The Black Swans 



Dumbiedykes. She had addressed her 

 letters as usual " Care of the Midlothian 

 Country Club, Blue Island, 111." Now 

 she knew that there was a big lake 

 near Chicago, and doubtless had visions 

 of being met by a motor boat or yacht 

 or being taken aboard a steamer ply- 

 ing between the city and her destina- 

 tion. Imagine her surprise, therefore, 

 to find that we were not on an island 

 in Lake Michigan at all, and that 

 Blue Island was neither blue nor sur- 

 rounded by water. Aside from those 

 two facts she found no fault with the 

 choice of name. And speaking of that 

 I am reminded of the case of Atlas. 



Down in Pike County, Illinois, in 

 the hills flanking the great wide Mis- 

 sissippi River bottoms there are, or 

 were some years ago, the remnants 

 of a hamlet that rejoiced in the earth- 

 supporting name of Atlas. It consisted 

 mainly at the time I first passed 

 through it of a tumble-down black- 

 smith shop with the inevitable flotsam 

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