Angel Island

"What the Hades - " Ralph said in a mystified tone.

"I've got it," said Honey. "She caught a look at herself in one of the

mirrors and she's scared. Don't be afraid, Lulu," he called in a

reassuring tone; "it won't hurt you."

Lulu evidently got what he intended to convey. Again she sank slowly,

hovered an instant close to the sand, brought her face near to a mirror,

bounced up, dipped down, brought her face nearer, fluttered, put out one

hand, withdrew it, put out the other, withdrew it, put out both, seized

a mirror firmly, darted to the zenith.

"Well, what do you know about that!" said Billy. And, "Oh, the angels!"

exclaimed Pete. Ralph's face opened in the fatuous grin which always

meant satisfaction with him. Honey turned somersaults of delight. Even

Frank twinkled.

For, high up in the heaven, five heads positively bumped over the meager

oval of silver.

Lulu finally pulled out of the crowd and flew away. But all the time she

held the mirror straight before her, clasped tightly in two hands,

ecstatically "eating herself up" as Honey described it.

The men continued to watch.

Gradually, one after another, the other four girls fell under the lure

of their vanity and their acquisitiveness.

Clara dove first, clutched a long-handled oval of yellow celluloid. Next

Chiquita swam lazily downward, made a brief scarlet flutter on the

beach, seized an elaborate double mirror set in gilded wood. Peachy

followed; she chose a heart-shaped glass, ebony-framed. Last of all,

Julia came floating slowly down. She took the only one that was left: it

was, of course, the smallest; it was framed in carved ivory.

For the next ten minutes, the sky presented a picture of five winged

women, stationed at various points of the compass, ecstatically studying

their own beautiful faces in mirrors held in their white, strong-looking

hands.

Then, flying together again, they discovered that the mirrors reflected.

At first, this created panic, then amusement. Ensued a delicious

girl-frolic. Darting through the air, laughing, jabbering, they played

tag, throwing the light into each other's eyes. A little later Peachy

gathered them into a bunch and whispered instructions. Immediately they

began flashing the mirrors into the men's faces. To escape this

bombardment, their victims had finally to throw themselves face downward

on the sand.

In the midst of this excitement came disaster.

Lulu dropped her mirror.

It hit square and shattered on the sand to many brilliant splinters.

Lulu fell like a stone, seized the empty frame, gazed into it for a

heart-broken second, burst into tears.