Morris tribune., 1881-08-04

foreheadr observed she, "my brain seems
on fire."
so does mine, my dear young lady, re-
piled ], "and my heart goes pit-a-pat, pitt
$50 does mine, said She. II am told
the phenomenon happens in all these sub
marine excursions"
why, we amt off yet" observed the
page, contemporary. who had been (most
Enthusiastically listening to our conversation.
shoula perhaps have rebuked him, but at
that moment the awful bell swung out
from terra firma and we beheld beneath us
the cool and treacherous wave.
"What o terrible situation!" CALCULATED
my fair companion.
'Not altogether, returned l, with pres
sure of the fingers.
''We are leaving all behind us-or at
least above us" added she, for even in that
awful moment her native correctness did
not desert her? Heaven preserve us, what
was that?"
A cannon appeared to have gone off i'm
mediately outside my eye, and then it went
on firing salute-and didn't stop then.
trembled like an aspen leaf, but not SO
much as the beautiful being who relied up
on me for succor. We leaned up against
one another for mutual support. With my
left arm mechanically encircled her waist,
with my right hand grasped half dozen
of the pages buttons. On one side of me
was Poetry; on the other. Science.
sWhat are those dreadful guns?" inquir-
ed the young lady.
"Guns!" cried the page, laughing.
"That's only the tinpaniem of your ear
busting, bless yer. It'll get wuss and wuss,
and the top of your'ed will like to fly of, as
it seems to you, before we gets to the bot
tom. Acomin up, you'll like it better"
Dear GIRL" whispered /, in tones Of
comfort, you will find it some relief to lay
your head upon my shoulder"
She did SO, and caught her broken
tones inquiring what was that dreadful
thing that kept beating against the bell. as
though it wanted to get in among US.
Il hope and trust, my good boy" said
she. addressing the page with sudden ami
nation, that it is not that electrical
cell"
I do believe, if I had not had fast hold
of that boy by his buttons, that he would
have fallen off his seat into the water, in
paroxysm of mirth, and left us without any
protector.
"Lor' bless We, MISS" replied he, when
he got breath enough to do SO, that's the
was to stop for arr minute, it would be
all Hockey with us in this ere bell"
Hockey" CALCULATED the terrified young
creature. What dreadful language he
does use. You haven't got waterproof
coat on, have you, sir?"
trembled as the dear girl made this ex-
raordinary inquiry, for thought that ter
ror was depriving her of reason. Could
she imagine that an overcoat would save
us ever so many fathoms under water as we
now We're?
Alas, MOI" said I, thinking it best to hu-
NOR her. Il left my waterproof coat above
and also my umbrella"
Il asked" returned she, because I seem
to breath nothing else but India.rubber."
Perhaps it was this peculiar atmosphere
which erased her words, as it were as soon
as she had uttered them, that compelled me
to keep my cheek right close to hers, to
catsh the precious tones.
'They pump the air through India rub
Der tubes" answered.
"How wise you are," said she admiringly.
"How nice it must be to knew everything"
Every nice, please, to tell me, therefore,
what name you bear in the upper world.
have read of sirens and mermaids. 'How
dare you touch that lady's dress?" cried I,
Will eAceSSlSe luOlSudtlOn, as GQe SCleuGluC
page made sudden snatcn at her petit
coats.
They was a-gettin' into the water. that's
why" returned the youth, with sulkiness.
Don't you 60 a-hollerin' at me. It's my
duty to take care of all as come down here,
and have my orders about their petit
coats.
My poor boy" said I, ''here is half a
crown for you, am sorry talked so loud,
because water conducts sound with great
facility, and they may have heard me up
above. All that passes among ourselves
here shonld be respected, as being of
private nature"
Mum is the word, observed the page.
and he winked with an air of supernatural
and submarine cunning at the unconscious
Charlotte Elizabeth-for it is needless to
say that the enchanting young mermaiden
was she.
Almost Immediately afterwards we began
to ascend; every instant the guns fired with
less distinctness, and we became more like
our usual selves. But during the few min
utes that we had been immersed, had ex-
perienced a complete metamorphosis-I
had suffered a sea change into something
rich and strange" had descended fancy
free; arose captive to the Diving Belle.
The rest of the courtship was of the ordi-
nary description, and terminated in the us
ual way.