The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1886-11-12
THE SPLENDID MERMAID.
How jack Sew One. or Something VERY
Like One, but COuldn't Catch Her.

How jack Sew One. or Something Very
Like One, but COuldn't Catch Her.
{" was one day out s-fishIng." said
an old salt to a London newspaper man
"in about three fathoms OF water
"It was cold October day. the water
very quiet. There was codlings, whit
in9s, poutings d the like of such fish
to catch IN plenty, and l rowed out to
see IL could airn a shillin.
" Well. when / came TO the place
where l reckoned the fish was, 1 threw
in my oars, picked up the boats anchor
and chucked It overheard.
" Guess my surprise and annoyance
when 1 found that some one had been
and gone and cut the cable close to
where 1t was made fast in the boat. 1t
was the doing of some boys, l suppose
but, anyways, the anchor took the
cable, and away went the whole consarn.
It was a new rope, and 1 had no
notion of losing it and my little anchor
as well; SO took a fishing line, put
some extra weights upon It, aud So
cured the other end to a little cork
fender, with which / buoyed the spot
aud then rowed home again for the loan
OF creep.
A creep. 1 may tell ye. Is a contriv-
ance for sweeping The bottom OF the
water with, to bring up anything ye may
have lost.
" Gill; 4 got IuS lOdu OF one, RDQ
called to Jimmy Dadds, a chap Of about
Is years old, to come out and give me
hand. promising him half a pint We
rowed out, came to the place. and he
began to row quietly, while l chucked
the creep over.
- 1t hadn't been down two minutes
when 1t came across something that
felt soft. 1t wasn't 10 be pulled up easy.
The hold of it anchored the boat.
60 What [ ba biaza9 bava vva boOtad
here says l to Jimmy, feeling whatever
1t was wobbling, as 1t might be, upon
the creep. ana yet refusing TO come up.
- Come and lie s a hand
He got up, laid hold OF the line,
and hauled with ue. What was coming
we couldn't imagine.
The feel, l tell ye, was quite
sing lar. 1t wasn't like a piece of
wreck II wasn't like a fish; It wasn't
like being foul OF rock. There was q
kind o swHying and softness about It.
Rs IL the object WIS alive md Was hold
lng on 10 prevent being drawed up.
- Haulr says L
." We bent our backs. and started the
object out of its mooriags below; and
what dye think came up?
" Why, Sir, there popped half out OF
water the beautifuliest female as ever
ye set ey on She looked right at
US, and lever see such smile as she
had.
"She seemed to Le covered with
iewe 3, and her black hair was al wrea b.
ed abO I with seawted. She had one
arm raised out of water and this was
stretched ouL to us as II she entreated
Us to leave her alone.
" Jim, who was the most ignorant
fool OF a lad that ever 1 met at sight
OF her gives scrcech and tumbles
right backwards into the bottom Of the
Uoat.
'' His falling threw the line out Of
N hand. The woman disappeared, and
when l hauled up the creep for her
again The irons came up naked.
- own l was q bis 81 red myself,
butnOt SO alarmed that 1 WASH [ anxious
10 20 On Creei ing for her again. Blu.
jimmy refu- Cd to have anything more 10
do with /. Iis said no; hs i come
Out u sweep for al anchor. h. didn't
want no dealings with appar.tious. As
to the hal pint. 1 might drink it my
sc f. What he required was TO be put
ashore.
However. I wasn't going to leave
without my anchor, SO 1 gets the boat
into position again. and at the hrst
throw of the creep brings up the cable
l tn n rowed Jimmy ashore. where,
mesLng couple Of men. tells them
If the appariton that came up. and In
vites { en- 10 come out ana try II another
sigut could be got OF her.
Well they consented, but though 1
could have swore we swept over the
place twenty times we never hooked on
to the object 1t got talked about, and
others tried, bat to no purpose.
'Jimmy's yarn made people believe It
was a mermaid. Fact is, he was in such
a stale Of funk. he saw good deal more
than did or that any other man that
had'n' lost his head would.
He eaid she motioned with her hand,
as though to drive us away, and that
her ewes spark led. 1 couldn't deny my.
self that she looked as il her dress was
coated with Jewels and pearls, at least
as much OF her dress as / could see;
and there's no denying, also, that her
hair was beauti ul black, and as she
rose 10 the surface, looked 70 be d All g
and ffliin. under the seaweed thai hung
about her hair so gracefully you mig mt
ha swOre II was her sweethearts doing.
But 1t wasn't a mermaid, OF course,
said 1.
well, 1 dun no. I'm sure" he an
swered.
"Th e newspapers said" exclaimed
another man, that It must Ia oeen
ships iigurehead."
Aye" said another seaman, with
some little show OF resentmen as
though refuting an argument that an
loyed him. It's all very fine saying IL
might have been a 1gurehesd. But why
was 1t never come across agAtnf How
was it that me and the score OF others
who tried for it never could hook TT
I'm not going for 10 say that she
was alive, for l ain'J such fool as Jimz
my; but neither are ye going TO get M
to believe that he smiling, beautiful
figure as rose up gil terlng With Jewels
vas a carvin' out OF wood, and 80 tells
ye. What it was l dun no, but l DC
know what it warn't."
And, after this wise speech, locking
very gravely at me. he filed his PiP<
alresh and sat smoking thoughttuIly.