The Somerset reporter., 1903-05-07
LII B B E R
L A s T
BY Grace II. BoufeHe


Ever since they mad come to Perkins
vile De Peyster and his mother had
failed to adjust their respective stand
points to Il mutual harmony.
To begin with, it was spring. With
the delicious odor of resinous smoke
from the boughs that had banked the
house assailing ones nostrls, who
could resist joining the dancing sill
houetteS that circled the bonfire and
daring ones fate by leaping across it
in staggering competition as the
flames died down2
But she drew lurid pictures of his
certain fate If he should repeat the Of
Tense. Blind defiance rose insurgent
within him-he would go! And then
all of sudden he remembered what
his father said and hung his head to
think how those grave, kind eyes of
his would look TT him now.
Take good care of mamma" he had
said at the last. You must be her big
brother and never let her worry about
you, she's so little and delicate" And
then he had whispered over two or
three times, MY pretty little wlfe-my
dear little girl.'
And De Peyster had tried with all
his might to remember. But often it
did seem as if it would have been a
little easier if she could have under
stood that one was disgraced if one
did not keep neck and neck with the
other fellows in every prank they
played.
There was long and weary period
of dooryard discipline after this cpl
sode. There were a good many times
when De Peyster had to clinch his
fists as tight as he could and remem-
Der his father very hard.
BY and by June came. qniyerng with
gold green sunlight, >perfumed with a
universal blossoming 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 ecstasy in going
swimming.
Every bright morning In some part
of the town there was sure to be a
group of boys toelng line, their necks
bobbing eagerly forward and their bod
les giving anticipatory jerks and
twitches as they waited for the word.
When the leader said Got" they dart
ed forth, and there was KALEIDOSCOPE
lie and dissolving view of legs racing
madly down side street that led to
the river. Then collars came off, coats
followed, as they ran with undimin-
ished speed, the fellow who was far
thest ahead sometimes slowing up with
magnificent daring to get off his shoes
and stockings while the others were
still hampered by shirts and trousers,
and by the time they tumbled in head
long competition over the bank the
nimblest carried their entire wardrobe
on their arms and flashed whitley into
the water while the laggers fumbled
at their shoe lacings. The unfortunate
who popped into the river, flushed and
greeted with haunting cries of: "Lub-
Der last! Lubber last"
De Peyster had never been told not
to go In swimming. 1t had not occur
red to his mother as among the list Of
his possible perils, as she was in bliss
full ignorance of the fact that 1.-THE 9th,
er fellows" did it,
So it was with the thrilling exult-
ance of the Greek runner that he set
his toe on the line with the rest and
hurled himself forward, head up and
elbows in.
fir FOL a,rtn
His feet scarcely seemed to touch the
ground. Then a pair of legs flashed by
him, and another and another. He
gathered his strength and shot for
ward again. but another pair of legs
went by, and another and another
They were tearing off their coats;
they were stripping off their shirts.
He felt at his collar, wrenched it off
and flung it away, to have both hands
free for his coat and shirt. They were
almost at the bank now. He could see
Micky Days white skin dazzle in the
sun as he took a splendid dive ahead
of the rest. His own feet were grow
ing heavy, and there was a mist be-
fore his eyes. The knot in his shoe
lacing would not come united. A saw
age rage filed him. If he could have
cut off his foot to rid himself of the
hampering shoe, he would scarcely
have hesitated. You were ruled out II
you went into the water with anything
left on. AS he struggled and per
spired and agonized the two or three
whom he had distanced leaped past
him, and as he shook the shoe Off at
last and made his dive he heard the
air ringing with, "Lubber last! Lub-
Der lastw and slowly realized that 1t
was meant for him.
He tired manfully two or three other
days, but 1t was always the same way.
His muscles were flabby from the door
yard discipline, and he could not pick
up In few weeks what the others had
acquired through Joyous years Of sum-
mer vagabondage.
He took it quietly and good natured-
~, but 1t went deep.
His mother found out the custom
shortly and forbade him to 60 near the
water.
As for De Peyster himself, the numb
ness of despair settled upon him. Now
ne could never learn to redeem him
self, to have some day perhaps the In
effable Joy of being the first In, ahead