The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1914-02-28
W COMES
.~SMWNG
l& Illustrated bo
{ 6s;SsS25 7T;,,v,e's:@{4!x<:*D!

another cool splash.
The Watermelon decided from habi
to get a better view Of the lionel,
swimmer before he let his own pres
ence become known. He slipped int
the bushes and slowly wriggled hi
way to the little glade. The lake wa
bigger than at first appeared. /
turned and twisted through the wood
and was finally lost from view arount
a small promontory The trees grew
nearly to the waters edge. a dense
protecting wall to one who wishet
to sport In natures solitude, garbec
In natures simple clothing. The lake
was too far from the hotel to have
been annexed as one Of the attrac
tons Of that hostelry. All this the
Watermelon noticed at a glance. He
| also noticed that the man swimming
In the cool. brown depths. with long
easy strokes. was alone and a strang
err The Watermelon looked for the
clothes and found them on log. prac
tically at his feet.
In everything but color they full
filed his dream of what raiment should
be like. Instead OF the pale gray he
rather favored, the suit was brown
light brown, with tiny green stripe
barely visible, intertwined with a
faint suggestion of red. forming har
| monious whole that was vastly pleas.
Ing to the Watermelons esthetic
sense. In the matter Of socks, he
realized that the stranger had moi
taken the best advantage OF his oppor
tunity. Instead of being red or green
to lend character to the delicate sug
gestion OF those colors found In the
suit, they were soft dun brown
There was tie of the same shade
and silk negligee shirt OF white with
pale green stripes. The owner was
clearly a. young man of rare taste
unhampered by vexatious Limitation
| OF his pocketbook.
He could be seen swimming slowly
and luxuriously in the little lake, per
fectly contented. unconscious that
some one besides the woodpeckers and
the squirrels were watching him
When he disappeared, the Watermelon
quickly, carefully gathered up the
clothes and likewise disappeared.
The swimmer was big man and
the clothes as good At as one could
look for under the circumstances
They set off the Watermelon's long
lean figure to perfection, and the hat
soft and expensive panama. lent
added distinction. The Watermelon
removed the three dollars and ten
cents and the keys from his own
pockets, and making a bundle of his
cast-off clothes. stuffed them out OF
sight In hollow log, where later he
could return and find them. II was
just as well to leave the stranger q
practical captive In natures depths
until the beauty show was pulled Off
After that event, he would return
and II the stranger was amenable to
reason, he could have his good clothes
back. but II he acted put out at all
for punishment he would have to &C.
cept the Watermelon's glorious attire
Clean-shaven, well-clothed, there was
no longer any need for him to go to
tho hotel, unless he wished to dine
there. II the devotee of nature, back
in the swimming pool, was a stranger
In these parts and not a guest at the
hotel. the Watermelon felt that he
could do this with pleasure and safety
1t was after twelve. and his ever-pres.
ent desire to eat was becoming too
pronounced to be comfortable. II
would be fitting climax to highly
delightful morning to have dinner
surrounded by gentle folk again, fol-
| the Watermelon came Of a gentle
family. He had no fear. for some
time at least, OF the owner OF the
borrowed clothes making himself un
necessarily conspicuous. But, on the
other hand. II he were a guest at the
hotel. the clothes would probably b.
recognized and murder be the sim
plest solution Of their. change OF own
ers. Still, reasoned the Watermelon
with a shrewd guess at the truth, 4
| he were a guest 1t was hardly likel,
that he would b. swimming alone II
the isolated pond. in the bathing sui
designed by nature.
The wood ended abruptly at a ston,
wall. There was road beyond tn,
wall. and beyond the road, anothe
stone wall and r,ore woods. II wa
narrow woodlai d road, a short Gu
to the hotel II ound its way out O
sight, up a hill. through the pines. I
was grass-grown and shady and III
trees met overhead. Sweetbrier an,
wild roses grew along the stone walls
while gay little flowers and delicat
ferns ventured out into the road Itself
and with every passing breeze nodde,
merrily from the ruts of last winter
wood hauling. BY the side of tn
road, like a glazing anachronism,
variety theater IN Paradise, a vacuum
cleaner among the ferns and daisies
stood huge red touring car witt
shining brass work and raised top. N,
one was anywhere in sight and tn,
Watermelon climbed into the tonnea,
and leaned comfortably back In tn
roomy depths.
Home. Henry" said he languidl,
to an imaginary chauffeur.
A honk. honk behind him answered