, 1897-12-29
VACATION IN FOG.

Big.ys amt into the Office with an air
Of net caring who knew it, and Riggs
said to him What, back from you
vacation 81 soon? A little earlier than
you expected, isn't it,"
Eyes, ! am back earlier than l ex.
pected,' Biggs answered. land l don't
want you to ask me what l came back
for either"
"Well, l won't ask you" said Riggs
soOthingly. "What is it to mc?'
81 came lack to get warm" said
Biggs, ..if you must know"
Il don't want to know" said Riggs.
"Isn't it enough" said Biggs. "tc
have everybody, from the proprietor Of
my hotel to the elevator MAJ Evre in
the building, worrying me about what
l came lack for!'
at seems us if it ought t o be enough
said Riggs,
But it appeared that Biggs really
wanted to tell, and as soon as the two
started for luncheon together he began
of his own accord. Il always said" he
began, that New York was the best
place to be in the summc 1t may he
pretty hot sometimes, but New York is
better prepared to stand hot weather
than any other city in the world. And
30 with Manhattan Beach and Long
Branch and the highlands close at
hand. l always thought that the bother
Of going far for n vacation vas more
than it was worth, and l seldom went.
But this year my cousin Polly wrote tc
me how lonely it was down on the
coast Of New England where she is
staying, with 20 girls i'll the hotel to one
man. and how much she wanted me tc
come down, and finally l went down.
II don't lnow what l wanted to &c
for. 1t wasn't uncomfortable here. The
night l got there l nearly froZe to death
sitting on the piazza. Polly said the
wind was a little fresh, even for that
place, but l ought to have been there
the week before. when the storm was
and when they all went out with their
winter clothes and rubber boots on tC
see the waves. and the fishermen said
there hadn't been anything like it be-
fore since 1878. But the wind was
blowing 35 miles an hour right then,
and that was enough for me-.
The next morning | put on a fresh,
clean outing suit, just as if | had eS-
pected summer weather. 1t was a beau.
tiful suit that ] bought on purpose tc
wear down there, and Polly said she
vas proud of me, though she was u lit
tie afraid l might get pneumonia. Evil
IDENTIFY she was proud of me, or of the
suit, or something, for all that day she
Just took NE around and showed me t.
tho other girls. l didn't know another
soul in the place, S she had me all tc
herself, and it really was worth ONE
thing to see how happy she was when
she looked at the other girls.
you'll die of modcsty some time
said Riggs. "You ought to do some.
thing for it,
ut wasn't altogether 70 easy show.
irg mo to tho other girls either" Biggs
went on. for the fog was thick enough
I'LL that day to boil potatoes in, only
the air didn't suggest boiling at all.
But Polly said that this weather was
unusual. She had been here two sum
mers before, and sometimes it was al
most warm. She thought that so much
cold was n SURE sign that it was going
to be warm soon. 1t was foggy all the
next day, too, and for that night a
moonlight sail was announced. They
called it a sail, though it was to be on a
steamboat. When | saw the advertise
ments and saw the fog, | was inclined
to make light of it, but ] soon found
that it wal u serious matter, for it ap-
peared that they were going to have it
Regardless Of the weather. and Polly
was bent OH going and on taking me
with her.
II told her ] would much rather sit
on the piazza with her alone and talk
about the days when we used to make
mud pies together. or some other pleas
ant subject. She said that the disparity
in our ages was too great for Us ever to
have made mud pies together. and she
didn't remember anything aloCt it. but
it was not too great for us to go on u
moonlight sail together. spoke about
the fog, and she said that it was likely
to clear up any minute.
II remember that the last time l had
seen the moon. lefore l left Now York.
It WA past the full. l looked the mat.
ter III and found that it would not rise
that night till after 10 O'Clock. Polly
said that the party would probably stay
out . good deal later than that. 30 1t
would be all right, and anyway u moon
was Of no great consequence Oh u moon
light sail. I found ut last that she
simply regarded that moonlight sail
- an especially convenient occasion
to dangle me before the other girls
some more. It appears that where
there are . lot Of girls on a moonlight
sail men are regarded A. uncommonly
desirable 1didn't know anything about