The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-12-03
SELECT STORY.
A SEASIDE ADVENTURE.

recommended reSB ana sea All.
was to go to some quiet spot on the sea
side, live simply, avoid late hours, and
all causes for harassment. Il would bs
a great thing If could. night after
night, get sound sleep, and lie for {
time free of any anxiety. Rest for tbs
brain was to be the sovereign cure. Act
ing on the pleasant advice, chose Lni
worth, in Dorzetshire, as quiet and duf
a place us could possibly he discovered
To help the cure I was medically re
commended to avoid the glare Of sun.
shine. to wear blue specraele@. and tc
have my hair cut short; all Of which
with other advice, attended to. Pass
ing over any account of the journey, be.
hold me at Lnlworih, poking abont f"r
lodgings. and finding accommodations
at an old-fashioned cottage kept by ons
Mrs Cruxley. As for dizziness. nothing
could match the situation- The only
living objects 10 arous curiosity were a
lady and her daughter, who walking
about, seemed TO be borne down BY some
awful sorrow. saw that the daughter
was an extremely interesting girl, with
a pair of eyes which. as they met mine,
impaired, even through my blue specta-
eles, peculiar sensation.
For days and days spent the most
monotonous and regular life. by degree.
extending my walks along the cliffs, and
making the acquaintance of the coast
guard, ensconced in his turf shelter JUS
above the cove. Wherever went there
were the two ladies, peeping abont and
exciting curiosity in their movements
They appeared to be forever on the look
out for some object on the horizon
There was mystery about them could
not fathom.
Well, three weeks passed, and one af
ternoon, after a heavy sea-fog which
had lasted six and thirty hours, stroll
ed away across the downs, and struck
the coast almost at the extreme western
end of the range of tail, chalk cliffs. Il
was much the farthest point had ye
reached, and il revealed the altered
character Of the country, which here
gradually fattened out until IL was near.
ly dead level, stretching toward the dist
ant town Of Weymouth. The solitud,
Of the spot, the balmy. autumnal air and
pleasant beach, ali suggested a bath
Clambering down the rocks, was about
to undFess under the lee OF the cliff
when I was startled at hearing. as
imagined. footstep on the beach. Ye
no human creature was visible. con
cluded that the sound was,a mere fancy
and SO assured, was soon ing the ful
enjoyment of "a delightful bath in th'
placid ocean before me.
Swimming out to some rocks thatrost
above the sea, ] abandoned myself to M
pleasant novelty of the situation Onl,
by chance did I cast my eyes eastward
and there, to my vexation. was strange
on the beach. II must have been hi
foo 'tep I had heard, and how he hac
concealed himself ! could not divine
Yet there be was; and to add to INV con
sternation, he began to take off his owl
clothes and to dress himself in mine
My first impulse was to call out. an6
next to swim hastily 10 the shere anC
give chase. ALI my efforts were in vain
Before / touched the beach the stranger
or thief I must call him, had donned my
garments and vanished among the cliffs
was naked and helpless. My only re
source was to put on the clothes whiel
the wretch had left as his own.
Here was an extraordinary source o
perpIexity The thought Of having /
put on those clothes filed me with dis
gust. A more motley and coarse attire
had never seen, only fit, as I imagined
for mountebank of the lowest charac
ter. There was, however, no choice, mn
less wished to walk to Lulworth il
the costume of our 6rst parents. 1t wa
some consolation that this Incompetent
sible dress was tolerably clean, and wa
not, on the whole, bad fit. The od
thing was the diversity of colors an,
marks. There was conspicuously stamp
ed the letters p s., and below them tn
figures 5755. Ridiculous as was thi
strange attire, it was clear that shonl
hasten to the nearest coast-guard statiol
and give notice of the robbery. As tn
afternoon was waning, there was no tim
to be lost.
On struggling, hatless, up the side {
the cliff, noticed two figures watchin
me curiously from above. They wei
boys, who, as approached them, wave
their caps, and with sudden shout ra
off at the top of their speed.
Gaining the crest of the high down,
again caught sight of the boys, still rur
ming. Presently two men met then
they spoke together, the boys wave
their hands excitedly in my directio
then all advanced toward me. !, in N
turn, moved toward them, and as Al
preached I saw one was a coast guard
man, the other a policeman. As v
neared each other the boys fell back b
hind the men, and the men thenselv
halted, seemingly hesitating and irres
lutte.
But ! went on, and as soon as / W
close enough to speak said to the polio
man: "Ahl you are just the man
wantedI"
Funny, isn't it? You're just the m;
We wanted" was the reply, and in a
other second the coast -guardsman hi
seized me by the arms, while his col
panion had slipped pair of handcu
on my wrists before was well ava
that il was done.
10 my confusion and surprise /
truth did not as yet dawn upon n
This strange Treatment added only a
other mystery TO the affair; but We
remember that, in spite Of my perple,
ty, was diverted by the behavior
the boys as, with a yell of triumph, III
scampered back in the direction =whi
they had come. What followed next
L. A;.t;rces l., r,x ~eaalIortioo l. ~