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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1931-03-26, Page 3■M ■ f) ♦ THE EXETER TIMES-ADVOCATE THriiMlAY, MAltl'H 30U1, 10110 “The Survival of the Fattest” ■eenders throng trooters. face to i ) was exactly as though he had. fifty dollars taken from liis pocket, stared at Lucreshus tor a few mln* utes and then commenced to. speak. His speech was more graphic than elegant. He started- with the crea­ tion and said things which bore di­ rectly on the duality of Lucreshus’ ancestry from the days of Ham to the present; none of which were ex-, acly laudatory. Pausing only briefly for breath he started in with the forthcoming generations and damned them heartily even unto the days of the millennium, When he paused It was only because he had’ exhaust­ ed his' vocabulary of descriptive pro faulty- Through it all Lucreshus cowered and trembled, Gone was the exquis­ ite dignity which had won him re­ cognition in, Birmingham, and there had crept into liis heart a horrible fear, a terror of consequences. Vis­ ions of the county jail known to the negyoes as the Big Rock, loomed be­ fore him, and he quivered. "Please, sub, boss man, I go fo’ to do you no dirty Please, sub, don’ tell no, p’lice ’but- en what I done, Ise gwine save up an’ pay you back them fifty dollar® He*| an'-—”"Get up, yonder!" "B*b4but, boss man—*” "Take you ohoice: that pr th® cal­ aboose—” Lucreshus looked at Mr. Bossier, glanced at the seat over the tank of water and envisioned {he Big Bock. He adopted the wisest course. He started to remove his coat and hat* "Keep, ’em on!” snapped Mr. Boss­ ier. "You’re going to bring me fifty dollars worth of business to make up for the money you failed to win for me. • If there’s a person on this midway who won’t be willing ,to>shell out a quarter for the chance of duck­ ing. you, then I'm no showman. It was a thoroughly pathetic Lu* oreshus Mabry who again, after the lapse of many years, climbed upon the platform and gassed apprehen­ sively into the yawning tub beneath. True, his plight was not merely so bad as it might have been, especially since.Bessemer, though only thirteen miles removed from Birmingham, is actually as far away as Jersey City is from New York. There was a minimum Of chance that his disgrace would become public property to ruin him socially in the city of his choice. It was merely, then, a case of taking’ his wet and bitter medicine. The stentorian voice of Mr. Boss* ler bellowed forth in impassioned, ballyhoo. A party of white people* drifted up, turned away, and then,, noticing the sartorial elegance of the- figure on the platform, planned down, dawn a dime and took six ibasebalh, Lucreshus braced himself for the sudden giving way of his seat and. the plunge into the water® below. But the white men were poor pitch* ers and he was temporarily safe. But meanwhile others had come up’toward the concession and- now a burly brown chap bought three base­ balls and missed with the first two. But his aim was improving. The third ball went straight as an arrow, against the target, the trigger gave, the seat ditto. There was a splash,, a roar of laughter, and a terrible, "Whoosh!” from Mr. Lucreshus Mab­ ry as he became immersed in the icy shallows. He climbed lumibrously and abject* ly back to his seat, actuely conscious of the .genuine amusement of Al. Bossier and the now thickening crowd of patrons. (To be Continued) . "You’re not going to do anything of the kind; you’re going to take your medicine and you're going to take jt now!” " “Nossuh! Please, sub, I ain't pieant to—” Mr. Bossier transfixed hint with a glare. He looked to the petrified’ Lucreshus. like a man contemplating murder, What the overly ample and entirely elegant colored man did not know was white-striped was laughing. Mr. Bossier Honed to the little negro on the, plat* form in he cage. That individual scampered down the ladder and pre­ sented himself before his employer. "You’ve got a vacation this even­ ing,” announced the -owner of the concession. "Here’s four bits. Have a good time.” Lucreshus stared. A hint of the diabolical punishment in store sent a tremor of apprehension through him. He sart-ed to say something but Bossier cut him short and mo­ tioned him toward the diving seat. ods of escape. A sadden departure from Birmingham was impossible for several reasons, not the least of which was the total lack of funds. He conceived the plan of making himself considerably scarce until th® street fair should have departed from Bessemer for another town, but he knew that that, too, was not sound. Mr. Bossier was a kind and indul­ gent white gentleman until he got the idea that somebody was trying to something over on him. Then’— Lucreshus suddered. He clenched liis pudgy fists and shrugged his, flabby shoulders, There was plainly but face the er, turn the Bossier and sion. He paused. Suppose Mr. Boss­ ier should get the idea that he had wagered and won, and- was holding out fifty?