The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-09-24
Listening +, Or Eue>

| ling out loud when recollection fur nished reason for his amazing mirth. 
 "Where's good fishing around here, now" Luther inquired benignantly of clear-eyed boy hanging around the front porch of Peck's family hotel. To l tell the truth he really was trifle hay as to the location of the spot where he remembered dragging forth the beauties l from the water when he was no older than this boy himself. What's your name? &
 'I'm Charley White" the boy said, civilly enough and then his eyes bright ened. Say" he cried, II caught some dandies the other day down by the big ash trees, you know"
 Luther. shook his head drowning a little. "IIf tell you," he suggested, ''I'll hire you for a guide tomorrow what say?"
 | It had been a wonderful day as to crispness of air and brilliance of sun and Peck's hotel hadBsupplied fine luncheon. By the big ash trees, up and down the river, they had wandered; but nothing worth mentioning had come to the surface. Charley White worried and said it was doggone queer when the river was full of fish that they acted like this! Why, of course-to Luther's rather peevish suggestion-of course he knew where the good fishing spots were. Hadn't he been born there ? That settled it.
 When one is old it takes but a slight disappointment to bring one down from the heights and so Luther Pitwell felt old, sitting there in the dappled sun shine; little rings of light around the line dropped in the ripping water, dis tant birds chirping in hidden thickets. He had travelled 800 miles for this fish ing, visualized from the distant past, and now it was gone, vanished. His years descended on him like misty, en- |veloping blanket, dimming the bright sunshine
 Luther's shoulders lost their square ness and dropped and the futility of most things was apparent. Moodily he watched Charley White restlessly dart ing up and clown the bank. Charley did not have to sit in one place, be- cause of stiff joints and creaky limbs Charley was personally embarrassed at his failure to deliver the goods. He felt responsible for the fish in the river after his boast.
 Suddenly, in his minds eye, Luther Pitwell saw a spot, a shady pool where was it? Battle, Battle, Bettle- dropping his pole he scrambled up in undignified haste. His eye sparkled. Hey !' he shouted at Charley's discon- solate back. You come with me! I'm | taking you to where the real fishing on this river is son v
 Charley had to step briskly to keep up with him. Back of Bettle's Woods, that's where it had been!
 "Aw," Charley remonstrated breath lessly, when, after half an hours tramp, they emerged on the spot of his vision. "Why [ there ain't no fish here!" Half an hour later the two looked at each other unbelievingly, In Charley s eyes was plain unadulterated awe and respect. For they had caught big fish nearly as fast as they had cast, fish the like of which the boy had never seen. Nobody had dreamed there were fish in this spot
 "Gee!" the boy gasped as Luther reeled in the biggest beauty of them all. ] Luther Pitwell smiled kindly at him. He bit off the end of his cigar with a crisp click of his teeth and his chin was up. It took himself to run things after all The world was sunny again and he felt about thirty-five. This trip had been a grand idea that had justified his wisdom.
 Well, folks generally come to Uncle Dudley when they want to be put on the right track" he told Charley brisk ly. Luther Pitwell still was in charge of affairs and was entirely happy again.