The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-11-08
PART II. CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK. BY W. S. WALLACE.

BY W. s. WALLACE.
 Did you ever see a seahorseY' asked the Mermaid, pointing to q tall bunch of seagrasses
 "Oh, where? whereT" asked Doris. She peered among the grasses and presently dis covered the little creature upright on the stem. His scaly tail was curled tightly around the supporting grass; he waved his
 little fins quietly, and his queer horses head, with it's long nose. was poked inquis- itlvely at crawling snail near by.
 There's cousin of his; it's pipe fish, continued the Mermaid Ny goodnessl you don't seem to see anything" she bub bed nervously; there on that white sandy place."
 Doris looked carefully and saw nothing whatever Then, suddenly, long thin ob- ject darted away and stopped motionless beside A dark patch. It was curious plated fish with a long nose, like pipe stem. turned up at one end and tall nke q fan. The creature was the exact color Of the sand No wonder Doris couldn't see 1t.
 The Mermaind floated on, and Doris swan, or, rather, sailed, after her. holding on to her tall Of sudden the bottom of the ocean seemed to drop away into fathom- less water. They were on the edge of vast submerged preclpice. "Oh! cried Doris. "how terrible" She meant to say terrific, but couldn't for just then the Mer maid slapped her In the mouth with her tail Don't breathe" she whispered. I'm not. ." retorted Doris aloud; mo one breathes under wat
 The Mermaid gave a sort of 'moo-o" and pulled Doris right over the edge. Down, down they fell passing holes and caves full of dark, shadowy forms; rocks cov- cred by fowerlike creatures that gently eached out as they passed by, and hundreds Of great, waving sea fans weeds and grasses, like trees on hillside.
 The fishes were there by millions, for great crowds of them sailed darted and doated with them as they sank through the deep water.
 Where are we7' asked Doris as they landed gently on a moss grown rock. "1 wish you would give me warning first"
 Were In sea garden now. Let go of my tail; you hurt It.
 20 see those crysanthemums," she continued. The whole place was covered with flow CTS.
 Those whatf They are sea anemones, and you'd better not pick any" advised the Mermaid.
 "Oh, I'm not afraid; there's no gardener, Is theref cried Doris, and she reached down eagerly to a great, big pink sea daisy but she had hardly touched 1t, when bang If closed up as If with hidden spring. My gracious me!' cried Doris. "I never saw q s.alsy close as suddenly as that beforeP'
 They all do; we never can use them. l told you so"
 What lovely colors they arer
 Here lay q great bed of red, slender ones. and beside It, In a crack between two powders, grew four of the largest Doris had yet noticed They were each like a brown spool crowned with petals of glass color, and each was as big as tumbler at least
 Everywhere lay beds of these flowers of the sea, interspersed with growths like fans covered with tiny blossoms and with crawl ing starfisfh, crabs, Holsters in blue and green armor and curious creatures like small hedgehogs.
 Doris accidentally stepped on one of these hedgehogs. It cracked like walnut and immediately turned inside out, to the aston ishment of Its destroyer. "Yes," assented the Mermaid, that was a sea cucumber. You touch them, and poufl they turn inside out They do it from spite, I suppose"
 But what's this7" asked Doris, captur. Ing and holding up shell that had been running away by jerks and starts. Why