Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1917-02-02

ter. He came aboard at midnight from
an athletic yacht clubs launch. Hoots,
but he swims like a king salmonl"
"Oh, Mr.. Ferguson"
"Yes, Miss Chester"
I'VE won't say anything about this,
please, and could you arrange to dry
my things In the engine room? I'll
leave them outside my door In five
minutes"
Easiest thing in the world, miss;
glad to-"
Benedict had reached the grating,
for the mate had not hurried the gig.
The burly 'Scotchman passed Mabel
over to Benedict, to whom she gave
her little cold hand. She looked her
thanks, but she said:
Ferguson says you swim like a
king salmon, and l think so too"
THAT'S worth more than cups and
medals!' And Benedict bowed gal
lantly.
Half up the gangway Mabel turned
as he was poised for another dip and
whispered:
NUNS the word?"
Benedict put a finger to his lips, nod
ded three times and disappeared In the
blue water.
mabel, my dear" said Mrs. Carroll
ton as the girl looked into her aunt's
cabin later, Arthur Benedict came
down last night from Sea Gate, and /
want you to be very nice to him. He
is q splendid fellow. l have known
him since he was in Knockers. He Is a
nephew of your Uncle Henry's bust
ness partner and a Yale man."
Young Benedict, in ~lannels. being
duly presented, was asked by his host
ess If he was ready for breakfast and
promptly admitted that he was as
hungry as a shark.
Due to taking an early swim, per-
haps," he added.
arthur, l have always thought you
were part fish," observed Mrs. Carroll
ton.
ANY mermaids down here, Miss
Chester?" inquired Benedict blandly.
"Why, did you see one?" asked Ma
bel, mistaken.
Thought l did. Nay have been some
big fish, though. He had a red head
and silver scales"
And a tail like a king salmon?" in
CURED Mabel, very much interested.
"Nonsense!" declared Mrs. Carroll
ton. 'Tell us about that meteoric mo
torboat of yours, Arthur"
Benedict was at once all enthusiasm
and gave an up to date description Of
all the different kinds of water bugs
that were to take part in the race Of
the afternoon. He explained that the
ideal toward which the designers
were striving was a boa that at high
speed would practically skim along on
the surface of the water, not plow
through it.
"Why. my boat Zip will run on a
thin layer of fog, I believe! Watch
her. She's entered in the big race this
afternoon"
The Priscilla. gay with bunting and
flying the commodore's pennant, was
saluted by all the river craft as she
steamed up the bay and, passing out
through the East river, dropped her
anchor at the finishing line for the
motorboat contests off New Rochelle.
The Zip was brought alongside, and
Benedict took her off for a warming
up before the race In which she was
to start in half an hour.
Mabel, in a smart yachting suit and
wearing the colors of Benedict's club,
had wished him good luck and then
went forward to consult Ferguson.
That canny old Scot was not at all in
sympathy with the program for the
day, and, pointing to the swapping,
cracking, roaring contestants on every
hand, streaking over the water, he
said as much to Mabel.
"Why, miss, when nature has sup
piled a good. spanking breeze like this
the young fellows should be satisfied
to do their racing with honest canvas
to carry them along instead of sheet
metal traps, full of machinery and
gasoline. It's just a craze to go fast
er than the wind and is of the same
piece with mile a minute motorcars,
airships and underwater boats. l say
it's flying in the face of Providence!'
"Why, Mr.. Ferguson quizzed the
girl, laughing gayly at the dour old
salt, you wouldn't want to go back
to three stickers and ana boats and
-stagecoaches, would your
who knows but what 1 would?"
And his weather beaten features re
Taxed as he glanced at the bonnie
lassie who had sought him so much
since the morning.
Miss Mabel, there is enough weight
and power in one of those racing
cookies to kick it all to pieces If any
thing goes wrong with the works, let
alone the chance of an explosion"
Ferguson scowled again and picked
up his marine glasses.
Here ZONES our boat, miss. Have
a look at her." he said suddenly.
Mabel gave a little gasp as she
found the onrushing Zip Swimming
toward them like n swallow Tn the