The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-12-31
THE MERMAID.

was hazily conscious of a gentle, rus
Ting noise near me, and then something
wet and cold came dab in my face sat
up with a jerk, and there sat a mermaid
Good graciousl You can imagine how
startled / felt
She sat on the sand quite close to me,
resting on one hand, and with her tail, an
indisputable tail, with beautifully glis-
tening silver7 brown scales cOiled round
in graceful curve. She was fascinating
y pretty, with a sweet face. laughing now
at my air of bewilderment, and with long
tresses of brown hair blowing about her
I suppose my dropped jaw and staring
eyes must have struck her as very com
ical, for she laughed-such a musical
soothing laugh, strangely like the ripple
or the waves among the groynes higher
up the beach.
Excuse me. . she said. but you look
Funny I exclaimed Indignantly.
what have you been up tor You We been
throwing water over me. -
81 haven't
Yes. you have. Look here, my face is
all wet now, and my hair is damp
= didn't throw water over you I sup
pose it was rather forward, but I put the
end Of my tail on your face You looked
so tempting, you know, lying there.
really could not resist you.
''Wel, you shouldn' {, them" I said.
the water has gone down my neck"
I spoke grumpily. You see, was scarce
" myself yet 1t was SO utterly incOm-
prehensible that I should be sitting here
with an absolute mermaid, a creature I
had never for a moment believed in, sit
ting almost close enough for me to touch.
had wandered of that afternoon among
the powders that lay piled up the
shining beach at the foot Of the cliffs to
the left Of the little town. 1t was very
4 al. Al
the columns Of the paper had brought
with me lay back and snoozed, in bliss
full disregard Of the glaring sun and the
white rocks and the low ripple of the re-
treating tide. And then happened all I
have described
do you know you snoreS'' she said sud
denly
Said I, You must be a 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 l came up and found you
here
"A gentleman-a mermanS" ven
tured.
''Oh, mol She usually comes up here
with me Of an afternoon. but she's up at
the other end of the bay today. Her
names Genevieve, and mines Maud"
asked.
''Out Of books we pick up We got
mine and my cousin Imogen's out Of a
supplement- that dropped overheard from
a steamer. Pretty name, 1lnOgen, isn't
1T"
Not half SO pretty as Maud
''Wen, / don't know. We're glad to
get anything to read. Is that today S pa
peri pointing to The Chronicle that lay
on the beach
YES. said. Would you like it to
read2'
Thanks, awfully- No. not now. but
III take it with me, if you don't mind.
Smoke your pipe, will you2"
With great pleasure. Sure you don't
mind?''
Not a bit. Besides I want you TO let
me light it,
So pulled out my pipe and filed it,
and Maud, with sinewy loop Of her tail,
glided up to me. She seemed highly de-
match for me to get a light by
Ism t this jol ~ she said looking up
at me with wonderful eyes.
Rather said, looking down into
them DO you often go in for this sort
Of thing?''
Wen, now, III tell you, - she replied
s. You're the first man I ever spoke to-
like this, l mean-but old Nep sent me
here for trying to. You re in my nook,
you know. 1 often come here and yester-
day it was so hot that I dropped asleep,
and when you came along I only just had
time to get behind that rock. F."
$50 you've seen me before them"
Oh, yes, several times. I saw you along
the beach on sunday evening. -
The deuce you did beg your par
don.
And saw you kiss that fisher girl
Oh, yes you did. -
Wen, - I said, turning very red, Il ad-
nit it, but it was only one -
There amt any mermen here, - she re-
piled.
Aren't there2 suppose it's rather
lonely
Il used to be spoons a little with one at
Brighton, but we never see one here
That's old Nep's doings. haven't been
kissed for ever so long
Really" 1 said. edging over toward
her
Really she sighed, looking down
Er-shan would you-shau We !
that Isl
leaned over her as she raised her face,
mischievously to mine, when,
just as our lips touched, with a sudden !
twist of her tail she caught me dab in
the face with her wet fin.
fell over backward, and By the time I |
had got the sand and wet out Of my eyes |
The mermaid had disappeared.
No trace of her was left, but my news /
paper was gone, and as went slowly home /
fancied I could catch sight Of her, lying /
1ut by the big black rock that just showed I
tself above the sea- stood still and called /
% her and distinctly saw her white arms /
waved to me and heard the ripping of her /
augh and saw, too her long brown hair /
ossing on the waves Sketch.
Crispi's Insight Into Human Nature.
have known in my lifetime not a few
public men recognized as great, but I have /
lever known one who had such insight !