Algy followed as usual, carrying the ornamental basket upon his arm. In walking too near Mrs. Alexander, however, he inadvertently stubbed his toe and stumbled. To steady himself he caught at her arm, and unconsciously dropped the basket.
Having righted himself once more, he stooped and picked up the basket, but he failed to notice that the ball of worsted rolled out and remained caught under a tuft of grass beside the walk. When he started again for the platform, the ball began to unroll its length of wool, and the scarf also began to respond to the tugging at it as it remained in the basket, and the stitches gradually ravelled out. By the time Algy joined those standing upon the platform, half of Dodo’s pretty scarf had diminished into its original strand of wool.
Mrs. Alexander swung her handsome cane aimlessly to and fro to attract Mrs. Courtney’s attention, since that was the only reason for her carrying it, but her husband also saw it.
“By the Great Horned Spoon, Maggie! How’d you ever come to fetch a walkin’ stick? Folks will think you are locoed.”
But his wife paid no heed to his remark—he was too ignorant of the ways of fashionable society to cause her any concern. She turned to prattle to Mrs. Courtney about the jealousy of the women upon the hotel verandah—“They are so envious of one who has better clothes, you know, that I really had to leave them. Did you ever see such dowdies as they are?”
Mrs. Courtney had not noticed, and she admitted it. At the same time she had to control a desire to tell Mrs. Alexander how unsuitably she was dressed for a simple morning recreation hour. Perhaps Mr. Alexander would have spoken for her, had not Algy diverted all attention to himself.
Jack had been watching the slow progress of Algy and his companion from the pathway to the platform, and he planned, when he saw the young man so near the water, that he would swim close to the side and begin to splash, so that the water would sprinkle him.
Algy had been intent upon the conversation between the two ladies, and now, when he felt the drops of water falling upon him, he looked aloft, thinking a sprinkler or shower must be leaking upon him. Seeing nothing overhead, he glanced down and saw some one kicking and sending up great showers of water. Algy felt that it was his duty to speak to this thoughtless swimmer, and to warn him that well-groomed persons upon the platform would be made uncomfortable.
“Heah, you! I say! Don’t cha see what youah ah doing? My white flannels are all spotted, and the ladies——” At this moment Algy’s foot slid upon the wet, slippery plank, and in another second he had made a head dive—basket and wool, and all!
Since he detested water in quantity sufficient for swimming, Algy was unprepared for his impromptu bath. It was quite deep beneath the platform, to accommodate those who wished to dive, and now the frightened youth came to the surface spluttering and throwing hands above his head in a wild attempt to clutch at some support.