The day book. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1857-1867, 1857-11-04
A Curious Incident.

Now that " life at the watering places
is over for the season, and the returned
absentees, after several weeks spent in
setting things to rights, are entertaining
their intimate friends with "reminiscences
Of their enjoyments at Rockaway, New
port, Nahant, &C., we occasionally hear of
summer incident worth repeating. A
droll one occurred at q marine resort at
the head of Long Island Sound, to
couple of the 40 or so boarders in the
hotel. Anewly arrived gentleman and
lady strolled away one day in August to
the long sea beach, far beyond the bathing
house, to enjoy the grander sweep of the
wave as it rolled majestically to the shore.
The sublime solitude of the scene APP
peared to be shared only by Old Ocean
and themselves, but they were lovers just
about to be married, and wanted no other
society than that Of each other. After
walking till they. had become so warm
that they looked wishfully to the temp
ting water, with its clean, sandy bed, and
longed to lave its cool, translucent depths,
they decided to try a bath. They had no
swimming rig with them, but fortunately
there was cozy nook on either side OF
little rocky promontory which projected
into the Sound several rods beyond the
main margin. The gentleman modestly
retired to the further side of the natural
screen, and the lady Invested herself of
her clothing without bit of fear that he
would incur her Diana-like indignation
has honor being above suspicion, and her
hi, Of t1,p111,Ocbp
She soon heard him FLASHING in the water
on the other side, and as there was no
harm in using their tongues, although
they must not use their eyes, she cried
out to him cheerily as she rose like a
naeid from the wave.and they had quite a
sociable time fit, in spite of their separa-
ton. g Wasn't it beautiful ?'-" Yes, it
was glorious
xBut, unfortunately for them, small
but quick witted and mischievous boy
a sort.of marine Ike Partington-without
being seen himself, saw it all He had
been fishing upon shelf Of rock, at the
extreme end of the promontory, and not
having very good luck had fallen into a
sleep from which he was awakened by
their ordinations of delight. There are
some youthful minds to which the con-
ception Of asroguish trick or practical joke
is as inevitable as lying. From the point
where hel lay he could, with only a slight
movement of his body. see the gentleman
on one side of the ledge and the lady on
the other; and not far away from each
their respective heaps Of garments. What
Jolly good Joke, he thought to himself,
it would be to hide their clothes Or, still
better,ito change one pile for the other
| With him to devise was to execute, and he
went fearlessly about it,yet with great eau
tionlest he should be discovered and his fun
spoiled. Watching his opportunity, and
taking advantage of their absorption in
what they were doing, the little rogue
managed, by consummate ability, to eff
feet the ominous exchange in the situa-
ton of the unsuspecting bathers' clothes,
then stole away from the scene. AS he
ran behind sand-hill his long shadow
between her and the sinking sun attracted
the lady's notice, and in some trepidation
she FASTENED to don her apparel. Fancy
her ''feelinks" on finding not her own
clothes, but the hat, coat, vest and other
articles IN ertenso, ofthe gentleman on the
other side of the promontory How
could it have happened-and what was
to be done? Was that fearfully long
shadow some spirit Of the sea or shore
who, offended at her intrusion upon his
solitude, had resorted to this method Of
Furnishing her temerity 1t were bet
ter to imagine her situation than to at
tempt to describe it.
In the meantime the gentleman, too
repaired to the shore to dress. Speech
less astonishment was depicted in hi