Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1913-06-03
GILFADDEN'S GOLDFISH
BY AMELIA coWAN.

10 take MS boat 10 CrOSS IHO A"nO mHCH
he caught the CLINT of red gold in a
shop window.
"Sayi" he muttered to himself as he
paused and watched number OF gold'
fish darling to and fro in the clear wa,
ter. That's Just the thing for the
porch at the cottage! Nice aquarium
among the fern boxes-why didn't |
think of it before?"
Gilfadden tramped into the store
and when he emerged he was tenderly
encircling with one arm gloDular
parcel. 1t was large glass globe con-
tanning eight goldfish. The young per-
son who had waited on him had large
and melting eyes and her gaze mad SO
bewildered Gilfadden that he accepted
what she gave him with no question.
She had murmured something about
our best people never carrying a Dowl
of goldfish with wooden handle, SO
he had meekly taken his slippery Dur-
den under his arm.
Everybody bumped into that extend
ed elbow and whenever there came
bump there was splash and some
of the water in the bowl jumped out
The young person had explained that
the top of the bowl must remain I'M
covered to give the fish air. When
Gilfadden reached the dock so much
water had splashed out that he hast
ened to the water cooler to replenish
the supply.
"Hey!' called an elderly man with
whiskers. you'll kill 'em! Don't you
know that's ice water, an ice water
isn't what goldfish like? Dip it up
from the river!"
With the assistance of the elderly
philanthropist with whiskers, Gilfad-
den tied a string to tin can and low
cred it into the river. His hat blew
off while he was doing this and he
paid a boy a quarter to fish it out
with a pole Grimly he watered the
goldfish and again boarded the boat.
The attendant at the foot of the
stairs leading to the upper deck gazed
suspiciousIy at Gilfadden's parcel.
Anything alive?" he demanded.
Cdu L ldhS IL W Inc StdbSlOOl1.
"No." fibbed Gilfadden. Just glass
aquarium I'm carrying over" To ease
his conscience he told himself that
fish die unexpectedly sometimes and
for all he knew his might be dead as
door nails by this time.
Reaching his stateroom, Gilfadden
set down the bowl carefully and then,
removing his hat he mopped his brow
and said "Whewl" He had not
imagined that carrying bowl full
of water would have been such a
strain on his muscles. Then he went
out on deck.
When he came in he was greeted
by a large and angry man who had
the upper berth.
"Wha'd yuh mean," began the large
man Hereby as he stuck his head over
the edge of his bed, 'by endangering
respectable mans life with wild ami
mails? l stepped into that COMPOUNDED
bowl and might have cut myself and
bled to death"
Did you kill my fish," roared Gil
fadden, rushing to his pets
81 hope SOL" snapped the large man.
mice thing to step on with your bare
foot-a cold, squirmy fish! I could
have the law on you"
You've killed one!" cried. Gilfad-
den, holding the corpse up by the tail
"a perfectly good, innocent little gold
fish, They're imported, I'd have you
know, and that fishll cost you so
cents! What right have you to inter
fere with my luggage? It's a peni-
tertiary offense-"
Jaw, go soak your head" growled
the fat man. "And you whistle for
that so cents, will your"
He crawled under his covers and
low rumblings of wrath continued to
emerge. The boat was beginning to
roll unevenly and Gilfadden pre-
pared for bed, with one eye on the
goldfish bowl. 1t got rougher and at
each pitch water splashed out from
the bowl Sitting on the edge of
his berth, Gilfadden took the bowl in
his arms and cuddled it. BY easing
the roll he managed to keep most of
the water inside the bowl. Once in
a while there would be particularly
vicious roll and he would receive a
splash of the liquid against his chest.
When this happened and he said
"Ouch!" the large man protested and
threatened to call the steward and
have Gilfadden put out as crazy.
All that wretched night Gilfadden
clasped the bowl of goldfish to his
bosom except when he periodically
refilled it. When dawn came and he
gazed at his Swimming bed. Gilfadden
decided that he might just as well
have turned the goldfish out on the
blankets and let them paddle happily
around while he took a nap.
Red eyed, disheveled and miserable,
Gilfadden disembarked and headed for
his lunch. He slung in his suitcases
and as he balanced himself and step
ped in the involuntary contraction Of
his arm smashed the goldfish globe,
already cracked from the adventure
with the large mans feet Gilfadden
slumped down upon a seat and began
tearing off the paper wrappings like
mad. The water trickled all over
his neat gray trousers.
Save 'em!" he begged, weakly, Of
the staring launchrnan. Get some wa
teri" On the opened paper wrappings
seven goldfish topped half-heartedly
and expired.
"Gee!" said the launchman, still
staring. rs thaE some new kind OF
bait?''
Gilfadden was too angry to reply.