The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1920-05-07

| Down STAIRS, SIT, TO dry my clothes.
A shout of derision rose heaven
ward. Downstairs" groaned the
coxswain.
Downstairs! Listen to it, would
ye? But you amt bound downstairs,
rookie. Y'r bound to get deek-swab
an swab up that track of water you
just lief. Shake leg!"
"Yes, sir. OF course, sir" The
rookie walked alphabetically forward
into the eyes of the ship, where he
beside himself in the ardurous and
| thankless task of wringing out his
clothes under the eyes and flashing
| tongues of his hypercritical ship
mates. 1t mattered not when or Where
he turned, there was always some one
to profer sarcastic advice. Don't
go too near the edge, sonny, you
might fall in again and get all wet
Dent tootsie think him might catcA
coid?" Does UNI want hot water
bottle?"
4 ventually he secured a swab-an
clio one-and returned to his appoint
ed task of swabbing the tracks lef.
by his dripping uniform. Cockswain
buIlied him through the job, much TO
The delight of the bystanders. And
finally, the task finished, he sought
solace in self-communion while his
tormentors gathered in the forecast
head, while the master-at-arms dis
coursed sagely to the assemblage.
An did you hear him talkin' about
sir downstairs for below and Yes,
sir for Aye, aye? An six weeks he's
been aboard now. He just amt got q
sailors head on them pink shoulders
of his"
Huh" laughed the cockswain.
You ought to hear him at mess.
Why only this morning he says, Will
you please pass the buttcr?" An
when Blake there sings out, Put a
Jill on tn greaseH he looked surprised
an fiustered like"
81 got an idea"
They crowded about him, for cookie
was notorious for two accomplish
ments-the awe inspiring flow of pro-
family ever at his tongues end and
his fertile brain.
Shoot, cookie; what is it?"
Tonight when we gets ashore an
starts up River street, we'll lay fo;'
bim. We can scare the very devil
out of him an yank him down to the
Gagos place"
Good"
But what'lI we do them"
Cookie struck an attitude patterned
generally after the accepted posture
Of one G.. Washington navigating the
Delaware.
Match him against wop!"
"A-a-a-a-ah!" An inhalation of gen
eral admiration waited upward to the
leans of the overhead deck. Gee,
what swell idea"
Hell fight, of course. He'll have
to. An maybe he'll get some of that
namby-pamby stuff knocked out of
him; an, anyway, We'll see has he got
any CUTS"
"Why not here on board" objected
the quartermaster. It'd be more fun
yah! An get lacked up before
the mast for HAHN rookie. Nope
it's gotta be done ashore"
But" interjected the practical
r.aster-at-arms, "s-pose he won't let
you take him down to tn dago's place
He's a good-sized kid. S'pose he puts
Ut fight?"
Cookie roared with laughter
| Good sized be hanged Well pick
thu ee-say, you an Blake an me. A
fat chance he'd have, don't think
| He'll come with us meek as lamb
an Well hunt for the other down to
IT, dago's."
rs it square?"
"Square." beloved the cook. why
alnt it square? Answer me that. We
amt gonna do nothin' 'ceptin' match
him against some one of his own size
The dissenter, discovering himself
to be very puny minority, subsidized
The cockswain hailed the object IF
their conspiracy.
"Avast there rookie!"
Eyes, sir?"
"Swab that deck some more"
The rookie did as hidden, and even
tually satisfied his taskmaker After
which he thankfully replaced the
swab, went below to the bag-room
and prayed devoutly that he might
never again slip overheard.
Now, let me see," murmured the
thoroughly interested Guardian Angel
thoughtfully. LET me see." He pom
dered a moment, and then: Got it,
he cried exultantly
The blanket of night had already
embodied the navy yard when the lib
erty party of the U. S. S. Springfield
checked out. The moon had not yet
risen, and the few stars in the heaven
Impaired no light to the dingy streets
diverging from the vicinity of the