The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1921-04-28
AN ENHANCEMENT
BY EDITH LOWELL.

Yes, love you, more than anyone
In this world" and Hilda smiled at the
questioner. II love. you, but I won't
marry yOu-yet."
Nov, Hilda, be sensible. That's
good girl. There's absolutely no rea-
son why you should put me off so,
your only reason is"
THAT I'm not ready. I'm not, and
since you're so angry, I'll finish read
Ing this story. You are angry, aren't
you? Please be cross, for Pm 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
that made him uneasy.
"Why, Hilda, little girl, what is It?
Are you tired of me?"
mo, Bob, not tired. It's Just be-
cause everything is too good to be true.
L want romance! adventure! Listen,
Bob, when l was little tot 1t 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, and 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 1t 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 I ever
heard Of. There!"
"Why, Hilda, little girl, don't know
isn't love enough?" His arm stole
around her.
Bob, / want to be rescued want
you to be hero. want you to snatch
me from the jaws of 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. l want an adventure,
something different. something to re-
member and thrill at, even after ten
years!"
That night when Bob was alone in
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 it.
The next morning Hilda's six-year-
old neighbor, Stanley Mason, found her
in her garden. "Oh, Miss Hilda, won't
you please have picnic with me this
afternoon? Mothers going away, an
l just hate to stay with Katie"
"Why, Stan, I'd love to. What shall
we do, and where shall we have our
picnic"
II 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 ut 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
gish little brook, and in a short time
they stopped by the side of the seldom
used road. After Stanley had actually
landed fish, Hllda thought she would
try her flsherman's luck. Stan seemed
TO enjoy batting her hook with q wig
Cling worm, though Hilda had to turn
away.
After losing her bait several times
she felt heavy Jerking on her line.
She pulled 1t In, exclaiming: ooh, l
must have the grandfather Of all
fishes" She gave a 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 Hilda's terror frightened him. He
began to wall. Hildas panic Increased
as she scrambled up the steep bank.
The line somehow became entangled
about her ankle, with the eel pulling
and writing at the end of the line.
Hilda screamed and struggled but
could not release her foot. She sud-
denly realized STAINS fright and
Gained herself.
'"There, Stan dear, Well get the old
eel off somehow. Mary must have put
a knife in the luncheon basket--will
you look and see3"
Stanley ran to the car and opened
the basket. "No, there isn't, the
breads all san'wishes, so we didn't
need any,"
Hilda tried to loosen the fishing line
so that she could slip her foot from
the moose, but the slight Juggling
caused 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
asked Stanley to 60 to the farmhouse
across the field for assistance.
A moment later car rumbled over
the wooden bridge.
"By all the saints That's Hilda
What can she be doing there?" And
Bob sprang from the runabout and ap-
preached the knoll.
"Oh, Bob! I'm so glad to see you
Do hurry and cut me loose from this
dreadful eelw