The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1885-01-07
A Kiss in Mistake.

n Mss III mistake.
81 cannot let you have one to yourself,
sir"
"Why not?" | asked.
"Because we are overcrowded to-day.
The hot weather coming so unexpectedly
has sent the people down in swarms."
"Well, them" | said, 81 suppose l
must room with some one else"
81 don't think you will regret it, sir
He seems nice enough young gentle
man and not unlike yourself in appear
ance. There he stands, sir"
/ looked in the direction indicated by
the one to whom | had been speaking,
and there sure enough was one who did
resumble me somewhat, and to whom
the term mice enough" did not seem
applicable. He appeared to be about my
own age, had similarly growing mus
tache of the same color, light brown, as
his hair, and was about my own height
five feet nine inches. He also wore
a light gray suit not unlike my own in
general appearance, and cut to the par
ticular shape which my tailor informed
one difference, however, and that was
in the buttons, which in his case were of
peculiar pattern, and as | thought
clothes had given instructions to have
mine of more modest pattern.
There was, however, a restless look
about the eyes which seemed to indicate
that the owner had been over-enioying
the festivities of commencement at one
of our colleges, and that, like myself, he
had come down to the seaside to ''cool
off, from the excitement of a week. con-
tinuous gayety, winding up the equally
exciting examinations that had led up to
it.
One thing, however, l should mention
with regard to his dress, and that is that
he wore in his hectic peculiar scarf pin,
conspicuous rather on account of the pat
tern, heart pierced with an arrow. 1t
was not of much intristic value, but indi-
Gated that the Wearer was experiencing
the delights of ''first" love, a sensation
which as yet / had to experience, the
quiet of my home life with a widowed
mother, averse to social intercourse since
the loss of my father, having kept me
somewhat isolated from those of my own
age, and developed retiring disposition
that, even at New Haven, had kept me
aloof from my fellow students.
And now, having passed my "exam. "
with some degree of credit, and envied
my fellow students whose sisters and
their friends had come like butterflies, to
flutter their wings at the winding up ball
| had run down to Long Branch for dip
before returning to my home, and on ask
ing for bathing room found that for
reasons already mentioned, i should have
to share it with stranger. However,
there was no help forit, and so with easy
grace prepared to go to it, having pre-
viously returned the nod to him who was
to be my companion.
/ was soon prepared and issued from
my box clad in the usual dark blue bath
ing suit, which is so comfortable after
discarding the harness" of clothing re-
quired by our so-called civilization.
With the first plunge 1 was another
man. The cares and worriments of study
fears that should be plucked and &C
home in disgrace, for such should have
felt it had not been successful-were all
forgotten. Even the prudence that
prompted that my first bath should not
be too long continued, was discarded land
again and again swan upon the "break-
ers'' or dived beneath their crests.
At last, however, feeling that | had
been in long enough, if not too long, ]
reluctantly withdrew and went to the
keeper of the bathing houses for the key
who, looking at me somewhat critically,
said:
''You have been in pretty long, sir,
and look little blue about the eyes.
Your room mate came out nearly half an
hour ago, and he seemed alittle touched
about the head, thought. 1t is best not
to overdo it at the first bath"
"Oh," l replied, 81 shall be all right
directly" and taking the key | went to
the box, and having thoroughly dried
myself prepared to dress, when, to my
establishment, found that the stranger
had, in every item, put on my clothing
and leaving me his own.
There was no mistake about it. There
was the light gray suit with fancy but
tons, and there was scarf with pin OF
heart transfixed by an arrow. By some
stupid mistake, for it could not have
been from desire to inappropriate, as
the clothing left was quite as valuable as
my own, he had mistaken my side of the
"pox' for his own, and worn away my
clothing.
There was no help for it, but to dress
myself at once fortunately the clothes