The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-06-12

| You know | am only "A mortal, Ihu
| might get drowned
| She brushed strand of hair out OF her
| eyes. The remedy Is so obvious lhen
| she laughed again with that teasing note
convcntionality of at least one OF his
| novels, Mr. Mcrwn is a sticltlcr for FORM.
| family. and social amenities So long as
| YOU don't know me, hadn. You bel,eT :
steer clear of personalities? You know !
may be book agent, or stenogrnpher'
| Think OF the unplcasantness OF discover
| ing u onctimc mermaid at your ofllcc uesh
some morning trying 10 sell you = llltn-
| rate encyclopedia
| Mcrwin sighed 81 don't work In an OF :,
| fee And | wish I were as sure OF All
occupation and existence arc the antithe-
| Sis or such Il hopeless prose.
She sprans suddenly TO her ieet. IN IN
going In again, just for moment II
| glorious out thcrc-and perhaps my meT-
maid sisters are waiting for me 10 hrlns
them some new tangled toilet accessories
for the comolnS OF their sea-srceh
trcsscs"
She ran down the beach. Merwin after
her BE careful hc shouted, The
undertow today is strong and tricky
But she was beyond tho breakers Which
buffet and sting, her slender shape riSinS
and falling on the green billows, her halT
which she had forgotten TO imprison IN
her cap. tossing like strange acawced IN
strongly beside her. lie had a curious un-
prcccdcntcd sensation. that this woman
With the strong limbs, the bounding
pulses. tho tossing hair. was tne ono ono
woman in the universal being 10 ossuS =
and TO adore. He swan nearer, Mci,
maid. 1 don't know your name; m AFRAID
you are not real. but I believe love you
lie heard her laugh again And L,: tf,s
is Mr. McrWin-the widely authof.
whose name occasionally adorns the pages
of the Society Journal as among E uh"sd =
OF distinction present. she i9tshe 81. u
again. and then gurSled aistressiuii!' he'
month full of salt water.
you're not n mermaid yet scored
Merwin. But his lips touched SITtnn
of floating hair. he felt that he had gone
little mad. yet revelcd in the sensation:
He could see the luockcry in her Wioc
eyes. How do you Enow I'm possible
-nt TO mate with the ancient Mcr"lhs
of Staten Island. ! may be socially an
anachronism-and though your pen runs
free of social prejudices your soul does
mott"
Even here. in this region OF wild sea and
sky. Merwin felt "A thrill OF fear. almos;
rcpuson. BY taste and inheritance ne
was an aristocrat. with carcfuliy dcilncu
standards in manners: living 10 nun WAS
n matter OF exquisite adjustments, p SUD
Tie wedding out OF things and people that
seemed not worth while. She might be
a mermaid. but he laughed at the sccur-
Ity Of his feeling that she was mermaid
of standing!
Yet, even az lie strove 10 cll her OF his
thought shorn Of its snobbism, he had q
frightful physical twingc. The ocean MAS
chilly fOI Tue nISt llllt va h'o M ~
knew the deadly fear which may ovcrtake
tn strongest swimmer.
He broke his sentence with an lnarttc-
ulate cry, thcn-"My God, en- SWIM
In his horror of dragging her down he
turned away from her, trylns at the came
time TO turn on his back end float In or
der 10 rest.
hand on my shoulder; mind, or I'll go
under with you Now
MerwIn obcyed, but the pain grippea
him, he held mechanically, his dead
weight saggIng against her strong. even
strokes. But she swan bravely, though
progress seemed so slow. After Il llttle
the effort began TO tell upon her, her
pulses throbbed her heart pounded-the
waves seemed TO be growing higher, more
fantastic in color and shape, the ocean
took on q threatening and alien aspect
but as In some terrible dream she strug-
Gled 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
him, with an energy that hurt. lie Gaspcd,
remembered. Where Is she?" he NUT
tered.
The big life-guardsman laughed. "She?
Why, man. she's halfway home by now.
She changed her things at the hath-iouse
after the doctor here said you'd come
round"
The physician. a spectacled youngster
who was putting up at Mcrwin' is cottage.
grnned down at him reassurinely. II
rather think the young lady left that you
might not have the bother OF thanking
her It's awkward, this gratitude bus!-
ness"
Though he waited all the next after
noon. sho did not come. And he could not
discover her name, or even where an un-
known young lady with rcd hair bad been
staying, After three days of angry and
fruitlcss seeking, Merwin went back 10
town. Settling down again 10 steady
work was not easy.
Ing mis- novel with stolid, dogged per-
scverence that was the utmost remove
from enthusiasm. Each night, as ne read
his days work, II seemed TO him wholly
Yet his tentative eHcUr-
sions TO the houses of his friends lent
him nc inspiration. Tie found them now
amazingly commonplace we'll bred. well
groomed, with n cordial liking for himself
and his workout scmehcw shorn in his
eyes OF the human interest which counts
for the JOY of compapionship.
tIe wanted just enc thiEr-to discover
the hiding place OF his Lady of The Sea.
that he wps q fool: that though she had
saved his life she cared nothing for
him
And then one morning. still thinking
about her. and wondering what manner OF
woman she might he in her native at
mosphere. and imagining the simplicity,
the dignity. the perfection Of her enVir- /
onment. he came uron her face TO face
behind the counter of q huge white marble [
department store She was shaking out = \
pair OF long white gloves preparatory 10 /
trying them on the hand OF Il woman ,
seated before the counter and as she met /
his amazed eyes the burning color ran !
over her face like 4 flame and her ewes
fell, Then she looked 3 him again. her
head hish. In resOouse 10 his grave bow, b
she gave a curt nod. and iU another mo- ,
rnPnt she was lost - him ~ ihe quiet orC t
soft performance nf her dudes
He won't hoTc IN fever ~ raro--ra-a
~ himsclt rsge at this woman w''h h"~
'ir Of distinction. and for h"r evtrar"-
iiuarv trade. and S'c'- ainazo~'cut .hat .
he thing could be possible. And -et lho
1oct in hiIn scoffed 81 tl'" rotinu dot -"
was anything less alurine, loss sarisfy-
rE. than his nNTph against . hac5rrnurd
Il blue sky and green waieT Vie thought
,f his friends. Of his stately. old -fNsh' 'oneo
mother. he rcmemhcrcI Hrettv. casiid;ous
Tessc Van Ness i1 h"r disrilied oll Now
York environment and though he hal
levcr l5Yed her. Jessie Van Ness p'eaul >
,rcat deal To MIN. not merely in herself
ut because of what she rcprcse ~ted in
he conservative set which. 10 Mcrwir
vas the best u modem cjtc can show.
Yet il was not Nc:win's mother nor
ierwin's friends who counted most IN the
tlUgGle with l:'S own s0rl. 7; "ae his
vp sCorn II" feared. He Lad ALWAYS
ecorrized that there were two wa~rinv
IL