breakfast, while she was debating whether she should take with her Howard and Snook

oysters last night, and am in for a solid fortnight spent in bed. Have passed a horrible n

m inferred the doctor's visit. Blix decided that she would put off her walk

, but on the steps outside met Condy dressed

dollars!" he an

omaine poisoning!" she c

a kind of a sort of a pain. It's all gone now. I'm as fit as a fiddl

your

er before us: to-day, to-morrow, and Monday. What will we do? What must we do to be saved? Our matrimonial objects don't materialize till Monday night. In the meanwhile, what? Shall we go down to Chinatown-to the

sters,

had caught

claimed, "let

he

ple fish around here? Where

oncern. "I thought they fished in their bac

wered. "Let me think-let me think," he went on, frowning

!" He was already half-way down th

rust me IMPLICITLY. Don't you want to go

"Why, it would be the ve

hen, com

k a down

reet hill. "I haven't used 'em in years-not since we lived East; but they're hand-made, and are tip-top. I haven't

e's t

am going down n

thirty-eight and forty-four man-killers of the plainsmen and Arizona cavalry; hunting knives and dirks, and the slender steel whips of the fencers; files of Winchesters, sleeping quietly in their racks, waiting patiently for the signal to speak the one grim word they knew; swarms of artificial flies of every conceivable shade, brown, gray, black, gray-brown, gray-black, with here and there a brisk vermilion note; coils of line, from th

e attention of a cler

t some place where we can go and come in the same d

fish. The affairs of the nation stood still while he pondered, suggested, advised, and deliberated. He told them where to go, how to get there, what train to

d. He'll put you on to the good spots; some places are A-1 to-da

the Mentor turned a

L a fish. You don't say 'catch,'

gested, and a beautiful little tin box painted green, and stenciled with a gorgeous gold trout upon the lid, in which they were to keep

it to fish in that lake. Have you got a pull

ittle gasp of dismay. They looked at

you can't make it, come back here an' lemmeno, and we'll fix you up in some other place. But Lake San

ntil their expedition had been in doubt that Condy a

e any good kills, lemmeno and I'll put it in the paper. I'm the editor of the

waiting at home, in great suspense, for that ve

Unconditional permission obtai

Sunday afternoon to talk over final arrangements with Blix. B

ting the last paragraphs of his diver's story, w

and have a cigar. Hendricks and George Hands are coming ar

t his back. Sargeant stood there, the well-groomed clubman of thirty; a little cynical perhaps, but a really good fellow for all that, and undeniably fond of Condy. But somewhere with the eyes of some second self

re midnight," admitted Sargeant resigne

moments," he said. He hurried to the office of the clu

ay? It's urgent. Send a

n hour, and left the club as Hendricks and G

of the dining-room, he t

d him. "Always, ALWAYS come,

I can't get some one to play against I'll sit down and deal dummy hands, and bet on

d left the pair alone in the dining-room, they set about preparing for their morrow's excursion. Blix put up thei

and scowling fiercely. He got the lines fearfully and wonderfully snarled, he caught the hooks in the table-cloth, he lost the almost invisible gut leaders on the floor and looped the sinkers o

ock she said

he latest, and YOU must get up earlier than that, because you're at the hotel and have further to go. Come here for breakfast, and-

said, "and one of those golf sca

fairly respectable, because we're to go to Luna's when we get back, remember. And n

of time the next morning. For a wonder, he had not forgotten the r

it is. We ought to be on the way to the depot now. Come on; you don't want any more coffee. Have you got ever

f an hour ahead of time. The train had not

omplained Blix, sinking helplessly

to rest now. I wonder what track the train leaves from. I wonder if it stops at San Bruno. I wonder how far it is

hrimps. Condy, you make me so ner

ice to them on that wonderful morning. Even the supercilious ticket-seller at the San Francisco depot had unbent, and wished them good luck. The conductor of the train had shown himself affable. The very brakeman had gone out of his way to apprise them, qui

for both trips," whispered Con

pale blue. There was a smell of cows in the air, and twice they heard an unseen lark singing. It was very still. The old buggy and complacent horse were embalmed in a pungent aroma of old leather and of stables that was entrancing; and a sweet smell of grass and

