The sun., 1901-08-04
HER SWIMMING LESSON.
II Proved. . summer Young Man Thinks.
That woman Has . Sense Of Humor.


.Yes," remarked the chagrincd look
ing youth with the sun-peeled nose, as
he unstrapped his suit case and began to
unpack it, Il think I'll join one Of the
celibate orders-or something. You can't
guess en-. No matter how you frame II
iip they'll get you both coming and going,
some old way Who? Why, woman. OF
course Women. They're that FOXY and
deep and-say. what's the name OF that
notable idiot who recently stated that
like TO have him corralled alongside Of me
on the rear seat OF a runaway trolley car
for about four minutes. i could tell him
a thing OF two.
1T was this way" went on the sheepish-
looking youth, as he applied the witch
house party at the place up on the Sound
where I've been putting in the fortnight
most OF em New Yorkers-whom ] knew
young married people, and few elderlies,
and about half dozen ripping fine girls,
duly chaperoned. ! was about the last
only one other bach. in the party besides
myself 1t all looked grand.
sThe girl that riveted me right from the
| minute that ] stepped on the porch was
demure, slender. violet-eyed little thing in
a white null dress. She kind o. reminded
me OF Elizabeth and her visits. She didn't
have much to say for herself but she was a
ing up at a fellow in shy sort o way that
made you feel as IL you stood about foot
Q In your hose and could hold team OF
| Percherons out at arms length. All Of the
other girls we're fine, big. strapping Great
ures, blowsy with health and noisy from an
excess OF high spirits; but this little Ethel
| dreda only came 10 the front once in while,
| and then In 0olian tones that made chap
think Of voices that he'd heard when only
half awake.
AS say. little Etheldreda was the goods
! with me from the moment that ! stepped
| out Of the trap onto the porch, and chopped
! out q lot OF smokes and sodas and things
with the fellows In the hosts den SOS
| could hang over her chair and ask her II
| the sight Of the amethystine sea didn't
| all her with thoughts and thoughts and
| thoughts There's nary a doubt in life
that when | turned in that first evening
after listening to little Etheldreda murmur
a passage here and there from Shelley's
Cloud and things that was In fair way
| to take the count and then fail to rise from
| the mat at the tenth armbeat
AT the usual hour the next morning,
| OF course II was all hands for plunge. The
bathing Is private, for the house stands
only about thirty yards from the verge,
I observed that instead of making prepara-
| tions 10 20 in, demure little Etheldreda,
seated on the porch, was writing letter
on the arm OF her rocking chair,
This was a disappointment. There's
only one thing about that don't make
did want to show her how I could swim. I
asked her IL she didn't 60 in. Oh, yes.
sometimes, she said But she had SO many
letters to write that morningl didn't
enjoy that first mornings swim half as
much as had expected. That afternoon |
| bod har 10 ha ptlrnoaa1 UOpR in tba
following morning She replied that she
| might, and then | wanted to turn the hands
| OF the clock around about seventeen hours,
We'll, when we all went In the next morn
ing, little Ftheldreda was there. timid and
shrinking. in a mighty neat baby blue
mohair bathing dress, with sandals tied
with cross ribbons and all that and her
shimmering auburn hair falling below her
waist | made two jumps of II to get To
her when she walked down 10 the verge,
You swim, Of courseT said 20 her.
-'O-o-o-ol isn't the water chilly2' she
replied, evasively, as she padded into
about three inches Of the brine and looked
up at me shudderingly.
well, concluded that she didn't care
to come right out and own up 10 II that
she was the only one OF the party that
couldn't SWIM and so | didn't repeat the
question. Fact is, was rather glad to he
pushed to the conclusion that she was un-
able 10 swim. Wanted To teach her,
Il led her out by the hand into about
two feet of water.
The easiest thing about this business
of being in the water, said |, so chest
that nv bathing jersey was tight around
my shoulders, Is floating.
Then started in To tell her how impos-
sible il was for human being to sink In
the water and | gave an illustration OF It,
lust lay back upon the water and placed
nv arms under my head and my toes to-
pether and figured that | was every move
a picture as executed that Sleeping Beaut y
stunt She gazed at me with wide-open
ewes and then undertook to support her
while she attempted 10 float. She ut
tered manv little frightened gasps, ana
| noticed that all Of the rest Of the party
we're r,bbering al us. but It wasn't until
later that ! understood the reason Tor the
twinkle in their eyes.
After a while showed little Etheldreda