Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1918-03-16
FL0UNDERiNG

BY F. LANCASTER.

/ lSIinS group. me lNtp>Sall tulkor
was furtively watching Miss Lou out
of the corner of his eye. tie fancied
that in repose her face was beginning
to have Il wistful look and the fancy
/ pleased him. But in an instant that
I subtle something which rings through
| our Utmost life had ilung out it's danger
signals. Miss Lou started into con-
| SciouSncSS.
Il understand that the mullet were
So thick last night it was impossible TO
founder in the gulf" she said, catch
ing mental outposts.
who wants to founder in that
gulf?" said the man from up the coun-
try, springing 10 seat on the veranda
and facing Miss Lou with n surprised
expression.
why anyone who wishes to go
laundering" replied Miss Lou. politely.
$50, l should have imagined" he re.
Sponded dryly. "They could not lind a
much better place 10 founder in un.
less it was Slough Of Despond.' Do
many indulge?"
t ION. lot of people"
"What for?"
For pleasure or profit; sometimes
/ both"
"oh, you mean bathing"
II suppose n good deal of bathing is
Internationally"
Incidentally
"Why, yes. You are obliged To get
more or less wet if you go Laundering
| in the gulf"
THAT appears probable, especially
If the gulf happened TO have wpter In
/ it."
+ a surge of suppressed m,rgjmcnt
! swept over the group upon the gallery.
/ Miss Lou adjusted her gold-rimmcd
! glasses and looked with ominous quie.
tude at the perpleNed individual who
had been asking questions.
Don't you know what n founder
! is?" she asked severely.
Certainly. It's an awkward effort
made TO escape from an uncomfortable
situation"
THAT may be true of the interior.
! On the coast, founder is n thin. Hat
fish that swims broadsides through the
water and has both of its eyes ON the
same side. The method of capturing
! ii by means of spear is called 'noun-
/ dering'"
ooh And is II good sport?'
ut is about rs hard work rs dancing
| and as big n bore as n thcatcr."
IF ii is no worse than that l should
like to try ii. How is ii done?"
You dress yourself in clothes that
| you expect never To use again, take
| spear and basket, wade In with the
! crowd and follow the torch bearer.
| Whenever you see a founders bed
| stick your spear into IL. You will gem
! orally find that the founder is not
there when your spear is, but that
! doesn't matter If you do not slip up
! and strange yourself with salt water
or get stung by stingaree you may
| declare that you have had perfectly
| lovely time Sometimes within the
next two weeks you will begin 10 get
over IT,"
Rather more grrphic than encour-
aging should like TO try It,"
AT this there was hearty chorus:
Lets have a flOund0ing party to-
night !"
Miss Lou looked aghast. 1.-THE idea,"
she CALCULATED.
"Oh, yes; just this once, Miss Loul"
BY the time the details were decided
| the incessant talker had dropped off
| the gallery and disappeared.
"Hello, Hall !" cried the tall clergy
man, looking up from his writing.
/ "Come in-glad to see you"
4 a 10 %
good tidings"
"Ah?"
Invitation to a flounderlng party"
my dear boy, never"
mo, of course not. But you are
| going this time, and so is Miss Lou"
miss Lou!'
"Yes. It's chance in ten thousand.
| Don't neglect It,"
The floundering party was in full
| swing. The iron baskets filed with
heaps of burning pine swayed on the
| ends of their long poles and threw fan
| tastic effects over the drowsy waters.
| Behind the line of lights came the
/ crescent of flounderers the holder spir-
| its thigh-deep i'm water, the timid ones
| hugging the shore. Laughter, repair
tee and song mnde the night gay in
deed. An occasional shrill scream or
heavy splash only tended 10 heighten
| the merriment Well I'm the rear came
Miss Lou-using her spear as "A staff
| and her basket as ballast. She paused
| frequently to adjust her glasses. The
whole situation was distinctly dis
tasteful to her.
"If ever / get" n frightened fioun-
| der shot from beneath Miss LOUIS san
| daled feet, her spear few out; her bas-
ket few up, and the glasses, leaping
from her nose, swung widely at the
/ end of their chain. Miss Lou set her
teeth hard on a scream and fioundered
valiantly, and her downfall would have
been inevitable had not a strong arm
caught and steadled her.
Ten miles away the red-eyed light
house on Cat island wlnked lazily at
his brother In Ship Island harbor. The
strong arm was still about her Shout
ders and somewhere in the night above
| her she could feel pair of gray eyes
upon her.
'aThis is a foundering party" she
said.
''Well-am not ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
ably? Give me something to steady
me, dear. Some hope to hold by. I'm
/