The tribune. (Rich Hill, Mo.) 1900-1902, 1902-11-06

( LUBBER LAST. I
~ GRACE ii. BOuTFLLE

since Ncy 8 come ~ Perkins,
vile, Do reysier and hts mother had
tailed 70 adjust their respective ftau4-
points 70 q mutual harmony.
To begin withrit va spring With
the delicious Od0r Of r~eglnuOua amGke
from The b0ughs that had banked lhs
house ~aasalllnE ones nostrils, who
could resist joining the dancing ail-
hoRttps that circled the bonfire and
daring ones fate BY ioaping across Il Ia
swaggeTing competition as the flames
died DOWN.
Bat she drew iurid pictures Of his
certain fate IL be should repeat the
OFonse. Blind defiance rose insursent
within him-he would gOl And thea
all Of q sudden he remembered what
his father said. aud hung his head 10
think how those grave, kind eyea Of has
would look a. him now.
Take are Of mnmmaF be had said
az the last you must be her Big
brother and never Jet her worry about
you, she's 20 little and delicate And
then be had whispered over two or
three times: "My pretty little wife
NY dear little girl"
And De Peyster had tried with all MS
might 10 remember. But often IL did
seem a. II It would have been q little
easier II she could have Understood Lhz.
u was disEraced II one did not keep
neck and neck with 'rhe other fellows
Ia every prank they played.
There a a long and weary period
Of d~00ryard discipline after this cpl
sode. There were a good maay times
when De Peyster had 10 clinch his nsts
as HIrHHH as hn garrnH and r.rnrHmNaAm sHn
father very hard
BY and BY june came. qnivering Nlth
q universal blOss0ming and pungent
with the JOY Of living AT this time
every true boy thrills with the half
realized rapture Of it all. and finds the
fullest expression Of his ecstacy in GO
ing swimming.
Every bright morning IN some part
OF the town there was sure TO be a
group Of boys toeing a Line. their necks
bobbiug eagerly forward and their
bodies giving a~nticlpatory jerks aud
witches as they waited Tor the word.
When the leader said Co" they
dagJed forth. and there Was a kaleido-
scopie and dissoiyIng view Of legs
racing madly down q side street that
led to the river. Then collars came Of.
coats followed. as they ran with undi-
minaBhed speed. the fellow WHO was
iaTthereEt ahead sometimes slOEing up
with magnificent daring 70 get on ms
Shoes and stockings while the others
were still hamgered by shirts and
trousers, n by the time they tumbled
IN headlong competition ever the bank
The nimhlest carried their entire ward
r0ne on their arLIs and flashed Whitley
into the water while the laggers fun
bled at their shoe lacings. The unfur-
tunate who popped into the river.
flushed and painting, after all the rest
were in wns greeted with taunting cries
OF. "LNbber last, Lubber LAST.
De Peyster had never been told not
ia 20 in swimming. IL had not occur
red To his mother as among the list Of
his possible periis. as she was in bliss
ful ignorance OF the fact that the
other fellows did 10.
SO IL Vas with the thrilling e~xultahce
OF the Greek runner that he set his toe
on the line with the rest and hurled
himself forward. head M and elbows
IN.
Tho first few rods It felt like aylng.
Ills feet scarcely touched the ground
Then q pair OF less dashed by him. and
anotEer aad another. lie gathered his
strength and shot forward again. bat
another psir a. legs went by. and an.
other and another.
They were tearing OF their coats;
they were stripping 90 their shirts lie
felt al his SOLAR. Wrenched it on aai
flung d away. 20 have both hands free
for his coat and sairt. They were al
most az the bank Lew He could see
Micky Days white skin dazzle in the
sun as be took a splendid dive ahead Uf
the rest Bis Own feet were growlns
heavy. and there wasG ulist before his
eyes The knot Ia his Eh0e lacIng
would not some united a savage rage
filled him. le he could have cut on mis-
foot 10 rio himsslf OF the hampeung
shoe, ho Roul scarcely have hesiutcd.
You were ruled ogt IL yea went into
the water with anythlng lett on, AS he
struggled ana parFpirc4 a -agonizc3
the two OF three whom be had us
tanoed leapcd past him. ana a. he
shook the she's oa ~ last and made his
Z dive he heard the cir ringing with:
"Luhber last, Lubbcg last and sloW-
ly realized that Il IA meant for aim
TO tired manially two " hroa
other days. bat il WAS always the same
way. Ills muscles were aahhy froni
the doofyerG discipline, and BE cosld
not PICK up In a few weeks whal others
had acquired Through Joyous years 81
Summer y-agAboudSEe
he TOOK q qgietiy aud good-naiured-
iy but u went 0eol.
Hia mother lolad cat me custom
shortly vi forbade him 70 50 near the
water.
As Tor De Peystcr hlmselE the numb
ness 81 despair tJtUe4 upon him. Nov
ho could never lcsrn 10 fcinem himself.
So have som da} Itfbsps tho tne1abls
joy % bting he Sass lu, ahVad OK lim'
my Sprat. ahead ef Mieky Naly, ahead
Of eeeg bady. has eF MAS ontel
before it has begun,
~Bst get Ia n1t lgt htr worry. Was
the raciul conclusion he always reach
60. And Then ho b.e@taed hard aus
W3nkct fast
Jlmmy was hls constant friend and
hrouRht him alioliatlDa w1sssses from
umo lo Uue slgh 81 hat the other
fellows hl said De hai ieis of atnd aad
could 90 as Wlit IS Je DtXt teller II he
had halfa chance
whoa oyen thco encouraging NJ.
MARKS ceased ta rtfet De EaSe Alu
bis owu h0gnei load as a last Gesler'
ate resort Tue Clct was wonderfully
-eGirarioUs tut transltcry
"i'd oughtsF teaa a rirl said ID,
Peyster mauy pua to himself bat
wish she didnt g8atto make htlieya
am onc when ain g.
HH.#. ..M aH. So. 81 nr ma..mamMn