The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1897-10-05
VACATION IN FOG.

6d1u TO MIN: NQaC, DaCK 1rCIu your
vacation so soon? A little earlier than
you expected, isn't it,"
"Yes, I am back earlier than I ex-
pected," Biggs answered, land I don't
want you to ask me what 1 came back
for either"
"Well, I won't ask you," said Riggs
soothingly. What is it to me?"
II came back to get warm" said
Biggs, eff you must know"
II don't want to know" said Riggs
"Isn't it enough" said Biggs, "to
have everybody, from the proprietor Of
my hotel to the elevator man here in
the building, worrying me about what
I came back for?"
cit seems as if it ought to 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. II always said" he
began, THAT New York was the best
place to be in the summer. It may be
pretty hot sometimes, but New York is
better prepared to stand hot weather
than any other city in the world. And
SO with Manhattan Beach and Long
Branch and the highlands close at
hand. I always thought that the bother
Of going far for a vacation was more
than it was worth, and I seldom went.
But this year my cousin Polly wrote to
me how lonely it was down on the
coast Of New England where she is
staying, with 20 girls in the hotel to enc
man, and how much she wanted me to
come down, and finally.I went down.
II don't know what I wanted to go
for. 1t wasn't uncomfortable here. The
night I got there I nearly froze to death
sitting on the piazza. Polly said the
wind was a little fresh, even for that
place, but I 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 l put on a fresh,
clean outing suit, just as if l had ex-
pected summer weather. 1t was a beau
tiful suit that l bought on purpose to
wear down there, and Polly said she
vas proud Of me, though she was a lit
tie afraid l might get pneumonia Evil
IDENTIFY she was proud Of me, n of the
suit, or something, for all that day she
just took me around and showed me to
the other girls. I didn't know another
soul in the place, so she had me all to
herself, and it really was worth some.
thing to see how happy she was when
she looked at the other girls.
you'll die Of modesty some time, u
said Riggs. "You ought to do some.
thing for it"
lit wasn't altogether so easy show.
ing me to the other girls either" Biggs
went on, "for the fog was thick enough
all 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 q sure sign that it was going
to be warm oon It was foggy all the
next day, too, and for that night q
moonlight sail was announced. They
called it a sail, though it was to be on
steamboat. When l saw the advertise.
ments and saw the fog, I was inclined
to make light Of it, but I soon found
that it was a serious matter, for it up.
peared that they were going to have il
regardless Of the weather, and Polly
vas bent on going and on taking me
with her.
II told her I would much rather sit
on the piazza with her alone and tall
about the days when. we used to make
mud pies together, OF some other pleas
ant subject. She said that the disparity
in u ages was too great for us ever t
have made mud pies together, and sh.
didn't remember anything shout it, bu,
it was not too great for us to go on {
moonlight sail together. l spoke abou'
the fog, and she said that it was likel,
to clear up any minute.
II remember that the last time I hat
seen the moon, before l left New York
it was past the full. I looked the mat
ter up and found that it would not ris,
that night till after 10 O'Clock. Poll,
said that the party would probably sta,
out a good deal later than that, so i
would be all right. and anyway a moor
was of no great consequence on a moon
light sail. / found at last that sh,
simply regarded that moonlight sal
as an especially convenient occasion
to bangle me before the other girl
some more. It appears that where
there are a lot of girls on q moonlight
sail men are regarded as ~uncommonly
desirable. I didn't know anything about
It before, but Polly let me into the %
cret.
We'll, we went. We had not much
more than started when I overheard thu