The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1913-08-22
IMPUDENCE
VERSUS HEROlSM
While the Girt She Would
A-fshinQ Go.

A-fishinQ Go. /
sy JANE A.eNnS. ]
Bakersville vas HHr any other ham
let. 1t had q etcrs. s postof1ce, q
blacksmith's shop and a ruined ole
sawmil1. It bad q river and a dam, and
there were fish in the RIVER. Tae lat.
ter fact was told to Bessie Foster.
niece Of Uncle Joe and Aunt Mary
Warner, who had come from the city
for q vacation and who was looking
about for a new diversion.
The girl was rugged out with a pole,
hook, line and bait, and Uncle Joe
went with her to point out the spot
where he nee had a bite from some.
thing almost as big as a whale, and
for half an hour she was so intent on
her fishing that she was oblivious OF
her surroundings. Then a cough from
a human throat startled her, and she
looked up to see a young man fishing
in the same waters and not over TWEEN.
ty feet away. '@'
At first glance she saw that he was
a 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 nee gave a vicious jerk
to her line. intending to quit the spot
at 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 a naughty
manner when he had lifted his cap.
and should he attempt to push mat
tiers further he would get a rebuff t.
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 beer
snubbed. Now and then the girl gave
her head a 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 a mighty
tug from the captive and a scream
from the girl. It was the first time
the sucker had ever been hooked and
the first time the girl had ever hooked
a 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 Qo-
ticed that he was rather good looking
and had certain hall marks Of a 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 you?" exclaimed Aunt Mary
as the girl entered the house on q
half run and pumped down into the
rocking chair.
"I've found an impudent man." was
the reply.
"Found a what? I've lived in Ba-
kersville ever since I was knee high to
q g%rasshopper. and I've never run
across an impudent man yet. How
was he impudentT"
"He looked at me. He raised his
cap and bowed. He sang and whistled.
When l had hooked a fish he. came and
wanted to boss things. And, oh, aunty,
It was such a lovely fish and such q
big one, and he was SO willing to be
caught!
When Aunt Mary had extracted all
the information possible she went to
the kitchen door 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
ind that impudent young man and
give him q piece Of your mind. He has
got to be talked to good and hard, and
IL You are not the man to do It I am"
An hour later Uncle Joe went down
to the postoface to make inquiries con-
corning the strange and. cheeky young
man A l ha could. ind ont WAS that