The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-12-15
The Euenir,e Story
The Lost Fish.
(By Louise Oliver.


said in bewilderment. "One goldfish
disappeared yesterday, another today.
It's certainly a mystery. What kind
of a place, L wonder, have moved
into?''
Outside the window was a small
iron balcony. Hilda stepped over the
! low windowsill and found herself on
the tiny shelf, from which she had a
splendid view of the street. She
looked down. Below her for several
stories were little iron balconies sim
/ liar to her own, a few of them gay
with green things that the owners / ad
! put outdoors to get the first warm
rays Of the spring sun.
| On the balcony directly beneath,
! between two Boston ferns, was an
improvised aquarium and in the
water two goldfish were swim ming.
Good gracious!" exclaimed Hilda.
How In the world could they dive
down there? They couldn't, that's all
there is to it. Some one has helped
himself to my pets But why should
and why take any? Three why's and
I cannot answer any of them And
how could he get up on to the bal
| because he would have to do it in
daylight when I'm away and some one
would see from the street. Well, I'm
hungry. I'll investigate after din
lner."
( After her solitary meal Hilda put
on a wrap, lifted a chair cautiously
out to the balcony and established a
watch. The plants and the goldfish
were gone from the balcony below,
but the window was open and IIilda
could hear a mans voice talking. $50
there are two of them!' she thought
81 suppose the other is his wife. That
simplifies things. I'll talk to her to-
morrow.
She reached in for a pillow from
the window seat, settled her he ad
against the rail and before she knew
it she was asleep. When she awoke
there was another goldfish gone from
the glass tank on the SILL
The ideal" she exclaimed indig-
nantly. 1T is the most uncanny thing
ever heard Of She shivered. I'm
double lock everything tonight. To-
morrow morning I'll go downstairs
and see if 1 can clear up the irys-
terry" ------
! That night she slept without fresh
air from the outside, leaving only the
the morning another fish was gonei
She almost tainted with the shock.
Some one or something had been in
her room in the night! Then her
up. 1t was a mans cuff link with
single diamond inset. so it is per-
son. I thought it might possibly have
been an animal of some Sort She
felt of her few bits of jewelry and
her watch. All there "A queer thief
truly! 1 should certainly like to know
the joke. If it happens again shall
move out"
She locked the aquarium in the
bathroom and went to her daily work
in the citv library.
That afternoon while she was
handing out books to cosmopolitan
public, a young man approached the
desk. Twill you tell me where can
find some books on zoology, please? ?"
Hilda looked at him with interest.
The types of men who customarily
asked for this kind of information
of thoughtful mien, and students from
the high school. This man was
neither. Athletic of build, good look
ing, and fashionably dressed, he had
ing for a thesis on Sanskrit, or of
anything he knew nothing at all
about
What kind of animals?" she in
quired. Mammals, the carnivora-"
"Oh, something about fish, he an
swered vaguely.
Hilda's interest deepened- Amy spe-
cial kind ?"
;. Goldfish , I've got some I don't
'They should have told you at the
store. They sell special kind of
food. you know
why, 1 never thought of that, but
I really didn't buy the fish. you see
the fact is, 1 don't want them at all.
They were sort of thrust upon me, and
now that 1 have them can't let them
starve."
"No-you can't; that's true. And
they require lots of care-they die so
easily. Your friend had no right to
infiict them upon a man."
That's what 1 think. But really
had no choice"
Its too bad. But I have goldfish
at home and when 1 want to know
anything 1 go to Finney's pet store
you can get everything you want"
Thank you very much. Good aft
ernoon.'' He put on his hat to depart,
and, as he lifted his hand, Hilda saw
a diamond-studded cuff link like the
one she had found in the morning. The
deepened. Here was the man
who had her goldfish, but he would
hardly steal something he didn't want,
and he had certainly said that very
thing. But how did this cuff link hap
pen to be on her parlor floor? Could
his wife have taken the fish? 1t was
all SO siIlyl Why would any one steal
goldfish?
That night HiIda discovered from
the janitor that her neighbor below
was unmarried and went by the name |
Of Hubert Field.
Has he any pets or anything like |
that?" she inquired anxiously.
Not that / know of. They don't !
allow cats and dogs in the building"
That evening, as she was trying to
calm her nerves and forget the nys-
terry by reading an interesting book, |
stirred by the window, then /
dropped lightly to the floor behind
her She felt rather than heard it, so
faint was the sound She was tool
frightened to move at first, then
laughed at her fear. Slowly turn
ing her head, she saw a little /
brown monkey hopping toward /
her on three legs In the other |
paw he gripped a dripping, |
squirming goldfish: She sat perfectly
stilI and the monkey sitting on his