The Washburn leader., 1911-02-10
An
Episode /
Of
Sum mer
By Evelyn Jewell
Beach, Aug. Is.

can, SlSCer mine.
Such perfectly dreadful thing hap
pened yesterday to Lou and me, that
we're going to leave this place tomor-
row by the very earliest train. Now
don't play the good married sister act
and tell mother, for I'm going to write
her myself and say that the place
didn't agree with me; that am full
of malaria, and we are being devoured
by mosquitoes. Then she won't say a
word against my leaving, but will
write me instead like the sweet thing
she is, to come to the Springs and
spend the rest of the month with you
and her.
You know how hate the Springs,
and how l begged mother to let me
come here with Lou and Mrs. Berry,
but l would be willing to spend the
rest Of the summer in the Fejee is
lands rather than stay here after yes
terday's experience. ~
To begin at the beginning, you see
we had already been here two weeks,
and hadn't met new fellow (excuse
the lapsus) in all that time. Bathing
is the order of the day, and there are
a lot of us who always bathe together,
mostly old friends and a few young
men we met last summer, very good
to fetch and carry, and that sort of
thing but awfully tiresome you know,
for we had heard all their stock stories
sides they were wretched swimmers,
in fact, there was not really good
swimmer on the beach, and altogether
it was very slow, and we were dying
to meet some new people.
Imagine our delight then, when,
week ago, two perfect Apollos appear
ed upoN the beach, and we at once
marked them for our prey. for they
swan like champions, and to see any
body who could swim better than our
selves was novelty indeed. But TO
get acquainted with them-ah!
For days we left no stone unturned
to find out who they were, and to
meet them, If possible; all. of course,
in a perfectly proper and lady-like
way, but there seemed not a ghost of
a chance.
Between ourselves we always spoke
Of them as Damon and Pythias, for II
you want to talk about people whose
names you don't know, you have to
christen them somehow, and it's lots
of fun. One fierce looking individual.
with Van Dyke beard, we call Me-
phistopheles and tender-eyed youth,
with yellow curly hair, we have dubbed
Goldie Locks.
Well, the other day was sitting on
the sand, in my bathing suit, waiting
for Lou, and in the interim, watching
for Damon and Pythias to appear.
spied them presently, lying on the
sand, at no great distance, and heard
their voices.
"she's a fine swimmer, Max" said
Pythias, who is dark, with eyes full OF
fun, and Napoleonic nose.
"Which?-the little one?" asked
Damon, who is big, blonde and ele-
CANT
"No, the one with the curly harr. I
wish could meet her, but"
A puff of wind carried away the rest
So, then, Damons name was Max.
My curiosity was whetted to sharp
edge. I wished Lou would come, for
we must know the name of the other.
Who was the girl with the curly har
whom they wished to meet? But at
that moment our crowd came up with
Lou in the midst, and there was no
time for further speculation. However.
managed to tell Lou what had
heard while we were bathing and we
agreed that something must be done
at once to make their acquaintance.
An hour later, after we had washed
our hair under the shower, and were
standing in the sun. with 1t streaming
over our faces, we heard voice say:
Eyes, they do say that she's great on
a swim, that one day she saw mer-.
maid out at sea and swan out to
stroke its hair" They were quite near
to us, and we were giggfing at the
mermaid story, but our hair yelled our
faces, and we felt quite safe.
what did you say the light-haired
ones name is?" whispered Lou to
me.
Max" whispered In reply.
"And my name is Paul." said
Pythias, looking straight at Max, with
unblushing effrontery. as he vigorous
ly toweled his wet locks. We we're
paralyzed! They had heard US speak
ing Of them. What should we do?
What we did do. and could not help
doing, was to laugh. Then we made
our way with all the dignity we could
command to our bathhouse.
Our faces were burning. and yet We
were 80 full Of laughter that We want
ed to scream. It dawned upon us that
possibly, even probably. they had been
talking Of us when I had overheard
them. Perhaps was ''the one with
the curly hair. " and Lou was the little
one" 5Ss
Evidently. they were % anxious 20
meet us q were TO meet them. and
two bright college girls, who never