The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-12-27
THE MERMAID.

ShO sat OIL tnc sanu. Qultc ciosc W Ho,
resting on ono hand, and with her tail, an
indisputable tail, with beautifully glis.
tening silvcry brown scales coilod round
in graceful curve. She was fascinating
ly pretty, with sweet face, laughing now
at my air of bowilderment, and with long
trcsses of brown hair blowing about her.
/ suppose my dropped jaw and staring
eyes must have struck her as very com
teal, for she laughed--such musical,
soothing laugh, strangely like the ripple
of tho waves among tho groynes higher
up the beach.
Excuse me-" sho said, ''but you look
SO funny"
"What have you been up to? You've been
throwing water over me"
~ haven't"
"Ycs, you have Look here, my face Is
all wet now and my hair Is damp"
II didn't throw water over you. l sup
pose il was rather forward, but put tho
end Of my tail on your face. You looked
SO tempting, you know, lying there.
really could not resist you"
"Well, you shouldn't, then," / said.
Snow you've woke me up, and some OF
the water has gone down my neck.
ly myself yet. 1t was SO utterly incom-
prchensiblo that 1 should be sitting here
with an absolute mermaid creature
had never for moment believed in, Sit
ting almost close enough for me to touch.
had wandered off that afternoon among
tho bowlders that lay piled up on the
shining beach at the foot of the cliffs to
tho left of tho little town. 1t was very
hot haf I'D mi M nj
the columns of the paper had brought
with me lay back and snoozed, In bliss.
full disregard of the glaring sun and tho
white rocks and the low ripple of the 70.
treating tide. And then happened oil
have described.
''Do you knowyou snore!" she said sud
denly
Said /, "You must bo o very misohiev.
Gus girl-mermaid, / mean"
"Oh, no. I'm not-not nearly SO bad as
some. It's lucky for you my cousin wasn't
with me when came up and found you
here"
"A gontleman-a merman'" I ven.
turcd.
"Oh, mol She usually comes up here
with mo Of an afternoon but she's up at
the other end of the bay today. Hei
Where do you get your namcsi"
asked.
''Out Of books we pick up. We go.
mine and my cousin Imogen's out of o
supplement that dropped overheard from
steamer Pretty name, Imogen, isn't
it2"
Not half so pretty as Maud"
"WelI, don't know. We're glad tc
lt.~. r, l.ott t<SIa -,
peri' pointing to The Chronicle that lay
on the beach.
"Yes," said. "Would you like 1t te
readi'
Thanks, awfully. No. not now, but
I'll take it with me, II you don't mind
Smoke your pipe, will your"
with great pleasure. Sure you don't
mind3'
mot bit. Besides want you to lei
me light it,
So I pu' d out my pipe and filled 1t,
and Maud it'll a sinewy loop OF her tail,
glidcd up 70. She seemed highly de-
lighted at ng allowed to strike the
match for IN to get light by.
Isn't this jolly!" she said, looking uI
at me with wonderful eyes.
Rather" / said, looking down into
them. "Do you often 60 in for this sort
of thing'"
"weil, now, III tell you," she replied.
"You're tho first man i ever spoke to-
like this, mcan-but old Ncp sent me
here for trying to. You're in my nook,
you know. / often como here, and yester.
day 1t was SO hot that dropped asleep,
and when you came along only just hat
time to get behind that rock"
$50 you've seen me before, them"
"Oh, yes several times. / saw you alcna
the beach ON Sunday evening"
Tho deuce you did beg your par
don.'
"And 1 saw you kiss that fisher girl
Oh, yes, you did"
"Wcll," said, turning very red, II ad
NIT it, but it was only one."
There amt any mermen here, she 70
piled.
Aren't there' suppose it's rather
lonely"
Il used to be spoons little with one al
Brighton, but wo never see ono here.
That's old Nep's doings haven't beer
kissed for ever SO long"
Really" said, edging over toware
her.
Really" she sighed, looking down.
'"Er-sball I-would you.-shall We
that is''--
leaned over bcr as she raised her face,
smilingly, mischievously, to mine, when,
just as our lips touched, with sudden
twist of her tail she caught me dab In
the faco with her wet I'm.
fell ever backward, and by tho time
had got tho sand and wet out of my eyes
tho mermaid hnd disappeared.
No trace Of her was left, but my news.
paper was gone and as I went slowly home
fancied 1 could catch sight of her, lying
out by the big black rock that just showed
itself above the sea. Istood still and called
TO her and distinctly saw her white arms
waved Co mo and heard tho ripping of heI
laugh and saw, too, her long brown hair
tossing on tho wavcs.-Skctch.
Crispi's Insight Into Human Nature.