The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1906-1907, 1907-06-15
MEETING A MERMAID

face. ! sat up with a jerk, and there
sat mermaid! Good gracious!
You can imagine how startled felt
She sat on the sand quite close to me,
resting on one hand and with her tail.
an indisputable tail, with beautifully
glistening silvery brown scales, coiled
round in a graceful curve.
Excuse me-" she said. ''but you look
so funny"
"Funny?' I exclaimed Indignantly.
What have you been up to? You've
been throwing water over me-"
II haven't"
Yes, you have. Look here, my face
Is all wet now, and my hair is damp"
Il didn't throw water over you. /
suppose it was rather forward, but l
put the end Of my tail on your face.
You looked so tempting. you know,
lying there. l really could not resist
you"
well, you shouldn't, them" / said.
"Now you've woke me up, and some of
the water has gone down my neck"
l spoke grumpily. You see, l was
scarcely myself yet. 1t was SO utterly
incomprehensible that should be sit
ting here with an absolute mermaid, a
creature had never for a moment be-
lieved In, sitting almost close enough
for me to touch.
had wandered of that afternoon
among the bowlders that piled up
on the shining beach at the foot Of the
cliffs to the left of the little town. 1t
was very hot, so hot that after skim.
ming through the columns of the pa.
per had brought with me lay back
and snoozed in blissful disregard 81
the glaring sun and the white rocks
and the low ripple of the retreating
tide. And then happened all have
described.
DO you know you snoreY" she said
suddenly.
Said l, You must be a very mis-
chievous girl-mermaid, l mean"
"Oh, no, I'm not-not nearly so bad
as some. It's lucky for yon my cousin
wasn't with me when 1 came up and
found you here"
"a gentleman-a mermanf" | ven
tured
"Oh, no! She usually comes up here
with me of an afternoon, but she's up
at the other end of the bay today. Her
names Genevieve, and mines Maud"
Where do you get your names?"
asked.
"out Of books we pick up. We got
mine and my cousin Imogen's out OF
supplement that dropped overheard
from steamer. Pretty name, Imogen.
isn't itP"
"Not half so pretty as Maud"
well, l don't know. We're glad to
get anything to read. Is that today's
paperY' pointing to the Chronicle that
lay on the beach.
EYES," said. would you like 1t to
read?"
Thanks awfully; no. not now, but
I'll take 1t with me If you don't mind.
Smoke your pipe, will your"
with great pleasure. Sure you don't
mind?"
Not a bit. Besides. want you to
let me light It,"
So pulled out my pipe and filed 1t.
and Maud, with a sinewy loop OF her
tail, glided up to me. She seemed high.
~ delighted at being allowed to strike
the match for me to get light by.
isn't this jolly?' she said. looking
up at me with wonderful eyes.
Rather" / said, looking down into
them. do you often go in for this sort
Of thing?"
well, now, I'll tell you" she re-
piled. You're the first man I ever
spoke to-like this, mean-but old Nep
sent me here for trying to. You're In
my nook, you know. often come
here, and yesterday it was so hot that
dropped asleep, and when you came
along 1 only just had time to get be-
hind that rock"
$50 you've seen me before, thenp
"Oh, yes, several times! l saw you
along the beach on Sunday evening"
"The deuce you did, beg your par
DOM
"And I saw you kiss that fisher girl
Oh, yes, you didF'
"Well," l said, turning very red, 81
admit it, but 1t was only one"
There amt any mermen here" she
replied.
aren't there? I suppose it's rather
lonely"
81 used to be spoons a little with one
at Brighton, but we never see one here.
That's old Nep's doings. l haven't
been kissed for ever so long"
Really 1 said. edging over toward
her.
Really" she sighed, looking down.
"Er-shall would you-shall we
that is
l leaned over her as she raised her
face, smillngly, mischieyously, to mine,
when just as our lips touched, with
sudden twist Of her tail she caught me
a dab in the face with her wet I'm.
l fell over backward. and by the time
l had got the sand and wet out Of my
eyes the mermaid had disappeared