Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-07-26
IT WAS TOO COLD, SURE

y
sea means night before last Yesterday
morning when they reached the board
walk there was stiff, chill wind blowing,
and the ocean looked pretty cold.
We'll" said Mr.. Jobson, moving in the
direction of the bath house he has been
patronizing for some years, wed Del
ter be getting our bathing SUITS on.
Mrs. Jobson shuddered slightly, and drew
her wrap about her shoulders.
Don't you think it's trifie cold for sea
bathing today?" she inquired
Gold Z" inquired Mr.. Jobson, pretending
to mop his forehead, which was quite dry.
Are you jesting. Mrs. Jobson?"
NO" she replied, Il am not. feel very
chilly, and 1 wish 1 had thought to put
warmer clothing on. And the water LOOKS
as if 1t were very cold today. You see,
there are very few in bathing
Mr.. Jobson stepped back about four feet
and gazed at Mrs Jobson.
DO you mean to tell me, in solemn earn
est" he said, that after 1 have gone to
all these pains to drag you down to the sea
shore, after you've looked the eyes out OF me
ever since the LIST of May to get here that
you're going to get mulish about gong into
the water with me-" 40
mot mulish," said Mrs. Jobson, with
more firmness than she usually exnlDits III
such circumstances, but l really don Ieel
like taking a surf bath today. You know
L
year with rheumatism, and L am certain
that If | went into that cold water L should
be laid up.
'.Rheuma tism!" shifted Mr. Jobson. And
/ suppose you know how you got rheuma-
tism. don't you, madam BY pampering
and coddling yourself by taking hot and
lukewarm and tepid baths-thats now you
got it. The Cardiff giant would get rheu-
matism if he was as much afraid of a little
ducking in water that wasn't hot as you
are, Mrs. Jobson. Anyhow, the water or
the ocean today is really warmer than the
air. Any young one ought to know that
the sea gets fully warmed up by the middle
of July. When you get into the sea on
day like this, when it isn't exactly hot, you
find it so much more comfortable than De
ing in the air that you feel like staying IN
it a week. When you come out OF the wa
ter you feel actually cold. Come along,
now, and get your bathing suit on, and I'll
try to teach you the first stroke or two In
swimming, as I've been trying unsuccessful
ly to do for the past seventeen years.
Once in about every ten years or so Mrs.
Jobson gets her foot down and keeps 1t
there.
NO" she said, not excitedly. but very
determinedly, Il am not going into the wa
ter today
Notwithstanding the rarity Of Mrs. job
sons stands of this sort, Mr. Jobson rec
ognizes that when she uses the tone that
she used on this occasion, there is no use
in trying to move her from her decision.
So he simply gazed at her in great and
speecheSs amazement for minute or so.
then snorted. and walked to the bath house
himself.
In few moments he reappeared, arrayed
in a baggy bathing suit, and he moved
across the board walk on his way to the
strand without so much as recognizing Mrs.
Jobson, who stood at the steps leading to
the beach waiting for him. He passed
down the steps to the beach, while Mrs
Jobson followed after and took one of the
covered chairs to watch him enjoy himself
in the cold-lookfns water.
There was something exceedingly naughty
and disdainful in Mr.. JobSonS stride as he
made for the boiling surge. Only very
few rugged-looking bathers were fooling
around in the water, so chill was the WIND
of the morning. Mr.. JobSon walked into
the sea with an air that clearly meant to
show Mrs. Jobson what sturdy individual
he was and what small fear he had of "a
little cold water. By the way he entered
the salt tide one might have gained the
impression that he had idea of going
straight across to Europe.
When he got out to point where the wa
ter about reached his waist the watchful
Mrs Jobson observed that an Involuntary
shudder moved his shoulders. However, he
plunged headforemost into the next wave
that came along. and then came up SWIM
ming on his back and spouting like a por-
poise. For two or three minutes he foated
around on his back. Then, all of a sudden,
he began to sputter and to throw his arms
up in alarming way.
The man in the lfeboat observed Mr.. Job
sons peculiar actions, and, first throwing a
life buoy at him. he pulled with all speed
to where Mr.. Jobson was barely able to
keep himself on the top of the water Mr..
Jobson was bawling Justify for help by this
time. and Mrs. Jobson was running up and
down the beach. wringing her hands, and
crying out that her husband was drowning.
The lfe-Saver reached over the side and
just managed to get a good clutch on Mr..
Jobson under the arms and drag him into
Ty,a hos Nv Trhr
who was blue in the face, would have gone
down.
His arms and legs were tied In all but
boW-knotS when the life-saver got him into
the boat and dumped him into the stern
sheets.
Got cramp. hey. old man." said the
life-saver.
"II1-g-g-guess $3.50" spluttered the
weak Mr. JobSon, whose arms and legs
had queer purplish tinge.
Thought So said the life-saver. Bad
kind of a day for an elderly gent like you
to go into the water-bad enough for the
young fellers. Waters too cold. Better
wait till good. warm day comes around
before you go in again"
Th-th-that's right. 1 guess" lnurmured
Mr.. Jobson. weakly.
When the iife-saver got the boat bea ched
Mr.. Jobson had to lay back ir the stern
sheets and look foolish in the eyes Of the
big crowd that assembled around mir, for
some time before he sufficiently regain ed
and walk to the bath house. He didn't
have anything to say to Mrs. JoDson until
he had got his clothes on and had got
good stiff drink at the bar. Then he join
ed her on the pavilion, impaled her with
his eye. and said:
Madame. you may just as well be get
ting back to the hotel to pack your trunk
You are going to leave here this evening
L am going to remain indefinitely l don't
care where you go-to your mothers your
sisters, your uncle's. your cousins or your
aunts. But you are going away from here
this afternoon. The next thing 1 know
you'll be trying to poison me for my life
insurance. Any woman thatlI deliberately
overpersuade her husband whom she
knows to be suffering from heart trouble,
to go into the salt water on day when
it's forty degrees below zero and when she
knows that the water is colder than Hud-
sons bay in midwinter. is liable to do any
thing, and I'm not taking any further
chances. Away from this place you 70 this
very afternoon"
However. Mr.. and Mrs. Jobson were seen
that same evening on one Of the piers en-
joying the music. and Mrs. Jobson didn't
appear to be on the point of taking be- de-