ut?" asked a persuasive voice. "No, no, no!" I shouted joyously. "I am
going in." What a dive! I never knew before how superlatively graceful my
dives could be. Away through the breakers with a racing stroke. Over on my
back, kicking fountains at the sun. In this warm water I should stay in for
hours and hours and....

Pah! That horrible incrusted paper back again! I bolted the remaining
rasher....

The boat rocked gently in a glassy sea. They were almost climbing over the
gunwale in their eagerness to be caught. Lovely wet shining wriggly
fellows; all the varieties of the fishmonger's slab and more. In season or
out, they didn't care; they thought only of doing honour to my line. No
need in future for me to envy the little boys on the river-bank who pulled
in fish after fish when I never got a bite. How delightfully salt the fish
smelt! And the sun drew out the scent of salt from the gently lapping
waves. It was all so quiet and restful. Almost could I have slumbered, even
as I pulled them in and in and....

The waitress must have giggled. Once again the incrusted paper leered at me
in ail its horrible pink incrustiness. There was no bacon left on my plate.
But the delicious scent of salt still lingered. Alas, my holiday was over!
I must speed me or I should miss the train to town.

"Good-bye!" I shouted to the manageress and shook her by the hand. She
seemed surprised. "Such a happy time," I assured her. "I wish I could have
it all over again."

She said something which I could not hear. Sea-bathing tends to make me a
little deaf.

"If I have forgotten anything--my pyjamas or my shaving strop--would you be
so kind as to send them on? Good-bye again."

Something fluttered to the floor. The manageress stooped. I was just
passing through the portals.

"You have forgotten this," she called.

It was the dear little square piece of paper which contained my bill. I
looked at it in amazement.

"What!" I exclaimed--"only one-and-twopence for a poached egg and bacon and
all that salt flavour thrown in?"

* * * * *

OUR MODEST ADVERTISERS.

"European lady (widow), rather lovely, would like to hear from Army
Officer or Civilian in a similar position, with a view to keeping up a
congenial correspondence."--_Indian Paper._

* * * * *

"A correspondent in the Air Force writes from Bangalore:--

'It is rather amusing to notice the nu