The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1897-09-23
VACATION II FOG.

Il - L
Biggs came into the office with an air
of not caring who knew it, and Riggs
said TO him: What, back from your
vacation Sc soon? a little earlier than
you expected, isn't it,
Yes, | am back earlier than | ex-
peeted. - Biggs answered, land don t
want you to ask me what came back
for either.
We'll, won't ask you, " said Riggs
soothingly What is 1t to me-"
q came back to get warm, said
Biggs, "if you must know "
q don't want to know, said Riggs
Isn't it enough, said Biggs, Ito
have everybody, from the proprietor of
my hotel o the elevator man here 1
the building, worrying me about what
l came back for?''
1T 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 Il always said, = he
began, that New York was the best
place to be i'll the summer 1t may be
pretty hot sometimes, but New York is
better prepared to stand hot weather
than any other city i'll the world And
so with Manhattan Beach and Long
Branch and the highlands close at
hand. / always thought that the bother
of going far for vacation was more
than it was worth, and seldom went
But this year my cousin Polly wrote TO
coast of New England where she Is
staying, with 20 girls III the hotel to on
man, and how much she wanted me to
COME down, and finally went down
Il don know what | wanted to 20
for 1t WASH t uncomfortable here The
night | got there | nearly froze to death
sitting on the piazza Polly said the
wind was littlo fresh, even for that
place, hut | 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 to
see the waves, and the fishermen said
there hadn't been anything like it be
fore since 1878 But the wind was
blowing 30 miles an hour right then,
and that was enough for me.
THE next morning | put on fresh,
clean outing suit, just as if ! had cX-
peeted summer weather 1t was beau.
tiful suit that bought on purpose to
wear down there, and Polly said she
was proud OF me, though she was lit
tie afraid might get pneumonia Eyi-
IDENTIFY she WIS proud of me, or OF the
suit. or something, for all that day she
Just took ne around and showed me to
the other girls. | didn't know another
soul III the place so she had me all to
herself, and 1t really was worth some
thing to see how happy she was when
she looked at the other girls
You II die of modesty some time, -
said Riggs. You ought to do some.
thing for it. -
1t wasn't altogether SO easy show
ing mo to the other girls either, = Biggs
went on, flor the fog was thick enough
all that day to boil potatoes i'll, only
the air didn't suggest boiling at al
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 sure sign that it was going
to be warm soon 1t was foggy all the
next day, too, and for that night IA
moonlight sail was announced. They
called it 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 was a serious matter, for it ap-
peared that they were going to have it
regardless Of the weather, and Polly
was bent on going and OH taking me
with her.
Il 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' remember anything about 1t, but
it was not too great for MS to go ON "A
moonlight sail together spoke about
the fog, and she said that it was likely
to clear up any minute
Il remember that the last time had
seen the moon, before | left New York
it was past the full looked the mat
ter up and found that it would not rise
that nigh. till after 10 o'clock Polly
said that the party would probably stay
out a good deal later than that, 50 it
would be all right, and anyway a moon
was of no great consequence on moon
light sail found at last that she
simply regarded that moonlight sail
as an especially convenient occasion
to dangle me before the other girls
some more. 1t appears that where
there are q lot OF girls on moonlight
sail men are regarded as uncommouly
desirable didn know an-thing about
1t before, but Polly let me into the Sc
Cret
We'll, we went We had not much
more than started when overheard the
captain saying to the purser: We can t
do anything tonight. Wait till we have
been out 5 minutes and then go around
a., .; 4