Don't you know that they struck oil at the head of the river and great quantities are pouring into the Alleghany above.

It will be a long time before the river will be as clear as she used to be, and you, my little man, will have a nice job getting that off your skin." When Paul reached home, his mother's scrutiny revealed the fact that something was wrong.
"Have you been swimming again, despite your promise ?" Paul murmured something that might be either "yes" or "no." His hat removed, showed his hair quite damp further investigation revealed the fact that his shirt was on wrong side out, while round his neck was a well defined dark line from the oil cakes he struck while swimming against the stream.

His sister Teresa revenged herself that evening for many a raid on her dolls by scrubbing him into the appearance of a boiled lobster, so that he would be neat and presentable for school next day.

Even this lesson did not teach him.

One warm day while on his way to school, he lingered so long on the bridge that the tower clock struck ten, and then he argued that it would be useless to go until the afternoon session, when he could easily hoodwink his teacher with an excuse.