The Caledonian-record. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1920-current, 1920-08-05
AN ENHANCEMENT
BY EDITH LOWELL.

questioner. Il love you, but l won
marry you-yet.'
/ "N0w, Hilda, be sensible. That.
a good girl. There's absolutely no rea
son why you should put me off so
3, your only reason is"
THAT I'm not ready. I'm not, AM
since you're so angry, I'll finish read
ing this story. You are angry, aren
you? Please be cross, for I'm nearly
bored to death with your everlasting
good nature"
Bob glanced at her quickly. AL
| though her eyes were mocking, there
was hint of earnestness in her words
hat made him uneasy.
"Why, Hilda, little girl, what is 1t
Are you tired of me?"
NO Bob, not tired. It's just be-
cause everything is too good to be true
/ want romance adventure Listen
Bob, when / was little tot it was
you who hauled me in your cart.
rode on your velocipede you pulled me
out of the duck pond. You've danced
with me, studied with me, AMI loved
me. 1t has always been you-nothing
has ever come between us-and now
you want me to marry YOU"
1t was astonishing, but it was
true-Hilda was crying. With burst
of tears she continued: you enlisted
and went to camp but you never
even-gOt across! It's the most com
monplace and unromantic love ! ever
heard Of. There!"
"Why, Hilda, little girl, don't know
what you mean-or what to debut
isn't love enough?" His arm stole
around her. -
Bob, I want to be rescued want
you to be hero. want you to snatch
me from the jaws of a horrible death,
TO carry me from a burning building =.
Anything-anything! Bob, dear, only
let's not just be married and live hap
PLY ever after. 1 want an adventure,
something different, something to re-
member and thrill at, even after ten
years."
his room he pondered the question
deeply. What could he do-what could
man In such a position do?
But fate often steps in and settles
our difficult problems when we least
expect 1t.
The next morning HiIda's six-year-
old neighbor, Stanley Mason. found her
in her garden. ooh, Miss Hilda, won't
you please have a picnic with me this
afternoon? Mothers going away, an
just hate to stay with Katie"
"Why, Stan, I'd love to. What shall
we do, and where shall we have our
picnic?"
Il tell you what: I'll get my fish
lines and you can take us in your car
and we'll fish in Shady Brook"
THAT will be lovely, dear. If mother
says you may we will start at three
o'clock. I'm so glad you invited me.
I'll put up the luncheon. You run and
ask your mother"
1t was only four miles to the slug
they stopped by the side of the seldom
used road After Stanley had actually
landed a fish, Hilda thought she would
try her fisherman's luck. Stan seemed
to enjoy batting her hook with wig
Cling worm, though Hilda had to turn
away.
After losing her bait several times
she felt heavy jerking on her line.
She pulled it in, eXclaiming: "Oh. |
must have the grandfather of all
fishes" She gave tremendous pull
and there on the bank beside her
lay horrible. great wriggling eel At
Hilda's cry of alarm Stanley ran to-
ward her, but he was just little boy,
and Hida's terror frightened him. He
began to wall. Hilda's panic increased
as she scrambled up the steep bank.
The line somehow became entangled
about her ankle, with the eel pulling
and writhing at the end Of the line.
Hilda screamed and struggled but !
could not release her foot She sud
denly realized STAINS fright and
ralmed herself.
"There, Stan dear, we'll get the old |
ael off somehow. Mary must have put |
4 knife in the luncheon basket-will |
you look and See?"
Stanley ran to the car and opened |
lie basket. mo, there isn't, the |
,read's all san'wishes, so we didn't |
need any"
Hilda tried to loosen the fishing line
20 that she could slip her foot from
he moose, but the slight Juggling
,aused the eel to flop and twist. Hilda
Jumped again and the cord frightened.
After several trials, each seeming to
stir the eel into greater activity, Hilda
lsked Stanley to go to the farmhouse
lcross the field for assistance.
A moment later a car rumbled over
he wooden bridge.
"By all the saints That's Hilda!
What can she be doing there?' And
Bob sprang from the runabout and ap-
,roached the knoll.
ooh, Bob I'm so glad to see you!
20 hurry and cut me loose from this
Ireadful eel"
Bob took in the situation at
.Ianoo uo wac rrun1 pnOuph RI