Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1913-08-22
|MPuDENCE
VERSUS HEROISM
While the Girl She Would
A-fishing Go.
BY JANE LEWIS.

Bakersville was like any other ham.
let 1t had store, q postoffice. a
blacksmith's shop and ruined old
sawmin. 1t had a river and dam, and
there were fish in the river. The lat
ter fact was told to Bessie Foster,
niece Of Uncle Joe and Aunt Mary
Warner, who had come from the city
for vacation and who was looking
about for a new diversion.
. The girl was rugged out with pole.
hook. line and bait. and Uncle Joe
went with her to point out the spot
where he once had bite from some
thing almost as big as whale. and
for half an hour she was SO intent on
her fishing that she was oblivious Of
her surroundings Then cough from
human throat startled her, and she
looked up to see young man fishing
In the same waters and not over twen-
ty feet away.
At first glance she saw that he was
stranger to the hamlet. AS she
looked up he raised his cap and bowed.
How long he had been there she could
not determine. but his action in sneak
ing up in the first place and in max
Ing the bow In the second irritated
her. She at once gave vicious jerk
to her line. intending to quit the spot
ut once. but she was naturally defiant
and changed her mind in an instant
She would not be driven away. She
had simply stared at him in naughty
manner when he had lifted his cap.
and should he attempt to push mat
ters further he would get rebuff to
freeze his blood.
For the next quarter Of an hour the
two fished in silence. Now and then
the young man reeled in his line and
made a new cast and hummed or whis-
tied to show that he had not been
snubbed. Now and then the girl gave
her head toss just to prove that she
thought herself alone. During this
interval the suckers in the river had
remained quiet or had business else
where. All Of a sudden. however. one
Of them found the girls hook and
gulped it down. There was mighty
tug from the captive and a scream
from the girl. 1t was the first time
the sucker had ever been hooked and
the first time the girl had ever hooked
fish. The young man saw the situa-
ton and came running up to call out:
"You've got him! You've got him!
Don't handle him that way or you'll
lose him. Play him! Play him!'
Miss Bessie Foster was excited. but
she didn't lose her presence Of mind.
She realized what the situation called
for, and she gave the young man one
awful look and then threw her fish pole
into the water and turned and walked
away. In that one awful look she no
ticed that he was rather good looking
and had certain hall marks Of gentle
man, but despite that she continued to
toss her head. and her cheeks kept get,
ting redder and redder as she left him
behind.
"For the. lands sake, what has hap.
pened to your" exclaimed Aunt Mary
as the girl entered the house on
half run and pumped down into the
rocking chair.
1--WE found an impudent man." was
the reply.
Found a what? I've lived in Ba.
kersville ever since was knee high to
a grasshopper. and I've never run
across an impudent man yet. How
was he impudentY'
HE looked at me. He raised his
cap and bowed. He sang and whistled.
When l had hooked fish he came and
wanted to boss things. And, oh, aunty,
It was such a lovely fish and such
big one. and he was 80 willing to be
caught"
When Aunt Mary had extracted all
the information possible she went to
the kitchen &oor and blew the horn for
dinner. though It was half an hour
ahead Of time. Uncle Joe came up
from the lot in which he was working.
and In answer to the surprised look on
his face Bessie told her story over
again When she had finished Aunt
Mary drew herself up and added:
And now, Joseph Warner, you will
eat your dinner and then start out and
end that impudent young man and
give him piece Of your mind. He has
got to be talked to good and hard. and
If you are not the man to do 1t am"
An hour later Uncle Joe went down
to the pUstoffice to make Inquiries con-
corning the strunge and cheeky young
man. All he could find out was that
the newcomer was stopping at Whites.
at the other end Of the hamlet. and
was thought to be college student on
bis vacation The old mill was next
visited. and there 1t was found that
Bessie's pole and line had been re-
covered and left In conspicuous posi-
ton Uncle Joe carried them home
and told his story. and Aunt Mary
threw up her arms and exclaimed:
Ibid any one In all this world ever
zee such a case Of lmpudence! Joseph.
II you were a man you'd 60 up to
Whites and take that young man by
the ear and make him beg Bessie's par.
iscn. She can't 20 fishing again az
long as he Is hanging around here"
"Ruf 1 viii" declared the girl as she
Jared up and stuck her chin in the air
.Ill show him. whoever he is. that he
can't scare me of. I'll be right there
tomorrow morning at 0 o'clock. and II
he dares speak to me again rll-1ll-
we'll. after I have given him look he
won't dare to. that's all"
And Miss Bessie Foster was there It
the hour named. She saw nothing OF
consciousness he carried her name with
him back to little boyhOod. tangling 1t
with his brothers, but never losing 1t
entirely again. Lizzie Bradley.Lamson
-be careful Davy-mother said not to
go>so near the bonfire-but be did. joe
the careless One-and now he was