The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1895-01-09


apart from Nine. Minis posters ant
advertisements. The Social Purity Re
generation Society, of which a bishol
was president, had taken the matter il
hand and publicly protested against th,
performance of the Human Mermaid
1t was scandalous, said the S. P. r. S.
and the county council was appealed to
Memorials were presented to the hom,
secretary asking him to interdict tn,
performance on the grounds of moral
ity, and band of curates, carving
banners, waited on the Bishop of Lon
don and begged his lordship to use biz
influence toward suppressing the public
scandal. The result of all this excite
ment was naturally to draw renewed
attention to Mile. Mimi and her strik.
ing performance, and crowds Hocked tc
the music hall where she was appear
ing nightly. The dealers in opera
glasses in the neighborhood did roar
ing trade, and at the clubs the absorbing
question as to what Mile. Minis per-
fectly fitting costume was composed Of
was hotly debated.
Here is my costume" she said, hug
ging a brown-paper parcel. 81 never
let it go out of my sight. 1t is too
precious, and although entrepreneurs
offer me 'undreds of pounds for re secret,
shake my head and say: Non, non,
non? Sol" and the CHEEKY little laugh,
like the song of some happy bird, trilIed
out again.
OF course Colville had seen the show.
Who had notg And sitting there, he
could scarcely realize that quiet little
woman, in the neat serge frock, was
the Human Mermaid who had set all
London agog and iung the nonconform-
ist conscience off its balance by her
daring audacity.
Il shall be delighted to come" said
Colville when he recovered himself,
"and-"
The train came to a sudden standstill.
"All out!" yelled the guard, rushing
up the platform. adding in explana-
ton: "One of the coaches is broke
down."
The platform of the station where the
train had pulled up was crowded with a
mob of excursionists, and into the surg
ing mass of dirty humanity Colville
plunged, followed by Mile. Mimi. When
he had scrambled through the crowd
and found seat, he looked round for
his companion. But she had vanished.
Before he had time to go in search Of
her the train was shunted, the damaged
coach taken out, and the train brought
into the station again. Colville fought
his way into a carriage.
"You went to Nine Rossi, dear?"
Yes, Cynthia, / did, and-and-"
wasn't the dress readyp"
Eyes, darling, and brought it away
with me- hnt-Wol fO ont lon~ cforr,
short, we were all turned out at some
confounded wayside station; there was
an awful crowd of beastly excursionists,
and-dash it ALL Cynthia, if you must
have the truth, when 1 got to Folke-
stone found that I had lost the parcel.
Now, don't get excited, there's dear,
gSod girl. It can't be far off and Tve
been down to the station five times al
ready and | mean to keep on going un-
til 1 find it."
what a horrid nuisance: I must
have it tomorrow. I've told all the girls
about it, and dare not show myself
without it."
you shall have it tomorrow, dear, if
l sit up all night and go to the station
every ten minutes"
"Yes, sir, there was parcel found in
one of the carriages of the 4:3O train
from Charing Cross. 1t hadn't got a
label on, and so we opened it. What
did your parcel contain?"
"A lady's bathing dress"
"Well, suppose that's what this is.
Me and my mates couldn't quite maks
it out, and the man laughed.
Thank goodness, said Colville, as
he slipped shilling in the mans hand,
and, hugging his parcel, made a bolt
for the beach. He was just in time.
Cynthia was standing by her machine,
frown on her brow and look in her
eyes which spoke volumes. As she
saw Colville running toward her, the
frown vanished and smile came over
her face.
Good boy" she exclaimed, as she
took the parcel from the hands of the
breathless man, and mounting the steps
of her machine disappeared within.
"Mme. Rossi must have made a mis-
take, said Cynthia, as she prepared to
don her bathing garment. at is hardly
che sort of thing wanted. Still, it
doesn't seem SO bad," she said, con.
templating herself, "and dare say it
looks all right. Anyhow. there's hard
ly any one about, and so it doesn't mat
ter"
The water was splendid and she felt
in such perfect trim that she determined
to have a longer swim than usual.
Presently, feeling tired, she foated on
the surface, closing her eyes and bask-
ing in the warm sunshine. When she
turned toward the shore, she was sur
Prised TO see large crowd lining tho
beach and what was more curious still
every third person was armed with q
field-glass.
what on earth can be the matterP"
she muttered, calmly swimming into
shallow water. "If they are going to
stare like that, shall go in"
She walked toward her machine.
Then suddenly something caused her to
look down.
She gave one wild shrek and literally
fell into her bathing machine.
From Cynthia Mango to her friend
Lydia Stapleton.
l shall never dare to
show my face in Folkestone again. By
some horrible mistake, Colville brought
me a bathing-dress which, can hardly
write the words, my cheeks are simply
burning-as soon as it got wet became
oh, Lydia, think of it-almost trans
parent! Unconscious of this, there
was in full view of the crowded beach
for nearly half an hour. Can you i'm.
Rgine my feelipgse The local papers
are full Of it. c0lvills talks of going to