Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-02-18
POOR JENNIE CRAMER.
Alive In The Surf of Coney
Island, aud Dead I'm the Surf
of West Haven.
New York letter.

new 1ork Letter.
None of the hundreds of tables on
the verandah ofthe hotela t Manhattan
Beach had gayer occupants that July
afternoon than the one at which
Walter Malley sat with Blanche
Douglass and James Malley with
Jennie Cramer. They were paired in
the manner here indicated, as the most
careless spectator must have seen, and
they had the manner of lovers in
earnest, though at the time they were
devoted wholly to fun. Wine bottles
were before them, empty and being
emptied, and the remnants of a good
dinner. The Malleys were brisk fell
lows of twenty-three and twenty-four,
fashionably dressed, and bearing
themselves like slightly exhilarated
gentlemen. The girls were both under
twenty. Blanche Douglas was small,
slight, with a bright but not pretty
face, quieter than either of her com
panions in manner, yet showing a
eonstraint which conveyed the idea
that she could have been livelier than
they if she would. Jennie Cramer
was a beautiful girl, her face being
regular and delicate In its features,
with wide-open black eyes to give it
animation, and white, regular teeth
to make her smiles bewitching. She
was less ladylike in look and act than
Blanche; palpably more honest and
free in her manner; a girl who would
be unlikely to take much pains to
seem better than she was, as long as
her own conscience was clear.
The orchestra was playing in its
funnel-like stand, facing the hotel
the surf was rolling in on the beach
with a loud swash .swash there was a
hubbub Of talk among the eaters and
drinkers, and the Malleys and their
girls did not get the attention which
their hilarity would have excited in a
place of less general commotion. The
man who gives me this recollection OF
the party says that, after their dinner,
they went into the big bath house,
and soon emerged in the blue flannel
suits which bathers hire Of the estab-
lishment. Joining the throng in the
water, they disported merrily for an
hour or so. He remembers sitting
on the sand and watching them dur
ing the whole time-not that their
conduct was greatly different from
others, or particularly interesting
in any way, but because Jennie
was the prettiest girl he had seeD that
day, and he found it a diversion tt
gaze at her frisky sport. Polite usage
permits men to handle women rather
freely in the surf, and it may have
been that james Malley was ever more
attentive to Jennie than custom sane,
toned; but it was her beauty ant
ljollity that were notable, and ever
these were not so FAR out OF the com
mon that the observer might not hav,
forgotten them, if he had not hap
pened to know who and what Blanch,
Douglass was. No house in all tn,
Infamous block in West Thirty frs
street is more notorious than Lizzi,
Bundy's, and Blanche was an inmate
After their bath the two coupleI
had a final bottle of wine before taking
a train for the city. 1t was dark whel
they were through. AS they rose frtn
the table and started away, my in
fOrmant came accidentally face to fac,
with Blanche.
"Hellol" he said, carelessly.
"Hush!' she whispered; don
give me away"
But don't these fellows know your
"0h, yes" with a sly wink, "bu
the girl doesn't"