Birmingham age-herald., 1894-12-26
THE MERMAID.

bilHR nOlob 1tdi anu tllti sblllCOnibE wet and cold came dab in my face. sat up with jerk, and there sat a mermaidl Good graciousl You can imagine how startled I felt
 She sat on the sand quite close to me, resting on one hnnd and with her tail, an indisputable tail, with beautifully glis- tening silvery brown scales, eoiled round in a graceful curve. She was fascinating ly pretty, with a sweet face laughing now at my air of bewilderment, and with long tresses of brown hair blowing about her
 suppose my dropped jaw and staring eyes must have struck her as very com ical for she laughed-such a musical, soothing laugh. strangely liko the ripple of the waves among the groynes higher up the beach.
 Excuse me" she said, but you IooB so funny"
 "Funnyl" I exclaimed indignantly "What have you heen up toP You've been throwing water over ne"
 'I haven't" ;"
 Yes, you have Look here. my face is all wet now, and my bair is damp"
 "I didn't throw water over you. 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. I really could not resist you.
 Well you shouldnt, then," l said. "Now you've woke me up, and some of the water has gone down my neck"
 spoke grunpily. You see, was scarce ly myself yet It was so utterly incom- prehcnsible that 1 should be sitting hero with an absolute mermaid, q creature had never for moment believed in, sit ting almost close enough Tor me to touch.
 I bad wandered of that afternoon among the powders that lay piled up on the shining beach at the foot Of the cliffs to the left of the little town. It was very hot so hot that after skimming through the columns of the paper had brought with me lay back and snoo2ed, in bliss ful disregard of the glaring sun and the white rocks and tho low ripple of the re- treating tide And then happened all havo described,
 Do you know you suorep' she said sud denly.
 Said I, You must bo very mischiev ous girl-mermaid, I mean"
 "Oh, no, I'm not-not nearly so bad as some. It's lucky for you my cousin wasn't with mo when I came up and found you here.'
 "A gontleman-a mermanf" l ven
 "Ob, mol She usually comes up here with mo of an afternoon, but she's up at the other end of the bay today. Her names Genevieve, and mine's Maud. ''
 Where do you get your names?" I asked
 Out of books we pick up. We got mino and my cousin Imogen's out of 0 supplement- that dropped overheard from a steamer. Pretty name Imogen, isn t it?"
 Not half so pretty as Maud"
 "Wcll, I don't know. We're glad to get anything to read. Is that today's pa perf' pointing to Tho Chronicle that lay on the beach.
 Yes" said. s'Would you like it to readf"
 Thanks, awfully. No, not now, but I'll take it with me, if you don't mind. Smoke your pipe, will youy"
 With great pleasure. Sure you don't mindf'
 Not bit Besides I want you to lot me light it..
 So I pulled out my pipe and filled it., and Maud, with sinewy loop of her tail, glided up to me. She seemed highly de. lighted at being allowed to strike the match for me to get light by.
 Isn't this iollyf" she said, looking up at me with wonderful eyes.
 Rather" I said, looking down into them. Do you often go in for this sort of thing?'
 "Well, now, I'll tell you," she replied. "Youfe the first man I ever spoke to- like this, I mean-but old Nep sent mo here for trying to. You're in my mock, you know. often come here, and yester. T sA I..A Ht.,+ T -1- and when you came along I only just had time to get behind that rock.
 ''So you've seen me before, then?"
 "Oh, yes, several times. I saw you along the beach on Sunday evening""
 The deuce you did-I beg your par don."
 And I saw you kiss that fisher girl. Oh, yes, you did"
 We'll, said, turning very red 1T ad- init it, but it was only one"
 There ain't any mermen here, she re- piled.
 Aren't there2 suppose it's rather lonely"
 II used t, be spoons little with one at Brighton, but we never see ono here. That's old Nep's doings. haven't been kissed for ever so long"
 "Realy2" I said. edging over toward her
 Really" che sighed, looking down.
 "Er-shall I-would you-shall We that is''-
 I leaned over her as she raised her face smilingly, mischieyously to mine, whcn just as our lips touched, with sudden twist of her tail she caught mo dab in the face with her wet fin.
 1 fell over backward, and by the time l had got the sand and wet out of my eyes tho mermaid had disappeared.
 No trace of her was left, but my news paper was gone, and as I went slowly homo fancied could catch sight of her. lying out by the big black rock that just showed itself above the sea- l stood still and called to her and distinctly saw her white arms waved to me and heard the rippling of her laugh and saw too, her long brown hair tossing on the waves.-Sketch
 Crispfs Insight Into Human Nature.
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