The Democratic advocate., 1909-11-19
A Fish
q Story
Two Questions the Judge
Was Called Upon
to Decide.
Bv Martha Williams.
Copyright, 1909, by Associated Lit
erary Press.

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The willow tree leaned so far out
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 ne
had established himself at the Ennis
farmhouse he had been possessed of at
least half the ins and outs of Brush
creek neighborhood.
Ostensibly Wilmer was vagrant 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 it they
wanted to make certain Of sure and
ouick 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 or
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 sill
yer dollar if 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
crusty uncle whose sole enthusiasm
was for fish and fishing. If Wilmer
could send off in the nights mail a
snapshot of even 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 fol
his imnkediate 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 a
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, 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 a
homemade line of black fax thread,
with a cork likewise homemade. dan
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 we'll
awaJ 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
it 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 Il ruffling breeze, but it had
died to utter stiffness. Wilmer watch
ed his float and the homemade one un-
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. Nc
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 intrfcacies OF
slender boughs, the rough and wealth
er beaten blackness of the trunk.
What woAder that he scrambled VI
the slope of it, made to fling himsel1
along it and reach for the line! Tha
fish must be landed; it was a prize be
yond hope. His fingers were almos
upon the cord when he snatched then
back as if from fire. Another hant
had reached for the line-one small
and sunburned, with strawberry stain
ed fingers that yet were beautifully ia
pered. 1t was a girls hand-a very
pretty girls. He saw that at glanc'
as he said rather breathlessly:
Don't lose him! Give him line-aI
little as you can! Heavens. how ht
fights! You-you had better con-
down-or let me land him for you"
"You better look at your own hook 7
the Ennis boy shouted.
Wilmer half fell from the tree. Fl