The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1909-12-08
LUBBER
LAST
By Grace H. Boutel'e
. YER since they had come to
Perkinsville De Peyster and


his mother had failed to ad-
just their respective stand
points to a 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 nostrils. 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 down?
certain fate if he should repeat the
Offense. Blind defiance rose insurgent
within him. He would 60 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 at 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 wife. my
dear little girl"'
And De Peyster had tried with all
his might to remember. But often 1t
did seem as if it would have been
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
sode. There were 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. quivering
with gold green sunlight, perfumed
with universal poisoning and pun
gent with the joy Of living. At this
time every true joy 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
group of boys toeing line, their necks
bobbing eagerly forward and their
bodies giving anticipatory jerks and
twitches as they waited for the word.
When the leader said Cor they dart
ed forth, and there was a KALEIDOSCOPE
ic 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 headlong competition over the bank
the nimblest carried their entire ward
robe on their arms and flashed white
ly into the water while the laggerS
fumbled at their shoe lacings. The
unfortunate who popped into the river,
flushed and painting. after all the rest
were in was greeted with haunting
cries Of: "Lubber last. Lubber last!'
De Peyster had never been told not
to 90 in swimming. 1t had not &C.
Cured to his mother as among the
list of his possible perils. as she was
in blissful ignorance of the fact that
1.-The other 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.
The first few rods it felt like flying.
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 If
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 dive he heard the
| air ringing with '.Lubber last! Lub-
Der lastr' and slowly realized that it
was meant for him.
He tried manfully two or three other
days. but it was always the same way
His MUSCLES were fabby from the
dooryard discipline. and he could not
pick up in a few weeks what the 9TH
ers had acquired through joyous years
of summer vagabondage.
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