The Columbus journal. (Columbus, Neb.) 1874-1911, 1908-09-02
AND. THEY LAUGHED
At coRPUlENT GENTLEMAN ~
ROLE OF ADoNlS.
oummoe Hotel Resldont Miotaken IN
Thinking Ne Was the Only Ear
" Riser In That "Nsck
Of the Woode."

II never see myself In this light
and airy costume" said the corpulent
gentleman who balanced himself on
the edge of the swimming pool, that
I do not think Of IN experience had
last summer in Q summer resort hotel
ND I'm the mountains.
II arrived at the hotel late one A.
ternoon and in chatting with the man
ager that night I asked him II there
were any tennis and swimming to be
had around the hotel. since outdoor
exercise was the principal thing had
come for.
"'Sure thing he said. There are
three tennis courts out there in the
grove. and below. about 100 yards.
there IL Q big lake. with q landing
platform. . springboard. and all. Pitch
right in and enjoy yourself
"That sounded good to me. 20 ]
arose early next morning, before !
thought any of the rest Of the crowd
would be awake. donned . bathing
suit I had brought with me. and de-
cided I'd run down to the lake for an
early swim before breakfast. As there
was no likelihood of meeting any of
the guests, % thought, did not put
on q robe or q dressing gown, but
just hoped out In the light running
costume q I was. l asked q bellbOy
to show me how to get out of the hotel
by rear way. 30 would not attract
too much attention from anybody who
might be up. He gave me directions,
but somehow I missed connections,
and the first thing l knew was stand
ing out on the main porch of the hotel,
which I discovered was crowded with
ladies and summer girls In white
dresses and men in flannel clothes.
did not know till afterward that it had
become quite a fad for all the guests
in the hotel to arise quite early and
60 down on the porch for a sunbath.
"'Well. I wish you could have heard
the simultaneous gasp that went up
from that crowd as their eyes fell up
on me. There was l standing out in
the middle Of a fashionably dressed
crowd with bare arms and legs-and
I'm slightly too fieshy to be an Adonis,
you know. Talk about that gone
feeling. felt like a spring chicken
that had picked its shell too soon. !
heard one woman give convulsive
shrek, and then the whole crowd of
women hid their faces in horror and
mirth. The men stared at me as II
they couldn't believe their own eyes
Well, was in for 1t, 50 l lightly
tripped down the steps and loped
down to the lake. into which plunged
with zest I could hear the smothered
shrieks behind me for Is or 20 min
utes
But do you know the next morning
when I turned ont for my swim, this
time with a big dressing gown con-
cealing my girlish form, l found a
dozen or more people in the water
ahead of me. You see. had simply
started q new fad. The manager az
terward came around and thanked me
warmly. saying that he had gone to
much expense to fit up the shore of
the lake for bathing. but up to this
time not . single person had dared
to lead the way. I had broken the ice
and Immediately everybody wanted to
go bathing in the lake. Strange what
. crowd of sheep human beings are:
isn't It? But let me tell you. I feel
myself blushing all over when I think
of myself standing undraped and un-
adorned out on that hotel porch that
morning"