uld see her teeth, very white between her coral-pink lips, and her
bosom rising and falling beneath the veil of pale gold hair. She was
breathing _water_!

Mercer literally jerked me away from the edge of the pool.

"What do you think of her, Taylor?" he asked, his dark eyes dancing with
excitement.

"Tell me about it," I said, shaking my head dazedly. "She is not
human?"

"I don't know. I think so. As human as you or I. I'll tell you all I
know, and then you can judge for yourself. I think we'll know in a few
minutes, if my plans work out. But first slip on a bathing suit."

I didn't argue the matter. I let Mercer lead me away without a word. And
while I was changing, he told me all he knew of the strange creature in
the pool.

* * * * *

"Late this afternoon I decided to go for a little walk along the beach,"
Mercer began. "I had been working like the devil since early in the
morning, running some tests on what you call my thought-telegraph. I
felt the need of some fresh sea air.

"I walked along briskly for perhaps five minutes, keeping just out of
reach of the rollers and the spray. The shore was littered with all
sorts of flotsam and jetsam washed up by the big storm, and I was just
thinking that I would have to have a man with a truck come and clean up
the shore in front of the place, when, in a little sandy pool, I
saw--_her_.

* * * * *

"She was laying face down in the water, motionless, her head towards the
sea, one arm stretched out before her, and her long hair wrapped around
her like a half-transparent cloak.

"I ran up and lifted her from the water. Her body was cold, and deathly
white, although her lips were faintly pink, and her heart was beating,
faintly but steadily.

"Like most people in an emergency. I forgot all I ever knew about first
aid. All I could think of was to give her a drink, and of course I
didn't have a flask on my person. So I picked her up in my arms and
brought her to the house as quickly as I could. She seemed to be
reviving, for she was struggling and gasping when I got here with her.

"I placed her on the bed in the guest room and poured her a stiff drink
of Scotch--half a tumblerful, I believe. Lifting up her head, I placed
the glass to her lips. She looked up me, blinking, and took the liquor
in a single draught. She did not seem to drink it, but sucked it out of
the glass in a single amazing gulp--tha