ll splendid?" she

declared solemnly. "I could do

had no need to show Richardson the delightful sporting clerk's card. The old Yankee-his twang and dry humor singularly incongruous on that royal morning-was solicitude itself. He picked out the best boat on the bea

he even baited the hooks with the salt shrimp herself, and by nine o'clock they were at anchor some forty

as he paid out his line to the ratchet music of the reel,

mond iridescence. The surrounding land lay between sky and water, hushed to a Sunday stillness. Far off across the lake by Richardson's they heard a dog bark, and the sound came fine and small and delicate. At long intervals the boat stirred with a gentle clap-clapping of the wat

d, strong neck was as usual swathed high and tight in white, and the huge dog-collar girdled her waist according to her custom. She had taken off her hat. Her yellow hair rolled back from her round forehead and cool

passed.

amine the bait. But, as he was fumbling with the fli

-I've-got

twitch, twitch. Then the whole rod arched suddenly, the reel

shouted, palpitating with exc

ving rod braced against her belt. All at once the rod straightened out again, t

ff!" sh

GOING TO JUMP. Loo

ion of ripples and foam-up into the gray of the morning from out the gray of the water: scales all gleaming, hackles all a-bristle; a sudden flash of silver, a sweep as of a scimitar in gray

his teeth. "When he comes toward you, reel him i

st, her cheeks blazin

, as the trout darted straight for the bottom, bending the rod till the tip

! Steady, there, he's away

r. Swimming parallel with the boat, he was plainly visible from his wide-opened mouth-the hook and fly protruding from his lower jaw-to t

"Now, careful, careful; bring him up to the boat where I c

urned slowly on his side, the white belly and one red fin out of the water, the gills opening and shutting. He was tired out. A third time Blix drew him gently to the boat's side. Con

n disarray, her eyes swimming with tears of sheer excitement. They shook each other's hands; they talked wildly at the same time: they pounded on the boat's thwarts wi

that time, wa

frightened me. I never-no, never in my life!" exclaimed Blix, "was

glory ha

han teas, and danc

ow old

are; I think that trout

it. By half-past twelve Blix had caught three trout, though the first was by far the heaviest. Condy had not had so muc

d sifted all over the "devilish" ham sandwiches? What if the eggs themselves had not been sufficiently cooked, and the corkscrew forgotten?

way the forks and spoons, and while Condy was stret

you say to a little g

n leaves from his hair. Blix had taken a deck of cards from the lunch-basket, and fo

he repeated, looking

laimed in amazement

I want you to pl

it," he declared

ve minutes, while he interrupted and protested and psh

ust ask you that when you feel you must play-or-I mean, when you want to

terous. I hate to see a girl

one else? Maybe you think I can't play well enough to make it interesting for you," she

play, those men and I. Why, it is almost

play with ME, no matter what I've got in h

t w

then little by little perhaps-perhaps-well, never mind that now. I want to play; put it t

shame, Condy made her the promise. T

YOU know of poker? I think we had

hand and partit

es BEFORE the draw,"

then, looking at her ask

up t

e it five

well. How

hr

take

ou fiv

n, without trace of expressi

ive, and I'll r

e be

better t

ll

tens," said Blix, thr

gold," muttered Condy as B

e had won all th

get to fishing again

nd she count

even dollars and a h

he said jocosely, "I'll send

nds at the club!" she exclaimed; "and it's not right to do it with me. Condy, give me seven dollars and a half.

. Who'll pay for the supper to-night at L

ll

afford to lose

. I took the same chances as

u've regularly

give me

your mon

in her purse, and ro

is over, we will return to the serious business of lif

railroad iron and rowed back to Richardson's. Blix had six trout

bait OCCASIONALLY. I've not had a single bite-not a nibble, y' know, all day. Never mind, you got the big trout, Blix; that first on

In a mud-hole between two rocks they discovered a tiny striped snake, hardly bigger than a lead pencil, in the act of swallowing a little green frog, and

buggy which was to take them to the train, "was t

nch-basket, and rods up to the Bessemers' flat by a me

for Luna's and the m