New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1916-12-27
What Madgc and Dicky Found Hidden
in the Depths of the Woods.


I scrupulously kept my bargain
with Dcky to forget everything else
save fishing for the rest of the day"
Resolutely putting out of my mind
all thoughts of the queer stranger I
had met or the exciting mystery at the
Cosgrove farmhouse in which we were
involved I started up the stream at
his side, determined to let nothing in
terfere with my enjoyment of my first
trouting expedition.
Not that I had any need for resolu
ton to keep my mind upon my rod
and reel. The fascination of the
sport had gripped me, and in few
moments I was oblivious to everything
else in the world save the beautiful
tum bling mountain stream in the Cats
kills and the finny trophies we were
wrestling from its pools.
For l had "beginners luck,' which
Dicky, thought not a novice, shared
The first trout in my creel which the
queer unknown had helped me get was
soon joined by others equally large,
while Dicky landed three speckled
beauties in rapid succession.
"Madge, you're a mascot!' he ex-
! claimed, as he deposited the last one
in his creel,. after an exciting tussle in
which the fish nearly got away.
1--WE whipped this stream many times,
| but I never had such good luck be-
| fore. I've got to slip it to you on
+ this proposition too. For a beginner
you cast marvelously we'll. You take
| to this thing as a fish does to water"
"You mean as these fish would like
| to take to water" I corrected mis-
| chievously. The little quip was silly
| enough, but Dicky appeared to find it
| highly amusing, his loud laughter
echoing weirdly among the trees.
| 'That's a good one" he declared,
and then, coming impulsively over
| toward me, he drew me into a roughly
| tender embrace.
They Find Il Path.
"You're a bully little woods pal,
| sweetheart,' he said, rubbing his
! cheek against mine. I'm awfully
sorry [ was so shabby at first. I was
a selfish beast, and it served me right
| to lose the chance to help you land
! your first trout
I put my hand against his lips.
Lets not spoil a perfect moment
! by remembering anything, pleasant or
| unpleasant" I said SOFTLY
! Dicky drew me closer and kissed me
| for answer. I returned his kiss with
| a feeling of bissful content I had not
! experienced for weeks. The shadow
| of Grace Diapers terrible act, and the
| furtive doubt she had planted in my
| mind, which had been with me for
so long, skunk away as if exercised by
! the bracing air and wonderful beauty
| in which we stood. 1t was one of my
rare moments of perfect happiness
| and it gave a zest to every remaining
| moment of the day.
| It was late in the afternoon when
| we finally turned our footsteps toward
: the Cosgrove farmhouse and supper.
I Mrs CosgrOve had put us up a sub
! stantial luncheon, but the autumn air,
! heady as champagne, had sharpened
! our appetites until the one thing more
desirable to us than catching trout
| was the eating of them.
Hello, here's a path leading up
! DicFy exclaimed in relief after he
had nearly twisted his ankle in the
| creeping vines that twined among the
underbrush. "By Jove, Madge, look
| here, hows this for a Fenimore
| Cooper situation ?''
| I stepped to his side, and saw what
! he meant in an instant. The path was
! arranged SO that it could be masked
! by sort Of curtain Of vines which had
! been carefully cut and trimmed until
| it hung over the underbrush in such
! a manner as effectually to conceal tho