The age-herald., 1898-08-07
ICopyright, 1S9S.1 On Board the Yacht Pink,
 Below Fire Island.

Below Fire lSidnu.
 Everybody knew what was the mat ter with me after I came back. Some said it was that tired feeling for which newspapers advertise so many patent medicines. According to one doctor it was nervous prostration, according to another it had something to do with the brain, while another gently hinted at vacuum where the brain should be. This caused pain, for I knew that what l wanted was thoroughly good whiff of sea air and short though merry life on the ocean wave. So the captain of the Pink-he called it that because it was always fresh as paint and as sweet as a carnaton-himself invited Molly, her ensign, who was home on leave; the colonel and me to go away from this weary world for a little while, liv. aboard the Pink and realize how much we loved each other.
 Sometimes when there are two women on board yacht they are apt to grow nasty, but I am old enough to have passed the envious stage. I appreciate Mollys good looks, while try to make myself appear as we'll as possible. I like to see the ensign make love to Molly, l though I shouldn't care to be neglected by the captain or the colonel. read about rich men having steam yaehts built, and I wonder and wonder again where their senses are, for there + nothing in this world so beautiful as c boat that is well built and that goes sailing over the water like sgan-an fdeallzed swan, controlled by the mind of man.
 ,. We are immensely comfortable. the Ave of us. Our host is a charming bach elor with a heart big enough to love ali womankind and whose marriage would be great grief to all except those wo- ; men who had never met him. Then there is the ensign, who has been to Egypt. seen the beauties of India, Paris and London and eventually laid his heart at the feet of an American woman, while as for the colonel-well, the colonel is a delicious remnant of the past, not worn ! out, big enough to be useful, witty enough to be entertaining and having the courtesy of a Bayard. Molly is young, pretty and in love, while I-well it has been many long day since I was in love, but I find that there is much enjoyment in life and a friend is a good thing to have. We loaf around and talk and sleep and dream away the sunny hours, while we wonder how the people at Newport are standing the heat and whether those at Bar Harbor are really enjoying themselves or only making pretend to.
 Tonight the moon is out, and Molly and are stretched on low chairs with the men at our feet on soft cushions. The moonlight has made a pretty pie ture of it, and the sailors are singing some everyday ditty that loses it's com- monplace sound and blends in with the general air of romance and makes us Q very quiet and very happy. At last the ensign, who Is given to thinking about things, said: "Who of you does not love to see good melodrama? It is lifelike; that is.the charm of it. The society play is life in the drawing room, but the melodrama takes in all sorts and con- ditions of men. The meodrama is an impressonist picture = the colors are laid on crudely, but distinctly-while the society play is Meissonier, where ev- cry detail Is wrought out so finely that it hardly affects one unless a magnify ing glass is used. Some of the play wrights are putting too fine point on their pencils On a white sheet of pa- per they can only make light gray lines, and while gray and white are cool look ing they are neither impressive nor truthful, for life is sketched out in mor- dant strokes, and if the gray comes in at all it is between the black and the white. Life's picture is never gray and white."
 That is all very well," said the colo- mel quietly, "but why, when we go to see a melodrama do the tears run down the face of Molly. Why does Bab sit so quietly in the back of the box? Why does old If hard I forced to think it will break my shirt front? I'll tell you why = because the melo- drama is nearly always the old, old sto- " of love and forgiveness and of hones- ty triumphant over vice; because 1t re- minds us in this old world of ours that the time comes when we must remem- Der that love- goodness, gratitude and honor are not confined to the drawing room, but may be discovered where least expected"
 "Now, as for me-" remarked the cap- tain, "I thought it was the emotional side that affected you women"
 "Yes," replied Molly, that does amount to good deal; but, say what you will, it is the heart beat that con- tradicts us all, no matter how hard we may try to prove we have no heart" ]" She looked so bitterly at the captain as she said this that he laughed, threw his cigarette into the water and asked. "I'Il agree that we have hearts, but I want somebody to tell me what she means by heart beat?"
 The ensign spoke first, "It is-well, you know, 1t is the something that makes you feel that humanity has been touched and that each time your heart throbs there is another one to answer t."
 J'Tt's-well,s said Molly, T can feel it.