A Seaside Mermaid

Binks and his wife had returned from a 'our weeks' sojourn at the seaside, and he Btood in front of his home in the suburbs iving his friend Peters a graphic account of his vacation's pleasures. "Went in bathing every day," he exclaimed enthusiastically. "Ahí" responded Peters, "wifegointoo?" "Oh, yes, every day," said the returned vacationist. "Can she swini?" queried friend Peters, with some interest. "No-o, she can't," was the reply. "She ;ried and tried to learn, but somehow she didn't get the hang of it. She said she couldu't get the right kick, and I let her :lunk that was the reason, but the fact was"- and here he looked up at the house and sank his voice to a hoarse respiration. 'The fact was she couldn't keep her raouth Bhut long enough to take four strokes be:ore she'd have some fooi remark to make, wli en - kerwash - she'd swallow a whole wave and go plump to the bottom," and then he winked rapidly as the scène was recalled to his mind, and he went into the aouse chuckling with pleasure. But he badn't noticed a woraan's face peering out of the curtains of a raised window. Friend Peters saw the front door open. quickly, saw a hand reach out and grasp the seaside boarder by the collar, saw the bieels of that individual crack his back as he shot through the door, which slammed behind his vanishing form, heard a wild and stifled noise as of a body being hauled over the hatrack and banged against the wall, and heard a muñled voice like unto that of an enraged woman say: "Take that back and Hl let you up, you waüeyed