Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 3, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 January 1916 — A SAD, SAD TALE [ARTICLE]

A SAD, SAD TALE

Tbs evening sky was glowing with the last raya of the setting sun. Two middle-aged men sat on a large flat rock at the edge of a pond on the outskirts of the city. That afternoon they had sallied forth In an attempt to lore the finny denizens of the pond from their fiathrer haunt, but nary a horppout graced the bottom of a formidablelooking basket. On another rock, a few hundred yards away, three or four urchins were rapidly filling an old pail with various and sundry specimens of fish. , Mournful preparations were under way for their retirement. As the older one hauled in his line there was a sudden tug. The pole was given a mighty jerk, but no nine-pound plckerel struggled through the air. Disclosure revealed a bent and broken twig. Thoroughly disgusted, they . stared to leave. As they wandered down the path they came upon the boys and eyed their pall with envious eyes. After a consultation they decided to purchase the products of the boys' Industry, parting with four bits of United States silver. Putting the fish in a large bag they sallied forth to civilization. The fish however, were destined never to be eaten bv hungry mortals. They reached the corner grocery and after exhibiting the fine fish “which we caught," laid the bag down on the sugar barrel while they negotiated the purchase of the family provender for the morrow. The storekeeper - keeps two large cats and the pussies promptly located the whereabouts of the fish. While the owners dallied and talked the fish disappeared in one, two, three order. As the catsjmade their escape, when were obliged to dodge several cans of squash, thrown from the store shelves, and now the grocer is mourning the loss of the trade of two cash customers.