The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1909-10-13
y
A Fish.
x Story
Two Questions the Judge
Was Called Upon
to Decide.
By Martha McCuliock- WilliAms.
Copyright, 1909. by Associated Lit
erary Press.
By M.rth. Meculioeh- Williams.

over the water that all that happened
in it was mirrored In the face of the
stream. There was an eddy at the
tree foot. with deepish pool under
meath. 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
farmhouse he had been possessed of at
least half the ms and outs of Brush
creek neighborhood.
Ostensibly Wilmer was a yagrant va.
cationer; really he was looking out for
remnant tracts of hardwood timber.
A new railway was mooted not yet
even In the air. 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
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
distressed He had rather Dragged
OF the sport they were to have. Be-
sides, Wilmer had promised him a sill
yer dollar IL they managed to catch
even one big trout.
Wilmer had his reasons aside from
natural liberality. 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 Il
snapshot of even a two FOUNDER, along
with a chatty account Of the place
where such fish might be caught, he
knew he would come near to estab-
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 1t was not directly
along the water side, but across a
tiny promontory of gravelly turf. He
knelt among the taut outstanding roots
stretching back OF 1t, made ready his
hook, batting 1t with the choicest min
now In the bucket; then. advancing
covertly, still In shelter of the trunk,
flung 1t midstream, little way up
current, so the eddy might suck IL
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 a
homemade line Of black fax thread.
with a cork. likewise homemade, dan
Cling from the tree, the cork bobbing
and dipping In exactly the middle of
the pool.
He dared not speak. The Ennis lad
had warned him a 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. He stood fast, keeping well
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 1t. 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 rufiiing breeze, but 1t 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 bungling cork went under With
a 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, it appeared to be but lightly
tied to swaying willow branch. No
doubt some rustic had left 1t there.
There could be nobody In the tree.
However the water mirror had been
during which Wilmer had studied II
close. yet seen nothing but the gold
green eafage. 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 1t and reach for the line That
fish must be landed; 1t was prize be-
yond hope. His fingers were almost
upon the cord when he sDatched them
back as il from fire. Another hand
had reached for the line-one small
and sunburned, with strawberry stain
ed fingers that yet were beautifully Ia.
pered. 1t was girls banda very
pretty girls. He saw that at glance
as he said rather breathlessly:
Don't lose him! Give him line--as
little as you can. Heavens, how he
fights! You-you had better come
down-or let me land him for you"
you better look at your ewn hookT
the Ennis boy shouted.
Wilmer half fell from the tree. His
own foat was dipping, dancing, dis
appearing, coming up again, In the
most maddening fashion. But no sill
yer fish broke, lancelike, through the
shimmering waters. Instead, tug as
he might there was sense Of some
thing heavy, yet alive, at the other end
Of the line. His own battle absorbed
him. yet not to the degree Of making
him forget the other. The girl from
her perch was at an obvious disadvan-
tage. Still she knew the game. Back