The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1917-07-21
THE JUDGES CATCH"
BY OLIVER GRAY.

The judge was fishing. He was q
good fisherman, not because he caught
20 many Of the finny tribe, but because
he could sit hour In and hour out, day
In and day out, week in and week out,
without getting single strickland
without losing his patience.
His thoughts were drifting like the
white clouds In the blue sky reflected
In the water. "Any fellow is fool
who goes to q summer resort. It's nice
to be free! II fellow was married
he'd have to go where the family want
ed. Look at poor Willis, dragged away
like lamb to the slaughter. He didn't
want to go to the mountains any more
than I want to 90 to the bad place.
That's what he gets for getting mar
ried." Suddenly he felt pull on his
line. He reeled In slowly, very slowly.
TITS a big bass, I'll bet" he exulted.
But t, his surprise he hauled In not
bass but a pocketbOOk. 1t was a
long, fiat purse Of patent leather with
fiat plates Of silver ut each end and a
silver clasp. He turned 1t over
thoughtfully. Wet and soggy as 1t
was, 1t had not lost Its identity and 1t
was coming to him slowly that he had
seen that same purse before.
"Of course" he argued, "her name
and address are inside and it's ridicu-
lous for me to waste time guessing.
But there's something about that purse
that brings back-I have 1t. 1t was
the case Of the Crockett heirs and the
whole family connection was In court.
She wore dark blue and had sort of
copper-colored hair and deep blue eyes
and she dropped this pocketbook three
times, and every time young Skillings
picked 1t up for her she blushed as red
as her hair. Pretty girl! She was
afraid of me, / remember. Wouldn't
look at me at all. Thought I'd bite
her head Off 1 guess. Come to think
Of 1t l lost some sleep over those eyes
for several days. II were like Willis
and hadn't the sense to keep my head
I might be married to them by this
time.
"I'll just open 1t to make sure 1t be
longs to her." But the first thing III
pulled out was newspaper clipping
wet and discolored, but nevertheless
perfectly decipherable. In the cente
was his own photograph! On the mar
gin was written In ink, "Thc peaches
thing you ever saw. Only about thir
ty. Dream Of him every night. Sorr!
when the case Is over"
Shades of Izaac Walton! The fisl
were forgotten.
He gathered up his tackle and poles
picked up his oars and rowed dow
river to the landing and thence wen
afoot across fields to his farmhouse.
mr. Elder. found a pocketbook to
day with q Miss Eileen Porter's car,
in 1t. You don't happen to know he
do your"
mo, I don't believe do. Nobod
around this neighborhood by tina
name. Must be-oh, know; she's like
ly one of those city girls who visite,
the Kramers. They have a summe
home here on the hill, but they're ava
now" =
"All right" answered the judge, ca,
ually. "I'll hunt up her address in tn
city when l go home and send 1t
her. BY the way, Mrs. Elder, I've ha
some important mail today. / must 6
home for while at least"
The city was hot, dusty and nois!
unbearable after the cool, fragrar
quiet of the country. The judge dl
not go home. He left his bags at
hotel and took a taxi for Howard ave
nue., the address on Miss Porter's cart
But the house was deserted. Then h
called up the editor Of society papS
and found that the Porters had gon
to Pinehaven In the mountains. "That
where Willis Is" thought the judg'
"Must be some place."
So he took the first train to Pineh'
ven and arrived at the hotel at min
BY ten he was shaved, bathed an
dressed for the dance downstairs.
Willis found him at once, "You Of
| dog! Got tired Of sitting In q lone
old boat all day, didn't your I tol
Molly I'd get you yet. This Is cor
Ing place. Wait till you see the go
course-ahd the girls!"
4 The judge stood 1t as long Us |
could, then he hunted up the girl. Whe
he saw her his heart gave great jun
and he cursed himself for tardy foe
Perhaps he was too late. Those eye.
And that hairi
There was moon, so they cut Il
, dance and went out. The mountain
| With the sharp outline of the pin'
against the sky were wonderful.
1T doesn't seem as II I had been fls
! ing on q lonely river two hundred mill
away from here ut noon today"
"How interesting! Did you cate
! anythingr
Eyes, thlsw He gave her the purs
, still damp and flabby.
! "Why, it's mine I dropped 1t out
a boat over q month ago. There real
isn't much Of value In 1t. Only a
she stopped suddenly.
"Only -" he suggested.
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