Show MERRY MERRY MERMAID by MARY LOUISE CHEATHAM T was still early and the beach was deer deserted ted except tor for a few lone bathers far around the shoreline merry t f n shed her splashing in the chilly waters and climbed on a rock by the lakeside the only rock in view anywhere on the sandy beach it made a nice spot to sit and dry as the mom morang ng sun grew warmer spreading her beach robe over the rock to protect her new green bath ing suit she rubbed her arms and legs briskly with a towel then cast it aside and rummaged in the can vas beach bag for her brush and comb and a hand mirror she had just finished shaking the water from her long blonde hair and was brushing it to a golden sheen when a masculine voice beside her told her she was no longer alone ah ali a mermaid said the voice and there stood a bronzed young man in bathing trunks he was tall and dark and broad shouldered and just the sort of young man a girl dreamed of meeting on her vacation only be he had appeared much too soon she blushed and groped for an an awer she shivered and sneezed well commented the young man mam I 1 don dont t know mermaid lang aage but yourself without waiting to be asked he bad had seated himself on the sand be side the rock and not knowing what else t to 0 do merry went on awkwardly brushing her hair what s 4 your name he asked mine s terry thornton staying with some cousins at that cottage down the line merry she admitted unhappily not mary merry like in merry christmas only my last name names s day my mother had original ideas hmm terry mused well on you it turned out all right though she took a chance supposing ng you were one of those grave sober people who go around frowning all the time but with those dimples and that smile it suits you merry blushed again it was dis concerting to have a strange young man studying her face so closely but it was funny too she laughed merry he repeated I 1 like that merry and terry makes a good combi nat on heyl where you go ing don t jump back in the water mermaid I 1 only swim right after you breakfast said merry gather ing up her belong we haven t eaten yet they re expecting me at the cottage well said terry reluctantly 11 bye then for now see you again he walked over to the th deep end of the pier waved dived clean ly and as merry left the beach she saw him swimming with long sure strokes out to the raft it only she thought he hadrit t come along quite so sooil soon now she would have to go to the beach even earlier terry thornton said mrs white with whom merry was board fag ing during her on why yes he comes up here summers to visit relatives in one of those cottages down the row one of the best swim mers around here regular f sh merry s heart sank but she ate heartily of the blueberry muffins and decided nothing was going gain to spoil this vacation of hers she had planned too long and worked too hard for it and now she was going to enjoy every minute it was not much tun fun going in the water so terribly early but she splashed determinedly the next morning then spread her beach robe on the sand and lay there on her stomach soaking up what sunshine there was head cradled on elbow she gazed dreamily at the lake it was always changing color like the stone in a ring she used to have green blue silver or gray accord ing to the 1 the office with its irritations seemed far away hello there therel it was terry she sensed his presence before he spoke care for a swim she shook her head I 1 ve already been in she said well he persisted you can go in again no said merry I 1 like it here on the beach okay terry shrugged suit yourself I 1 in going to take a swim then I X ve got to go to the village be gone all day you ought to come along no said merry thanks any way she was sorry to see him go yet happy too he would be gone all dayl As soon as be he was completely out of sight she waded back into the water olga mrs white s cook came wad ng out but merry didn dian t mind olga was p plump uina and comfort able and she was eating an apple can you swim olga called merry no I 1 answered olga but I 1 can float she lay back easily on the surface ot of the water and continued eating her apple gazing unconcern edly up at the sky that s wonderful said merry she tried it but sank immediately and sat up gasang gasp ng and blowing water out of her nose A peal of laughter rang out and she looked into the face of a 10 year old boy who was swimming about like a porpoise here s the way he said and floated like olga gee he said don t you know how to swim no merry admitted sadly I 1 ive ve never been around water much I 1 ve always lived in the city and I 1 just never did learn its it s easy said the boy watch here so the lessons began hopeful and hopeless by turn merry kicked and splashed her freckle faced tutor was a hard taskmaster and a mercil merciless ss critic they kept at it most of athe the day but merry still couldn coulden t stay on top of the water looks like never dearril she thought but early the next morn ing she was at it again she man aged to be lying on the beach when terry dropped by she turned down his invitation to go on an all day boating trip with some friends an other day she thought hopefully her young instructor turned up again that afternoon as enthusiastic as merry was determined day after day by some ruse or other she managed to avoid terry and keep on with her attempts to swim I 1 don t know why I 1 don t tell him she thought he ably would teach me himself but he might think I 1 am awfully stupid the way I 1 don dont t make any progress somehow I 1 am ashamed to let him know she went on practicing strokes and kicks swallowing water and floundering in despair and then one day one day ot of days it happened she swam only a few feet at first then farther and farther and farther with practice bobby her 10 year old oid teacher jumped up and down and shrieked with joy and they had a water fight to celebrate after that noth ing could stop her it was just an easy sidestroke but it was swim ming tell you what said bobby I 1 take the rowboat and row along side in case you need me and I 1 4 1 A y bi ip loe W she had just finished shaking the water from her long blonde hair and was brushing it to a golden sheen when a masculine voice beside her told her she was no longer alone think by now you can easily make it as far as the raft all ali right merry agreed brave ly ill do it she lay on her side taking slow easy strokes watching bobby in the tie boat the water felt wonderful she felt wonderful herself her hardly out of breath at all she reached the raft murrayl shouted bobby you made it murrayl echoed another voice three cheers for the merry mer maid and there on the raft outlined against the sun was terry eagerly he pulled her out of the water I 1 crown you queen of the mer maids maids he said adorning her head with a dripping white water lily ly be had brought from the lagoon so you learned to swim in less than two weeks merry caught her breath how did you know she asked well said terry smiling deep ly into her eyes that kid brother of mine Is a pretty good teacher |