Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1896-08-22
GIRLS DUCK A PEPPER.

in New York, have been spending their
vacation as the guests of Miss Martha
Robbins at her fathers farm in Old
Bridge, village about ten miles from
New Brunswick. Young men with
leisure are scarce in that vicinity and
the girls have had to amuse themselves
as best they might with the aid of Miss
Sadie Hickman and Miss Agnes Thayer
who live on adjoining farms. Each
of the five girls is about 20 years old.
Yesterday m r ling they held con-
ference and debated the question of
what they shonld do to entertain them
selves during the day. 1t was Miss
Hickman who suggested that they
should take swim in the brook.
That's splendid idea" said Miss
Robbins. "but what will we do for bath
ing SUITS"
"Oh, we can dig up something Any
thing will do. can take you to place
where the swimming is grand and no.
body would ever come near us. There
is thick hedge right down to the edge
of the bridge"
Upon this assurance the five girls start
ed for the brook, and five minutes after
they had reached the bank there we're
five spleshes and they were enjoying
the coolueas of the water.
Having got them safely into the
water, the reporter may now safely dis
close the fact that two of them had de-
cided at the last moment to dispense
with bathing suits altogether. The at
tire of the other three was not so COM
ple,e as the regulations as Asbury Park
prescribe, but all of the girls felt per-
fectly safe in their remUteness from any
roads or houses.
They dived and ducked and splashed
each other to their hearts content, and
at length, in sheer excess of enjoyment,
they began singing in the water. This
performance came to q sudden stop as
the eyes Of Miss Hickman were seen to
DE fixed in mute horror upon the point
in the hedge along the bank. AS the
sound of the girls voices died away
there was rustling in the hedge, then q
crash, and men fell out upon the edge
| of the stream
"Oh." cried Miss Hickman.
"Oh, oh !" calculated Miss Robbins.
"O-o-o.o-h!" shrieked the other
three in chorus.
The two whose interest in this turn
of affairs was most acute, and whose
identity shall not be disclosed in this
story, tried TO get as far down into the
water as possible without getting their
heads under.
The man in the meantime had scram-
bled to mis- feet, and stood gazing in
tently at the shells, which could plain
ly be seen at the bottom of the clear
stream. Whether he had followed the
girls or had been attracted by their
singing is not known, but he had
crawled up to convenient place be-
hind the hedge, leaned forward, lost
his balance and fallen through. He
was recognized by Miss Hickman as
her fathers farm hand, Samuel G. Bud
long.
"Sam," she screamed, "go away
from here this minute! What DO you
mean by standing there? Go away, 1
tell you"
Sans only response was compre-
hensive grin.
1t was time for prompt and heroic
measures. The five girls got as far
away from the bank as possible and
held whispered consultation. Then
there was sudden and unexpected
movement upon the enemy. The
three girls, who were not entire
lv unincumbered, made dash for
the bank. Sam said that they were
after him, and started to run, but he
stumbled and fell, and before he could