Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1922-04-16

palm ettos-well, it was almost too
good to be true.
| could be like this says Barry. "Why
! hasn't somebody raved about it in
| print"
For one reason" says l. 'the hotel
press agents all go north before 1t
really begins, and ! expect the native
| real estaters are too modest to men
ton ii. Anyway, we've discovered
It, SO let's keep the thing a dead
secret. En-"
| 'Might as WELL" agrees Barry. III
we went into details nobody would
| believe US. But say, it's a Knockout
| is't it?"
You're a great little describer.
Barry" says l.
| ] think our favorite view, though,
was one We got from the North shore
where the road skirted the bay and
! in places we could get glimpses of
! the gulf out across the narrow, palm
/ set keys. Tney We're such OVERLOOKING
| little islands, with their strips of
| white sandy beaches, their jungles of
! mangrove bushes, and their clumps
! of stately palmettos. Several times
we were late for dinner because we
! just had to stay and watch the big.
red sun drop down into that yellow
haze that always hung on the hori-
ION line. The sun would seem TO
| fatten out at the bottom as it met
! the water, and then it would get Its
shape again as it sank with slow
majesty into the gulf.
| Il always expect to hear it siz-z-z
when it does that says l.
! Lets wait for the afterglow," says
he. Here it comes"
! And then up through the empty sky
would shoot different colored rays
| like a fan, and the jade green of the
gulf would turn to streaks of prim-
| rose pink and lilac and mother-of
pearl and such tints.
uno you know what I'd like
II Barry l asked him the other
night i've just decided. l want
/
| one Of those keys, and have picnic
supper there. and come home by moon
light. Why don't we?''
| .I'n get a launch for tomorrow.
saws he. NO cold sandwich feed,
though. Let's have canned baked
beans warmed up in frying pan,
and hot coffee, and maybe fried eggs
and bacon .,
SAY. you must mean to take your
appetite along" says l. But SO be
it. You and Inez can gorge your
selves if you like"
| And I think it was only the men,
lion of big eats that induced Inez to &C
along. for she's not strong for picnics
as a rule. Uncle Nels, though, was kear
for it!
Gould 1 bring along Hank Snively?'
he asks.
1.-The reformed undertaken from
Petoskey?" says 1. Sure. No picnic
could be quite complete down here
. without a Michigander in it,
So right after luncheon we went
down to the fishing pier and loaded
ourselves and our traps on board
the little party boat that Barry hao
chartered for the excursion. 1t wa:
a fairly clean craft, with cork cush'
lens on the seats, canvas canop,
over the stern cockpit, a rather
| wheezy one-cylinder, engine, and &
picturesque young fellow with sun.
| bIeached hair for captain.
Hes a native" whispered Barry
"a real Florida cracker. They'r,
the best boatmen for these waters
and this one was born right neal
here. so he can tell us all abou
everything we want to know"
Maybe he could, but the fact re
| mains that he didn't l tried hin
out with half a dozen questions, blu
about all the response l could ge
from him was a grunt now and then
He seemed busy fussing with his en-
CINE and, picking out the channel.
whats that up there, captain"
asked.
Bird, ma'am," says he, withou
glancing up.
DO you know says l. Il almos
suspected that. But what sort of
bird. captain?"
Man war" says he.
They call 'em frigate birds. too.
explained Mr.. Snively. Tell me the.
got a wing spread of ten or twelv
feet and can sail that way for hour
without fappin' feather. That sc
cap'n?"
"Ah reckon So" says he, in chatt
burst.
what we should have brought"
confided to Barry, lis corkscrew
for this son of sunny Florida seem
! to have his information tap plugge
up"
..Oh, he's all right" insists Barr,
| II doubt if I'd be very laxative
pd been answering the same foe
questions-asked by fool tourists ever
| day for three months
Il Much obliged for the 1eft-handel
Barry" says l. From now on shal
|, let the scenery go unexplained"
Il IS
co / didn't find out why peii
: - can looks SO silly when he come
down spraddle-legged on the wate
or why the mangrove bushes grow o
stilt-like roots, or what blue hero
watches for when he stands on on