Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-07-07

Copyright 1910 by Associated Literary
Press.
On entering the village postothce
that afternoon Miss Kitty Ravens be-
held a stranger. She knew 1t was a
stranger because he didn't look a bit
like Deacon Thompson, or Elder
Stebbins. She judged his age to be
twenty-five. She Judged he was five
feet-something tall. She was going
to Judge whether he was good look
ing or not when he turned his back to
her and walked out.
IAN i'll bred mani" said Miss Kitty
to her self.
The next thing was q conversation
between two small boys. They spoke
of the ice going out OF the river, and
one Of them asserted that the suck
ers we're running ito beat the band.
Any one could catch a barrel OF them
in half an hour. Miss Kittie decided
to go fishing the very next afternoon.
Down by the old sawmill was the
place, and she wouldn't have to take
any boy with her to bait her hook.
Miss Kitty Havens was an orphan
who had been brought up" by her
uncle Elijah and aunt Mary. Nine
teen years old, fair looking, and most
Of the villagers would look after her
as she walked along the streets and
say something about somebody being
"smarter'n whip" That was the
highest of praise. They couldn't have
got off anything better after thinking
over 1t for a week.
Ming" announced the girl when she
reached home.
'"Well, let 'em rum" was the quaint
reply.
'But I'm going fishing tomorrow
well, don't fall in and get
drowned"
"But there's a stranger in town.
saw him at the postoff1ce."
"Ye-es. 1 heard he was down at the
old mill fishing. He's stopping at the
tavern, and he won't tell Mr. Stevens
where he comes from or anything
about himself He just said he'd take
the best room in the house and didn't
care for expense. hear that Con-
stable Baker thinks he's suspicious
character
Gle must be-" said Aunt Mary. "a
man who won't answer questions IS
bound to be pirate in disguise.
Elijah, you want to see that the
kitchen door is fastened every night
until he leaves town! I"
well, / know one thing added
Miss Kitty In a very determined way.
There's only one good place at the
old mill to sit and fish. I'm going to
have that place If this person gets
there first he's just going to take him
self off, Strangers mustn't think
they can come here and crowd girls
out of their fishing places"
Uncle Lille hunted up pole and line
and dug bait, and next afternoon at
2 O'Clock Miss Kitty was at the mill.
On the way down she passed boy
with string Of fourteen suckers, and
he halted long enough to say:
"They are thicker than fieas down
there and you orter see that fellow
haulin's them out! He don't even
have to spit on his bait!"
"What fellow?" was asked.
"Why, the Teller who's stoppin' at
the tavern. He's got the best place,
and he's hangin' right to it like a
hog!"
So the stranger was there, was he?
And he'd got the best place and was
sticking to it? Well he would get
Jar She wouldn't speak to him, Of
course, but there are other ways OF
Earring man. A fixed look and a
toss Of the head has done it times out
of mind.
Yes; he was there He sat on the
beam, and he was using patent
pole and reel. That alone will pro-
woke ire in any villagers breast. The
way to haul up a fish is to haul him,
instead of turning the handle of q
coffee mill for fifteen minutes.
Miss Kitty walked right up to the
stranger. He didn't even turn his
head On the contrary, he caught
another sucker. She coughed lightly.
Another sucker. She got ready her
pole and line. A third sucker! She
felt like striking the man over the
shoulders with the pole, but walked
off up stream He had the deep hole,
and there was no use fishing in the
ripples.
"If can't fish, then he shan't!" was
the determination arrived at, and pres
entity a log came drifting down 10 SPIN
around in an eddy. Then came a
board, beam and a slab. He knew
the girl was throwing them in from
the other end Of the mill, but he
didn't look her way. He simply
suspended his fishing and sat looking
over the river. Nothing could be done
with man like that, and after an
hour Miss Kitty went. home. When
she had told her story, which she did
almost with tears in her eyes, Uncle
Elijah drawled:
"Well. thars folks as is nigh
sighted, and thar's folks as is deaf.
Mebbe he didn't see nor hear you.
Didn't see nor hear a girl!
'sAnd girl like her!" added Aunt
Mary.
'Tl1 make him see and hear to-
morrow if l have to hit him with a
club. If he's in my place again I'll
throw all the old mill into the water
to bother him"
Tie morrow came and the stranger
was there. The girl had come half
an hour earlier, but so had he. He
was pulling out the suckers the same
Jy,d Id