The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-11-10
THE ADVERTISERS
 DAILY SHORT STORY


 It is rather interesting about John and June. They met for the first time in July, and now June is the mistress of Johns house and, from their demeanor, you'd think they were ready to celebrate a wooden wedding at least. But 1t all came about in the most natural manner possible.
 John had once looked like young Zulu aged 2. His skin was tanned to the prop CT Zulu color because. while attending the district school in the country in one of the Northern States, he had been in swimming on an average Of about three times a day. The swimming privileges, though utilized to the utmost by him and his companions, were far, very far from the best They consisted Of deep "holes' in half dried-up creek which ran near the school house and became instantly
 muddied. as the boys went in; and, on great occasions. of the somewhat deeper but hardly less muddy streams, mile or two away on either side, which, black and stagnant. drifted themselves into the great river to mingIe with the blue.
 Neither in pool, pond nor river was there anything upholding to the swim mer. He was sustained by mere boyish pluck and muscularity. Sometimes he sank, exhausted, and became entangled among the weeds at the bottom; then his comrades pulled him out and laid him upon the bank and he got better. Boys generally get better.
 Later, because of family conditions, he was taken to a town beside the great blue river, the St. Clair and there among another set of companions, he learned another style of performance in the wa ter. He learned to climb to the yard arms of the hundreds of lake-sailing yes sells moored for the moment, and thence dive fifty feet downward into water swirl ing in fierce eddies, to be sucked below and then appear again, tossed upwards away. whitefaced and gasping. but jov,- ous and triumphant in his rioting with one of the three elements. lie learned to swim the sheer mile across to the Ca oha IJo n nv thousands of country boys who had learned to swim almost as duck does in the non-upbearing soft water of the interior of the country.
 And so he grew and swan until he at- tained to manhood, materially successful manhood, too, and until he became sud- denly. by accident, the escort Of a rela- tion to one of the famous seaside resorts of the Massachusetts coast. There was much surf-bat ching going on, and. look ing upon the incoming and roaring surf wherein were disporting fair women and fine men, he fiinched little and wonder ed much.
 I wish I could swim in such water as that he thought, and swim as do these fellows out beyond the life raft, or what ever they call it. There are girls among them. too. They are like mermaids.
 He was tempted, but there was a sea on. and the waves were rolling higher than any he had ever looked upon before. and he concluded that the ocean would be too much for him Anyhow. he would walt awhile DeIOTe neNV6ntuTou ln
 While walking along the beach with his Sunt that afternoon. she, who know of his aquatic feats at home, asked him | why he didn't go in; ~.
 Well, 1t isn't quite like the old St. Clair river. The waves are not so high there. there is no tide to suck you in or out, and the shore isn't all on one side. I'll go in, though, pretty soon, coming down early in the morning when the old thing is more level"
 Fut morning after morning passed and he did not enter the water. He had found l something more attractive than the sea. ! His aunt had learned that a guest at the same big seaside resort was little citi- l fled lady a second cousin whom he had | never seen, and who, at their first meet | ing. enthralled the young man from the | Middle West village so completely that | the general tenor of his situation was | simply abiect Funston's exploit in the i Philippines wasn't In 1t for neatness and | completeness. He was her slave in sha ,k- | les, not heavy shackles for him, 1t is | true. but strong as any ever forged by | any smith, from Tubal Cain or Vulcan. i This fascinating young lady of 9 was distinctly belle of the hotel, owning a | variegated collection of admirers: but she did not take part in the bathing. | and, so her big WesteTn cousin of 25 found no little time to be in her charm ing company. He was easy prey for such as she but, to tell the truth she rather liked him. He was different from the other men. He was as well educated as most of them and there was certain innocent and straightforward but not undignified, way about him which was pleasing to her. It is the clever woman who can appreciate this sort of man Despite his bigness, he was not uh- grateful, and she did not object to ldlng 1 with one whose distant relationship with her gave excuse for the comradeship. John had learhed from other guests that this fair cousin June of his was an excellent swimmer. and he wondered much that she did not dsport herself with others who were in the water about half the time Little did he imagine that the reason lay in the non-arrival of a bathing suit so exquisite. so wonderful, go all-compellng and so ravishing, that lpon her first appearance in the surf. | ail the other women there, whO had strength enough left after a first glance at her. would simply attain the beach as hest they could and there lie down upon the sands and die while all the men would go insane! Tho bathing dress arrived.