/' Well—after all that was the smallest risk he was running. One hour later he alighted from a North Bessemer street oar and made his mournful way toward' the glare and glitter of the street fair.. It stood out' in blaring colorful con­ trast to its sodden drabness of the morning, The street was a blaze of light and thronged with black and white hu­ manity. There is something about a street' fair in the South which does more to bridge the social gap separ­ ating the paces than any other one thing. Quality white folks, laughing­ eyed and traveling in large joyous parties, rubbed elbows, with their elbony cooks and washer-women. They crowded together at the raffl­ ing booths, chancing their nickels and dimes on candies, live ducks, large and pop-eyed dolls, Indian- blanket robes. The riding concessions were doing a land-office business; pne-third of the ears of the Ferris wheel were, for instance, being occupied' by jolly- free white people of the society crowd, who- were doing the fair in large groups; the remaining' two- thirds willed- with their Ethiopian brethren. Ballyhoo men roared the quality of their wares—'designating rows of flashily costumed, infinitely bored young ladies as proof of their contention, of superiority.' It was an anarchy of light, blatant music, high- pitched laughter, racial interming­ ling,, general hilarity—ascene typi­ cally Southern and wholly bizarre. But Lucreshtis looked upon the surging laughing crowd, the glaring lights, the' wholesome laughter—and found, little to lift liis spirits from the slough into which they had des­ cended. He headed for the conces­ sion belonging to Mr. Al Bossier at the far end of the midway, hut there was a conspicuous lack of enthusiasm in his gait. He was headed for a conversational guillotine. But even the worst of things must end eventually, and he came to Mr. Bossier’s booth. It wias suffering from a complete collapse of enthus­ iasm. No crowd the els sad the tub. stood', nickel and hits the target likes to .feel that he is bringing distress to the duckee, and the little fellow on the platform could not possibly have looked more woe-begbne than he al­ ready did had they heaved into into the,middle of the Atlantic Ocean. But the very dearth of business was disastrous for Lucreshus. Mr. Bossier beings sans work found time hanging heavy on his hands and he spotted Lucreshus. and summoned that melancholy gentleman to his presence. .Mr. Bossier, his prophecy fulfilled, was grinning genially. "Told you about that Knoxville team, Luke.” "Yussah—yiou sho’ did.” "I’m surprised it took twelve in­ nings to do. if.” So is I.” "Broke you, didn’t they?” Lucreshus nodded emphatically. "Broke is rich compared to what I is,” * Mr., Rossler laughed. "Your pitch­ er friend was defeated; that ought to put you in strong with your ual lady friend,” I ain’t studying’ ’bouten.no Rossler.” Don’t you worry, Luke. nothing for him to do music; to go- to Bessejn- fifty dollars back to Mr.» make a complete confes-di’n’t1 trick. that iside his red-and- shirt Mr. Al Bossier turned away and mo B ' '...> J1- And then a poignant, memory ^mofe Lucreshus, It smote him hard .and smote him frequent. Mr, Al .Bossier. Ju the pants pocket of Lucreshus Ma’bry reposed fifty dollars belong* jiig to Mr, Al Bossier, which at that foment should have blossomed forth as one -hundred. For that was fhe fifty which had been instructed to Lucreshus to wager for his friend on the chances of the Knoxville team. And he found himsplf hoist by the petard of his friendly effort to- pre­ sent his friend1 with a half-century note and perhaps receive a substan­ tial honorarium in appreciation of liis superior judgment. Lucreshus Mabry was rapidly ar­ riving at realization of the fact that lie was up against it about as hard as one colored man can be and yet* continue to exist, Sven the obvious warmth of