The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1899-09-09
THE NAN WITH
THE IRON WIG
BY CHARLES WARNER CRUMPTON.

only win her, his deferred cup of Joy
would be full to overlooking. So, gradu-
ally disengaging himself from his other
admirers, he began to concentrate his
charms upon this radiant being. She,
whether sincerely or not, graciously re-
ceived and encouraged his attention, dane
ing, driving, promenadins and flirting
with him almost exclusively and so intoX-
icating him with her soft, arch chances
that his very soul sometimes seemed to reel
within him.
There was only one respect in which his
rapture fell short OF completeness. The
beautiful young widow was an accomplish
ed swimmer, and spent good part of each
afternoon tossing upon the bosom of old
Father Neptune. Thither, however, Job
had never dared follow her He knew his
limitations and respected them. Like a
hen with duck chicken, he was obliged
10 content himself with restlessly pacing
the shore, while his golden headed divinity
bobbed up and down among the waves.
But when a fifth man came to the Sea
foam Pavilion "a young man, man who
could swim and row as well as dance and
ilirt-and when this young man began to
Join the widow in her daily visits to the
beach, and disport himself with her among
the waves, the spirit of Job could endure
its jealous pangs no longer. The soul of
his Viking ancestors sprang up within him
one day and in response to the merry, ban
tering invitation of his goddess, he plunged
into a bathing suit and followed her into
the surf.
Selling his hand, the beautiful young
woman led him forward into the deep.
Although the icy water pinched his limbs,
and his breath came in convulsve gasps,
the clasp Of those firm white fingers thrill
ed him to the Utmost soul, and he felt as if,
thus hand and hand with his goddess, he
could brave the combined elements of the
universe!
Higher and higher crept the tide upon
his palpitating breast, till its freezing pres
sure seemed to dampen even the fires of
that ardent heart within. He shivered
and hesitated; but still his radiant, rosy
companion drew him on. Suddenly there
came roller, green and heaving, and I'M
obstructed since it left the coast of Spain.
1t caught them both upon its combing
crest-the woman, tossing like cork, her
bright head sprinkled with the foam the
man, weighted by his iron wig head down
ward in the depths, groyeling in sand and
sea-weed. The roller passed; the woman
lighted upon her feet, laughing and trium-
plant; but still the man did not emerge
from the yeasty tide. Only his pasty feet
moved to and fro in the emerald water.
The woman gazed at his reversed and
swaying body in amazement. Never be.
fore had she seen phenomenon like this
man with head heavier than his heels
living man in five feet of water, upside
down.
With scream of terror, she foundered
to the beach while Jobs rival, plurging
past her, seized the waving feet of the
drowning man and towed him ashore. As
Jobs head dragged along the sand the
clasps OF the iron wig were loosed and the
body that came forth upon the beach was
that of a bloodless, hairless, wrnkled old
man. The beautiful widow gave one
glance at it, and t hen fled in shriekinp
terror. Was it the Old Man OF the Sea-
who had substituted himself for her sutor
OF the ambrosial curls? What frightfu
apparition! She will scarcely get over the
effects of it in a week.
job Teeter came to, after discharging
some quarts of brine, and going through
such physical tortures as might we'll be
reserved for the incorrigible in Tartarus
He thanked his rescuer, and those who had
toiled with him upon the sand, and suffer-
ed himself to he carried to his room at the
hotel. That was the last ever seen of him
at the Seafoam Pavilon and with him
vanished the mystery of a man who could
stand on his head in the waterl The ever
shifting sand has long since buried the iron
wig; and job Teeter has never replaced it,
for another presentiment haunts him that
he was born to be drowned,