Middletown transcript., 1910-04-16

0O6Gk-bQ0 SSOuh
perched on g swell of ground, at
the head of Plover Inlet, on the
farther Maine coast. A wooden
structure, thirty guest rooms,
narrow piazza, hard wooden
chairs, oil cloth on dining room
tables, one kind Of meat and five
kinds Of pie, and ay- paper on
the walls, each with more occu-
pants than the Office register
could show in a season. Flies
that came in through the
holes in the window screen, and
sought to end their surfeited lives
on the sticky sheets OF paper,
found all the space occupied and
committed suicide in the milk
pitchers. Poor, worn little Mrs.
Martin, the landlady, relict OF
Captain Joshua Martin, strove
hard, but in vain, to make the
place pay.
Alonzo Carter, straight from
the end Of his first year at the
Boston Law School, ran lightly
up the front steps of the Ocean
View and surprised his sweet
heart, Emily Martin, shelling
peas. Just back, he said. And
how are you all? Then his brow
clouded. En-, you look all tired
out. Making the place pay this
season. Not many boarders,
I'm afraid. And you and your ma
wearing yourselves to the bone'
I don't like it.
Emily smiled bravety. tot
50 well as we might Lon, she
said; but people may come after
the Fourth. Brother Jim makes
a little on the boats. II think
we shall come out all right. Il
it wasn't for-for- Then she
broke off, with a sob.
What's the If? I'll bet l can
guess. It's that mortgage. That
avsricious old land shark Slo-
comb! exclaimed the angry lover.
At his old tricks {! Talks foreclo-
sure, and won't buy. l know
him.
he says, began Emily, that he
hasn't
Oh, I know what be says, in
terrupted Alonzo angrily. Same
old story-short of money, heavy
bills to meet. That's what he's
talked for ten years, and heowns
half the village now.
Presently, after short silance,
Alonzo asked, Where's Jim ?
Probably at the bathhouse, an
swered Emily.
Well, I'll run down. And,
Emily, dear girl, keep up your
courage! I have a big idea'
What is a law education good for
If it doesn't fit a fellow to deal
with an old shark like Slocomb!
There was hearty greeting
and handshake at the boathouse,
and then minute explanations OF
the Martin family's affairs we're
gone into. Jim was a plodding,
dreamy fellow, trained as a car
penter, but always getting side
tracked on some alluring inVen-
ton.
At length Alonza broached his
big idea. Jim, there are q good
many things needed around this
hotel, but the thing it needs
most is-a sea serpent!
Jim's eyes opened widely. and
he edged away from Alonzo.
Alonzo laughed aloud, but repeat
ed the assertion Yes, | meanit,
Jim. You need the visits Of a
first-class serpent here. | have
seen items in the Boston news
papers about serpent, observ.
ed now at one place and now an
other. And people talk about it
eagerly, even though they scoff.
/ tell you, Jim, if you had a sea
serpent occasionally disparting
himself of the head Of the inlet,
your hotel would fill up and you'd
have o long waiting list.
You and / can make a sea Ser.
pent. Some oiled silk made into
q tube, and q rattan frame in the
head, with jaws opening and
closing BY purse lines, and pigs
bladder blown up in the head to
keep it up in the air, and a
weight at the tail to keep that
down.
Jim stared at the keen face Of
the law student. Gradually the
possibilities dswned on him, and
bit by bit, the two evolved
their plan. The monster was to
be twenty feet long and thick,
partly anchored and partly float
ed, fifty yards out from the point.
A strong breeze usually drew
through the inlet just before sun
set, and the open mouth, distend.