The Ocala banner., 1922-06-02
An Ocdla Girl Carues
Out Her OlUn Future

0'cu, loT MISS Smith gayly
remarked
Yes, this sweater is terribly rod
and a diplomatic parsonage. decidedly
anti-Bolshevistic in his tendencies is
coming this morning. hone he
doesn't suspect me-"
A laugh and some more convarsa.
ton from which cleaned the following
as the setting for the beginning of
Peggy" Smiths aquatic career:
In central Florida there is a won.
derfully pellucid body of water right
ly called Silver Springs, which claims
the distinction of having been desig-
mated by Ponce de Leon as the Foun-
tain OF Eternal Youth. The depth
ranges from eighty to ninety feet. with
the bottom. which is of luminous
light blue phosphate substance, clear
ly visible, particularly when the sun-
light shines upon the water. In the
days When our medium of exchange
was not so scarce as it now is, tourists
used to throw coins in the deepest
part of the springs and watch them
sink, with slow zigzag motion, until
at last they rested on the bottom.
1t was on days like these IN a year
not very long ago that there was fire.
quently seen padding around in the
transparent water a long-lesged, tan
ned, brown-eyed girl just entering the
teen age.
One day this daughter of NeBtune
was padding around as usual, with
her youthful slimness imperfectly con-
cealed by the too large boys suit and
her brown-black hair escaping from
the red bandanna tied around her
head. Some elderly women were look
ing on, one of whom for days had
been quite disturbed by the swim
ming costume of this youngster. So
when more charitable member of
this feminine group exclaimed ::
Doesn't the little Smith girl swim
beautifully" the one who had been
suffering from suppressed desires re-
piled: But isn't her suit shocking!
/ shall certainly speak to her about it..
And she did, quite loudly, the next
time the girl made her way to the
diving board.
'My DEAR" began the icy reproach
Il know you have much more freedom
in that sort of suit, but don't you real
ly think you ought at least to wear
stochings?"
Whereupon the child replied-hip-
PANTY perhaps-her mother had died
when she was six years old, leaving
her father bewildered with five small
children:
Il haven't money enough to buy
stockings to wear on the street, let
alone in bathing" And followed her
statement by an 'impudent7 back
ward flip into the water.
But swimming, as was mentioned be-
fore, is now Miss Smiths only athletic
Accomplishment. While she was still
in short dresses, when short dresses
denoted youth, she was sent TO Wash
ington Seminary in Atlanta, Ga.
There she not only starred in playing
basketball, but also won local renown
as a coach for the still younger girls
team. She also attracted good deal
| of attention as a runner-up in tennis
contests with the older girls.
Il really believe" she smilingly
conided to me, that my. father was
panic-stricken at the idea of having to
develop a tomboy daughter into a
lady, and so sent me away to board
ing school in an effort to civilize me.
After graduation from boarding
school came one glorious year at
Northwestern, University at Evanston,
ILL.,, during which | was awarded a
beautiful barpin by my sorority for
scholarship, and an impressive medal,
my first one, for runner-up in the wo-
mans tennis tournament.
IN athletics here in Washington
have confined myself chiefly to swim
ming and diving would love to ride
lot-but, you see, horses are not
municipality owned in Washington
However, Miss Smith has found time
for canoeing also, and, in partnership
with Harry T. knight. Jr., of the
Washington Canoe Club, holds the
/ ;nnntirn Of The neiaware-C -Ches-