Married Life.

Otago Witness, Issue 2499, 5 February 1902, Page 72

Married Life.

HAS ITB DRAWBACKS, ATHLETIC GIRL THOUGHT.

The athletic girl, in a blue bathing suit with bright red stockings, was just coming out of the women's dressing apartments of the open-air natatorium. Suddenly she felt a cold hand on her arm, and, turning quickly, came face to face with a red-haired woman in a sea-green bathing suit, which resembled a bag and a-half.

"Don't I look funny?" squeaked the woman.

"Not any funnier than the rest of us," answered the girl gravely.

"Did you see anything of my husband?" a»ked the woman, still in hei high C voice.

"Madam, I am not acquainted with yout husband," answered the girl, with as much dignity as she could muster in a bathing suit.

'"Find him, and tell him I'll be out i« a minute," was the unababhed command.

Walking to the springboard, the girl dived off, came up, and began floating around on her back, awaiting the appearance of the sea-green woman. She had a natural desire to know whether the woman was crazy 01 only affected by her costume.

A man with x careworn expression and a zebra-striped suit stood hip-deep in the water.

"Come on, wifey," he called, aa -he woman appeared. "I can't. Some one will see me," 6he replied, making an effort to pull the bag over bes knsejti

"Come on, love; I'll teach you to swim," called the man, soothingly.

"O, wait until I get used to the idea," shouted the woman as people began to stare.

"Hurry up, a dear. You will catch cold standing there*. Get into the water."

The woman put the tip of her left foot in and shuddered. "Ugh! It's cold. ' "It won't be when you get wet all over. Jump in," directed the man.

The woman put the whole of her foot in and shrieked: "It's like ice water! I thought you said it was w&vra."

"I didn't know that you wanted it boiling, or I would have ordered it that way," sighed the man. Setting her teeth together, she put both feet in. Another shudder.

"I might have had more sense than to let you come down with me," growled the man. "I'll ewim down to the end of the tank while you are getting used to it." "I think you are too mean for anything, to leave me alone, and all those people looking. You haven't much pride." "Well, if you had half as much as I, you wouldn't make such an idiot of yourself," yelled the man, swimming away.

When he returned, the water was up to her knees. ' "Are you coming in or going out?" demanded the man.

"I'm coming in gradually," answered the woman.

Then the man grabbed her, and in she went over her head.

"Whew!" she spluttered as she wiped the water out of her eyes. "If I had known that I was marrying such a brute it would have been different. I'm going home to mamma."

With this threat she marched back to the dressing rooms. Then a happy, satisfied expression appeared on the man's face as he muttered : "Next time she'll be glad to let me come alone." — Chicago News.