Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1899-12-22
AN ADVENTURE
ON THE COAST.
Did ne Mistake q Confederate Bill
Tor Current Money!

Three or four years ago | was given
an old Confederate bill Of 500, and
ever since ] have kept It In my pocket
book as a kind Of talisman. This sum
mer. however, II came nearly proving
anything but a tallsinan. for It was the
cause OF n disngreeable adventure.
II happened on one Of those hot days
in the latter part of June when the
streets Of Boston are like bake ovens
and the Common and public gar
den are 50 full OF chattering crowds
that one finds little pleasure In them.
had nm afternoon Off from my busi-
ness and 80 determined to take n trip
down the by to Bass Point and Ma.
.bnnt These resorts are only an hours
ride from Boston. anG ] could 20 down
on the ? o'clock BOAT and come back
at o.
The steamer | was on was fairly
well crowded. but not uncomfortablY.
aud ] was sitting on the upper deck.
taking In the view and congratulatlng
myself on having escaped from the
HAOuStink wy MuGu 1 was interrupted
by some n tapping me on the shout
der. A cripple IA Offering to sell me
a pamphlet. ! ook out my pocketbook
aud selected q nickel. and in moving
some bills the Confederate bill fell to
the deck. | picked 1t up and put 1t
back, and ut the same time | noticed
f1IIat a man who was sitting next to me
eyed me kernly. Naturally | thought he
was anxious to strike up an a|cqualnt.
ance. so ! turned TO him with the con
ventional "Pieasant day"
YES" he returned politely. "Splen
did"
You are going TO Nahant | sup
poser
"No-cr-yes; l think so. | think |
shall get on nj Bass Point and walk
over 10 Nalant Splendid walk"
Then we talked on various subjects
and admired the picturesque marine
Views which went rolling by like n
huge panorama. Takeh altogether
that trip down the bay was one of the
most delightful ! bad ever experienced.
for the day was so perfect. the gentle
dip OF the BOA so soothing and my
conpa nIon decidedly agreeable. He
possessed oil the magnetism of n clever
conversatioualist and entertained me
brilliantly.
We got of the boat at Bass Point,
which is n jutting point of rocks crowd
ed with those buildings common to
popular summe resorts. 1t was Sat
iurday. and the place was overlooking
with pleasure seekers. We found little
TO Interest us there, and we soon start
ed for Nahant. a small village which
lay about two miles farther along the
shore on another point and across a
considerable bay.
About midway over we climbed n hill
which commanded the whole country
and sea for miles, When we got to the
top, we threw ourselves on the grass
to rest. We chattcd carelessly for
awhile. and my companion-his name
was Chester Brown, we had exchanged
.cnrds-pointed out several little points
Of interest with which ! was not fa-
imillar.
IT love to lie on the grass like this
and watch the water SPARKLE" he said.
at looks like gold"
We sat there for some time and talk
ed. Then Brown sat up suddenly and
asked me how | should like going in
swimming. The prospect OF a salt wa
ter bath struck me favorably, and !
readily nssented. So we descended
the hill and walked along the curying
path toward Nahant
We went to the beach and got a
bathhouse. There happened to be only
one vacant and we shared 1t together.
i did not mind that, however. for !
was In an agreeable mood. The air
was warm. and the water seemed a bit
colder than II really was. But | en-.
5oyed the bath hugely. Suddenly my
companion rushed out OF the water
and made for the b%athhouse, calling
back to me that he had a chill. OF
course ! followed Immediately In the
hope OF being able to help him. When
] opened the door. be was Just sinking
down on the seat as though with the
ague. ! went TO work and soon had
him warmed up by violent rubbing
with a rough towel.
We dressed hurriedly and went out
to sit on the rocks. Some people were
nshing there, and we watched them.
BY and by we got tired and climbed
down the rocks u where the water
gurgled and swashed In and out Of the
weed covered clefts. II Brown had
been bright and entertaining before
our bath, he was decidedly glum aud
silent afterward. He would gaze stead.
lily out to sea as though IN deep
thought. and his brow would wrinkle
refectively. Then he would change.
and his motions became Jerky and ir.
regular. At times I thought he was
excited. and ] attributed his changed
ways to the sudden chill.
While we were sitting In one Of the
clefts. out Of reach OF the water, a
dainty boat rounded a point and Gid.
ed past us. Brown quickly jumped to
his feet and said: How would you like
to take q boat ridei This little bay IL
beautiful"