The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1897-10-04
MEETING A MERMAID

Ting noise near me, and then something
wet and cold came dab in my face | sat
up with jerk, and there sat a mermaid
Good gracousl
You can imagine how startled felt.
She sat on the sand quite close to me,
resting on one hand, and with her tail, an
indisputable tail, with beautifully glistcn.
ing silvery brown scales, coled round in
graceful curve She was fascinatingly
pretty, with n sweet face, laughing now IL
my air of bewilderment, ard with long
tresses of brown hair blowing about her.
suppose my dropped jaw and staring
eyes must have struck her as very comical
for she laughed-such n musical, soothing
laugh, strangely like the ripple of tho
waves among the groynes higher up the
beach.
Excuse me, she said, "brt you los;
so funny"
Funny | exclaimed Indignantly
"What have you been up tor You've beer
throwing water over me-"
81 haven't"
Eyes, you have. Look here, my face is
all wet now, and my hair is damp"
u
pose it was rather forward, but l put the
end of my tail on your face. You look
so tempting, you know, lying there. ]
really could not resist you.
"Well you shouldn't, them" l said
"Now you've woke me up, and some Of
the water has gore down my neck.
l spoke grumpily. You see, was
scarcely myself yet. 1t was so utterly in.
comprehensive that l should be sitting
here with an absolute mermaid, IA creature
l had never for moment believed in, sit.
ting almost close enough for me to touch
had wandered off that afternoon among
the powders that lay piled up on the shin.
ing beach at the foot of the cliffs to the
left of the little town. 1t was very hot, SC
hot that after skimming through the col.
umns of the paper l had brought with me
| l lay back and snoozed, in blissful disre-
] gard of the glaring sun and the white
rocks and the low ripple of the retreating
tide. And then happened all have de.
scribed.
"Do you know you snoref' she said
suddenly.
Said l, You must be a very mischie.
vous girl-mermaid, mean"
"Oh, no, I'm not-not nearly so bad as
some. It's lucky for you my cousin WASH
with me when l came up and found you
here"
"a genteman-a merman?" ventured
"Oh, no! She usually comes up here
with me of an afternoon, but she's up al
the other end of the bay today. Her names
Genevieve, and mines Maud"
where do you get your names?"
asked.
"Out Of books we pick up. We got mine
I,s. 90 T.,
ment that dropped overheard from stctlA
er. Pretty name, lmoSen, isn't it?''
Not lalt so pretty as Maud"
"Well, | don't know Wore glad to Ce
anything to read. Is that todayis pa Cr!'
pointing to i he Chronicle that lay on III,
beach.
Eyes" said Would you like it t,
read?'
"Thanks, awfully. No, not now, LII
I'll take it with me, if you don't mind
Smoke your pipe, will your"
with great pleasure Sure you don
mindy"
"Not bit Besides want you to lie
me light it,.
So l pulled out my pire and filed it
and Maud, with sinewy loop of her tail
glided up TO me She seemed highly de
lighted at being allowed to strike Ill
match for me TO get light by.
Isn't this jolly" she said, looking III
at me with wonderful eyes.
Rather" l said, looking down int
them. "Do you often go in for this sor
of thing?"
"Well, now, I'll tell you," she replied
you're the first man / ever spoke to-
like this, mean-but old Nep sent III
here for trying to. You're in my nook
you know. often come here and yester
day it was so hot that 1 dropped asleep
and when You came along l only just ha,
time TO get behind that rock.
$50 you've seen me before, them"
"Oh, yes, several times! l saw yo
along the beach on Sunday evening""
1.-THE deuce you did beg your paI
don!"
"And saw you kiss that fisher girl
Oh, yes, you didp'
"Well, said, turning very red, II ad
NIT it, but 1t was only one.
"There amt any mermen here, she re
piled.
Aren't there? suppose it's rattle
lonely"
81 used to be spoons little with one Il
Brighton, but we never see one here
That's old Nep's doings. haven't Lee
kissed for ever SO long"
Really" l said, edging over towar
her.
Really" she sighed, looking down.
"Er-shal would you-shall we
that is''-
I leaned over her as she raised her fac,
smilingly, mischievously, to mine, wher
just as our lips touched, with sudde
twist of her tail she caught me dab i
the face with her wet fin.
fell over backward, and by the time
had got the sand and wet out of my eye
the mermaid had disappeared.
No trace of her was left, but my new
paper was gone, and MS l went slowl
home fancied could catch sight of hcl
lying out by the big 4 ok rock that ju.
showed itself above the sea. ! stood still an
called to her and distinctly saw her whit
arms waved to me and heard the ripplin
: of her laugh and saw, too, her long brow
! hair tossing on the waves Exchange.
The Danger Side of Lightning Rods.
The conventional Iiphtnipu rods IN,