his lady .friend did' little to assuage the great gob of grief that enveloped him. Every nickel he owned or was likely to own had' been ■swept away by the inexcusable bobble Af a center fielder. Eventually Lucreshus rose. Zinnia Iield his arm tightly. If was patent that Mabry stock had risen material­ ly in the'face of a Nash defeat'. But Lucreshus was ponderously unhappy. Be was- about as superlatively un­ happy as it wias- possible for hint to become. They passed through the; grand stand to the exit gate,e the tail of a saddened sorrowful of erstwhile enthusiastic Near the gate they came face with Angel Nash, But it was a different Angel Nash, an Angel stripped of liis incompar­ able poise, an Angel heroically striv­ ing to keep up the appearance which was his by right and .which an error ‘ Imd stolen. Angel -bowed. "Evenin’, Miss ..Zinnia,” - "Evening, Mistuh Nash,” came the -response in a tone so cool that it would normally have brought an ac­ cess of exultation to Lucreshus. ■"That was a paw’ful liahd-luck game, wa’n’t it, Miss Zinnia?” . Lucreshus sniffed. "Halid luck? Huh! A man which cain’t pitch an'- cain’t run bases gictin’ to talk ’bout- en hail'd luck!” Angel glared. "I wa’n’t directin’ soothin' at you, Mistuh Mabry.” "No—-an’ you wa’n’t directin’ no­ thin’ at the plate ’neither.” ’ "You is gettin’ pussonal, Mistuh Mabry.” ’ . "Yeh, an’ ha!s.all,what I is.-.gittin’ .after the game you played.” Angel turned liis attention to the girl again-. "You ain’t so’ tat me, is •you, Miss Zinnia?” "I is’mo’ sorrier than so’.” ■"They ain't nobody cain’t he’p be­ ing sorry fo’ a poor fish liken to1 what . you is, Mistuh Nash," interjected Lu­ creshus. Angel swung upon him. There -was tan expression -on Angel’s- face ■ that was unmistakably not of the heavenly regions'. "One mo’ word liken to that, Mistuh Mabry, an’ you is gwine to be ain’t!” Lucreshus sized his man up and ..decided that discretion assayed about' J)9% the better part of valor at' that exatfC moment He made no answer .-and continued to. make it. He and liis lady friend passed mournfully through the gate and boarded a city­ bound base-ball special. In the car .Zinnia snuggled close tcMiim. "You seem pow’ful depressed Mis­ tuh Mabry.” "Depressed is happy compared to what I is.” "•Seems like you wouldn’t be.” "How come?” “With Mistuh Nash Iosin’ his game that-away.” "I was rootin’ for him to win!” snapped Lucreshus. "Knowin’ that I was hootin’ too?” "Wiminin and baseball don’t mix mono in my min’ Zinnia, One” is a pleasure an’ t’other is a business.” - "Which "one is the business?” Silence, fell between them, and Lucreshus miserably passed up his; most glorious opportunity for rehab­ ilitation jn the eyes of his lady love. It was all that Lucreshus could -do to retain his veneer of dignity—and ••dignity was Lucreshus’ greatest as­ set. He was sad at heart Mr. Al Bossier loomed up about as large as -a mountain and as fearsome as a thundercloud. Thought of the fifty lie should have won for his white friend was staggering. It was bad -enough to have lost every cent he jmssessed, but to be fifty dollars in the hole addition thereto— He conceived wild and futile schemes for borrowing fifty dollars and'- turning it over to Mr. Bossier. There was no' chance of his -being stole to raise more than five dollars than there was of marrying Zinnia that night. He was. buried deep in an earthly cavity of his oxyn digging poignantly add painfully’ award of. ____ ____ the fact. He was in a ferment when j neither Bummin’ham. be left Zinnia abruptly at the door the fifty from his pocket, of her home. He .ambled sadly Is, suh, an’ I’se sorry that Knoxville downtown, reflecting upon the dis«‘wnn, *n’ aster which had some to him and . plotting wierd add impractical ntoth I gatliered before counter eagerly depositing nick- fo.r three chances to- duck the little negro who sat perched on seat over the galvanized-iron Lucreshus looked and under- The person ,w'ao pays his 1 Mr mut- gals, I’m fifty dollars ahead of th© game—you brought my winnings <fown with you, didn’t you?” Lucreshus gulped, strangled, shiv­ ered—-and then took the plunge, In frantic, adjectival, apologetic speech he explained, to Mr. Bossier that .he had known all along that Knoxville didn’t have a chance to win couldn't bear to see thrown away, "An’ so, boss man, money a-tall 1 ” “Didn't bet it?" "Nossuh. 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