| Show tue MERRY MERRY MERMAID bt il by avry y LOUISE CHEAT llAM hl ealnor tl s lt IT w was as still early and the beach was wag d deserted except for or a tow few lone bathers tar far around the shoreline merry finished 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 morning sun grew warmer spreading her beach robe roba over the rock to protect her new green erean bathing suit she rubbed her arms and legs briskly with a towel then cast it aside and rummaged in the canvas beach bag tor for her bar 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 h her e r she was no longer alone ah a mer mermaid maldi I 1 said the voice and there stood a bronzed young man in bathing trunks ile he was tell tall and dark and broad shouldered and just the sort ot of young man a girl dreamed ot of meeting on her vacation only he had appeared much too soon she blushed and groped lor for an an s er she shivered and sneezed well commented the young man 1 I dont know mermaid language but yourself without waiting to be asked he had seated himself on the sand beside the rock and not knowing what else to do merry went on awkwardly brushing her hair your name le he asked mines 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 names day my mother had original ideas amm hmm terry mused well on you ou it turned out all right though she took a chance supposing you were one ot of those grave sober people who go around frowning all the time but with those dimples and that smile it suits yow you merry blushed again it was disconcerting conc erting to have a strange young man studying her face so closely but it was funny too she laughed merry he repeated 1 I like that M merry erry and terry makes a good c combination om heyl where you going dont jump back in the water mermaid ill only swim right after youl you breakfast said merry gathering up her belongings we eaten yet expecting rne me at the cottage well said terry reluctantly bye then tor for now see you again he walked over to the deep end of the pier waved dived cleanly and as merry left the beach she saw him swimming with long sure strokes out to the raft it 11 only she thought he come along quite so foont soon now she would have to go to the beach even earlier terry thornton said mrs white with whom whim merry was boarding during her vacation why yes he comes up here summers to visit relatives in one of those cottages down the row one of th the e best swimmers around here regular fish jerrys heart sank but she ate heartily of the rry muffins and decided nothing was going to spoil this vacation of hers she had planned too long and worked too hard for or it and now she was going to enjoy every minute it was not much fun un going in the water so terribly early but she splashed pla shed 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 the 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 according to the light the office with its hi irritations seemed far away hello therel there it was terry she sensed his presence before he spoke care for a swim she shook her head ive already been in she said well he persisted you can go in again no said merry 1 I like it here on the beach okay terry shrugged I 1 suit yourself im going to take a swim then ive got to go to the tha village be ba gone all day you ought to como come along no said merry thanks anyway she was sorry to see him go yet happy too he would be gone all 11 ca dayl As soon as ashe asbe he was completely ly out of sight she waded back into the water olga mrs whites cook came wading out but merry mind olga was plump and comfortable and she was eating an apple other she managed to avoid terr terry Y and keep on with her attempts I 1 to swim 1 I dont doni know why I 1 dont tell him she thought ile he probably would teach rne me himself but he might think I 1 am awfully stupid the way I 1 dont make any progress somehow I 1 am ashamed to let him know she went on practicing strokes strobes and kicks hicks swallowing water and floundering la in despair and then one day one day of days it hap poneda she only a few feet at first then farther and farther and farther with practice bobby her 10 year old teacher jumped up and down and shrieked with joy and they had a water ight fight to celebrate after that nothing could stop her it was just an easy side sidestroke stroke but it was swim tell you what said bald bobby ill take the rowboat and row alongside in case you need me and I 1 N v T t she had just finished shaking and was brushing it to a golden i her told her she ws was no longer a can you swim olga called merry no answered olga tut but I 1 can float she lay back easily on the surface ol of the water and continued eating her apple gazing unconcernedly up at the sky wonder wonderful full said merry she tried it but sank immediately and sat up un gasping and blowing water out of 0 her nose A peal ot of laughter rang out and she looked into the face ot of a 10 year old boy who was swimming about like a porpoise heres the way he said and floated me like olga geel he said dont you know how to swim no merry admitted sadly ive never been around water much ive always lived to in the city and I 1 just never did learn its 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 merciless critic they kept at it most of the day but merry still stay on top of the water looks like ill never learn she thought but early the next nest morning she was at it again she managed to be lying on the beach when terry dropped by she turned down his invitation to go on an allday all day boating trip with some friends another day she thought hope hopefully hopefuls full y her young instructor turned up again that afternoon as enthusiastic as merry was determined day after day by some ruse or ie water fro from i her long blonde hair ean when a masculine voice beside ne think by now you can easily make it as far as the raft ali AH right merry agreed bravely ill do it she lay on her side taking slow easy strokes watching bobby in the boat the water felt wonderful she felt wonderful hersel fl ft hardly out of breath at all she reached the ra raft ft murrail Hur hurray rail shouted bobby you made etl murrayl Hui Hur rayl echoed another voice three cheers for the merry mermaid and there on the raft outlined against the sun was terry eagerly he pulled her out of the water 1 I crown you queen of the mermaids he said adorning her head with a dripping white water llly lily he had brought from the lagoon so you learned to swim in less than two weeks I 1 merry caught her breath how did you know she asked well said terry smiling deeply into her eyes that kid brother of mine Is a pretty good teacher |
