The Democrat-sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1906-1935, 1909-11-04
BY Martha Mccuiloeh- -willin ms.

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The willow tree leaned so far oil
over the water that all that happene,
IN 1t was mirrored in the face of th,
stream. There was an eddy at th,
tree foot with deepish pool under
meath. Trout lurked in the pool, S,
big aud wary they were the despair
of all ncighborhood fishermen.
The Ennis boy, of course. had tolt
Wilmer all about them Wilmer. in
deed. Ind found the lad much like q
local chronicle. In the week since he
had established himself at the Ennis
farmhouse he had been possessed of al
least half the ins and outs of Brush
creek neighborhood.
Ostensihly Wilmer was n vagrAnt vn.
| cationer; really he was looking out for
| remnant tracts of hardwood timber
| new railway was mooted. not yet
even in the mir, but in the minds of
certain men. Before building 1t 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
bis whole mind to the enjoyment OF
fishing; hence todays excursion begun
at sunrise. So far the excursion had
been fruitless. The Ennis boy was
distressed. He had rather Dragged
of the sport they were TO have. Be
sides, Wilmer had promised him a sill
yer dollar if they managed to catch
even one big trout.
Wilmer had his reasons aside from
natural lberaity. He was on the
edge Of falling in love with a 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 a two FOUNDER, along
with chatty account of the place
where such fish might be caught he
knew lie would come near to cstab-
fishing himself in the dragons good
graceS. He would also do well for
his immediate principals, 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 water side, but across q
tiny promontory of gravelly turf. He
knelt among the taut outstanding roots
stretching back of it, made ready his
hook, batting it with the choicest min
now in the bucket; then. advancing
covertly, still in shelter of the trunk,
flung it midStream, a little way up
current, so the eddy might suck it
right over to the depths. Then, watch.
ing the ripples spread and turn the
water mirrors picturings to grotesque
caricature. he became aware that the
hole was pre-empted-there was
homemade line of black fax thread
with cork. likewise homemade, dan
Cling from the tree, the cork bobbing
aud dipping in exactly the middle Of
the pool.
He dared not speak The Ennis lad
had warned him word was death to
his chances. The boy also had seen
the intruding line. In swift panto-
mime, by throwing himself prone and
lying at ease, he counseled Wilmer to
stay. 1t was good counsel, Wilmer
decided. lie stood fast, keeping we'll
away from the bank and so maneu-
vering his rod as to keep his bait
properly in motion.
The eddy was big and slow, so slow
1t made one sleepy to watch it. The
mounting May sun was warm and
vital, the drone of bees in the bass
wood tops or over the sparse white
clover blooms lulling chant. There
had been IA ruffling breeze, but it had
died to utter stiffness. Wilmer watch
ed his float and the homemade one I'M
til he grew drowsy. And then some
thing happened that made him wildly
awake.
The bunglng cork went under with
4 rush. The next second there leaped |
TO view, half his silver length above |
water. a monster trout. the most beau, |
tiful Wilmer had ever seen. He was
fast, having bolted the hook, but that |
clumsy line would never hold him |
Moreover, 1t appeared TO be but lightly |
tied to swaying willow branch. No
doubt some rustic had left it there. |
There could be nobody in the tree.
However the water mirror had been |
shattered, it had had still moments
during which Wilmer had studied il |
close, yet seen nothing but the gold
green LEAKAGE. the netted intricacies of
slender boughs the rough and wealth.
er beaten blackness of the trunk,
What wonder that he scrambled up
The slope of it, made to fling himself
along it and reach for the line That
ish must be landed; it was a prize be-
rond hope. His fingers were almost
lpon the cord when he snatched them
back as If from fire, Another hand
had reached for the line-one small
md sunburned, with strawberry stain
'd fingers that yet were beautifully ta-
Iered. 1t was girls hand-a very
'retty girls He saw that at glance
is he said rather breathlessly:
Don't lose him! Give him lIne-as
little as you can! Heavens, how he
lights. You-you had better come
lown-or let me land him for you"
you better look at your own hookw
he Ennis boy shouted
Wilmer half fell from the tree. His
'wn float was dipping, dancing. dis
appearing, coming up again. in the