It's
right too. I'm glad you come out here
this morning. If you catch a whopper
Of a fish you'll have a beau within a
week. Never knew Il 70 fail In my
life. There's an awful whopper In
this lake. He's a pickerel. He's two
feet long. He's bit of more n hun
dred lines. II you could only catch
him Lordyw
"What would happenT asked Prue.
You'd catch on 10 a feller In no
time. and he'd be n daisy. and you'd
get married and live happy forever
after. won't be here this afternoon.
but you come out and fish by yourself.
The old whopper always comes around
in the afternoon. Don't get scared II
he bites. but shut your teeth and pull
for all you're worth"
In the afternoon Miss Prue hshed
again. A young man took a seat on
log forty feet away. and without look
/ Ing In her direction he calmly prepar-
/ ed line and hook and cast them into
the lake. II was likely some one sum
mering In the village hotel. and he had
been told that the lake was free to all.
Miss Prue was nettled The longer
she watched the young man out OF
the corner OF her eye the more annoyed
she felt. Il would have been at least
Fresh" for him 70 have approached
her. but his action seemed to ignore
her. A long. dreary hour had passed
when the stranger suddenly leaped 70
his feet and began 70 dance around
That ''whopper" had taken his hook
She watched his excitement for mo
ment and then threw her fish pol'
into the lake and started for homi
with swapping eyes and blazing cheeks
In telling her story after she got Their
she wept tears OF anger and humilia
ton. That evening as she sat on tn
veranda after dinner. gritting he
teeth now and then as she thought ol
her wrongs, Dick came sauntering ~
70 hear how her fishing had turned
out. She poured the story into bis
ears. and be said;
/ 'I know the feller. He's an artis
stopping at the tavern. told yoJ
about that whopper and got you e
fishing. and now it's up to me to do
something. I'm your guardian like
I'm going to do something"
But what can you doT was asked
Lots. He's got TO apologize ol
fight"
Dulr DlChf 9ou ntt
But Dick was on n dog trot for thu
village. He had never spoken will
the artist, but that made no differences
TO a boy like him. He had come oI
an errand. and that errand must b.
done. The artist was found on th'
hotel veranda enjoying a cigar an'
the cleaning. and no time was los
In addressing him with;
"say. you. but you've got to apollo
gize or there'n be the biggest kind o
a row around here"
"1f have hurt your feelings don
remember e." replied the surprises
guest.
"Oh. It amt my feelings. but a girls
Don't nobody never hurt my feelings
It's a girl, and you made her awfu
mad. and you made her cry. WIN yol
apologize or eight a duelT
Il hurt a girls feelings? When
Where? Boy. tell me all about itr'
"Ifs a girl named Prue. She's Aun
Judith's niece. She's from the city
She's as handsome as a duck. learn
ed her to fish this morning. I told he
about that whopper Of a pickerei 4
the lake. and told her that II sh
could catch him she could catch a dar
dy OF a feller. wasn't back ther
this afternoon. but she was She wa
fishing for the whopper when you bul
ted in"
ooh. It was that girl at the lake, eh
why. l never spoke 10 her"
"No. but you caught that whoppe
OF a pickerel jest as he was going
take her hook. and you must apologize
She's waiting for you TO come alon
back with me and do It."
The artist was only twenty-four an
romantic and venturesome. He ALLOW
ed himself 10 be marched up TO th
manor and before Miss Prue and Aur
Judith. and he didn't make his apolog
until Dick had said. This is the fellC
who caught the whopper. and when
told him he must apologize or fight I
came along"
Then the apology was made. It wa
prefaced by the statement that Il
''whopper" had turned out TO be an ol
boot fshed up from the bottom Of n
lake aud It had been taken from Il
hook and thrown into the grass. Aft
that things came easy. Dick 20 h