Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-06-26

desk some morning trying to sell you a
fifth-rate encyclopedia
Merwin sighed: Il don't work in an
office And / wish / were as sure of all
things / want in life as / am that your
occupation and existence are the antithe
sis of such hopeless prose-
She sprang suddenly to her feet. Il am
going in again. just for a moment It's
glorious out there-and perhaps my mer-
maid sisters are waiting for me to bring
them some new-fangled toilet accessories
for the combing of their sea-green tress-
esq
her. BE careful" he shouted. The
undertow today is strong and tricky"
But she was beyond the breakers which
buffet and sting. her slender shape rising
which she had forgotten to imprison In
her cap, tossing like strange seaweed in
the trough of the sea. Merwin swan
strongly beside her. He had a curious
with the strong limbs. the bounding
pulses, the tossing hair. was the one
woman in the UNIVERSAL being to desire
and to adore. He swan nearer. "Mer-
maid. don't know your name: I'm afraid
you are not real but l believe / love
you!'
He heard her laugh again. And this
is Mr.. Merwin-the widely read author.
whose name occasionally adorns the
pages of the Society Journal as among
those of distinction present. She
laughed again. and then gurgled distress
fully. her mouth full of salt water.
You're not a mermaid YETI. scoffed
Merwin. But his lips touched a strand of
floating hair. he felt that he had gone
little mad, yet reveled in the sensa-
ton.
He could see the mockery in her wide
eyes. How do you know I'm possible
fit to mate with the ancient Merwins
anachronism-and though your pen runs
free of social prejudices your soul
DOESN'T
Even here in this region of wide sea-
and sky, Merwin felt thrill of fear. al
most repulsiOn. By .aste and inheritance
he was an aristOcrat. with carefully de-
fined standards in manners: living to him
was a matter of exquisite adjustments.
subtle wedding out of things ana
people that seemed not worth while. She
might be mermaid, but he laughed at
the security of his feeling that she was
a mermaid of standing.
Yet, even as he StrOve to tell her this
thought shorn Of its snObbism, he had a
frightful physical twinge. The ocean was
chilly. For the first time In his life he
knew the deadly fear which may over
take the strongest swimmer.
He broke his sentence with an inarticu-
late cry, then-''My God, l can't swim!"
In his horror of Dragging her down, he
| turned away from her. trying at the
same time to turn on his back and float
IN order to rest.
But she was beside him. Put your
hand on my shoulder; mind, or I'll go
under with you. Now
Merwin had obeyed but the pain
gripped him, he held on mechanically, his
dead weight sagging against her strong.
even strokes But she swan bravely.
though progress seemed SO SLOW. Afte.'
a little the effort began to tel; upon her,
her pulses throbbed. her heart pounded
tho waves seemed to be growing higher.
me re fantastic in color and shape, the
ocean took on q threatening and allen
a-pect-but as In como terrible dream she
| struggled with all these monster shapes
OF evil and she swan on and on and on.
| When Merwin came to himself he was
lying on the sand people were rubbing