Berkeley High School - Olla Podrida Yearbook (Berkeley, CA)

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OLLA PODRIDA We descended the stairway, and when the hero climbed into the boiler we all uttered shouts of admiration (knowing that the deaf housemaid had long since retired ' , but we did not lealize the miseries of the poor hero in the cold water for sev- eral seconds; Then Dick helped him to crawl out, and we hastened back to the bedroom, leaving behind a damaging trail of water as a witness of our guilt. After much towel- lubbing and many unscrupulous slaps the hero was comfor- table again and we were ready for the next performance. But what was it to be? A ' e were puzzled for several minutes, until I happened to remember seeing father enter a room v hich we had named the Empty Room (although it was not empty, but merely unoccupied), during the day, and forgot to lock it again when he came out. This was our opportunity — one that we had always longed for ! : The room proved to be a veritable wonderland, full of an- cient swords and muskets, packing-cases and queer pictures.- Needless to say, we examined everything, and last of all,- began to explore the contents of the packing-cases. They contained all kinds of rich cloth — silks, laces and velvets ! We half feared that we might see the ghost of some smuggler arise and frighten us away. At last one of my brothers made a particular discovery, when from the center of a large folded gray silk mantle there dropped a number of yellow sheets of paper, covered with handwriting. At first we thought the handwriting was father ' s, but the letter began, ' Dear Eliza. ' Then we knew that it was a letter to Grandmother Eliza from our grandfather, who we had heard it said had been captain of a warship and revenue cutter which captured smugglers half a century before. We gave the letter to Dick, and this is what he read : ' Dear Eliza : Take particular pride in this trophy. I desire it to remain as a memento and heirloom, for it has a liistory. It was found in the captured ship Black Crow, which belonged to a band of men who were both smugglers and

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OLLA POD RID A see and sample such delicacies as maple sugar, pineapples, dates and nuts, brought from America and the ' est Indies. After several weeks the ship was unloaded and the visits ceased. Then, with the new order of thing ' s, and we boys con- stantly under father ' s stern rule, we soon began to long for our former freedom, and anxiously awaited opportunities to perform pranks on the old deaf housemaid, or the foreign street venders, whenever we heard one of them shouting, ' On- yons ! On-yons ! Tuppence a dozen ! ' or the ragman, or the portly apple woman on the street corner. At last one night we heard father say something that made us prick up our ears and exchange significant winks and sly expressions full of meaning. It was the intelligence that father and mother were both going out to spend the evening, leaving the old deaf servant in charge. So, in an hour ' s time after they had gone, and we had been put to bed, mysterious sounds were heard, and in came Dick, my eldest brother, and Bernard, next in age to Dick, the hero and ringleader. And what a time we had ! First we hung a sheet upon the four posts of the old fashioned bed and dived through it from the dresser. Then we danced on the bed, admiring ourselves in the mirror, while our shadows also danced in a vague, fan- tastic manner on walls dimlv illuminated bv the light of a ship ' s lantern hanging by the door. Next we formed shadow pictures with our hands — a whole menagerie of animals and queer faces of old men. A suggestion was then made which received our instant, favor. It was the proposal that Bernard should make an exhi- bition of his bravery by climbing into the boiler, full of cold water, which stood in the kitchen. Poor Bernard shuddered at the thought, but he had no intention of injuring his repu- tation ; therefore he assented to endure the cold- bath. So anon there appeared at the top of the stairway five small figures dressed in white pajamas, the foremost being the hero and the second one carrying the lantern. 4

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OLLA PODRIDA pirates. It is said to have been worn b}- their captain as a pirate ' s cloak until he was killed at the time of their capture. But I will not vouch for the rest of the story, that if it be not well hidden and covered by other things the slain man will tmd it in the night, put it on and haunt the place wherever he should find it. ' ' We did not stop to read more, for we had had enough of empty rooms, ancient relics, and stories of pirates and ghosts. So, tremblingly we all went into one room and the five of us got into bed together for company, leaving the lighted lan- tern hanging by the door to make things seem less dreadful. ■ ' Soon we heard many mysterious noises in the empty room. Horrors I A ' e realized that we had left the gray cloak uncov- ered ! ' The noise came closer and closer, and as it approached the door of the room we all hid our heads beneath the covers. Idle doorknob creaked, and we could hear the door slowly turning on its hinges. At that moment Bernard summoned i:p just enough courage to take one look from under the cov- ers, but he drew back again with an exclamation of terror. ' A e remained trembling for several minutes. Finallv we realized that the room was now totally dark. Then at last we questioned Bernard as to what he had seen. A ith sobs snd frenzied whispers he answered: ' The ghost — he put his long gray arm in through the door and grabbed the lantern. As he said this the door slov.dy opened and the room grew light again. We could hear him breathing. AA ' e felt him take hold of the bed covers. As it pulled them away from us, the ghost commanded, ' Out of bed. all of you I Indeed we did get out of bed, and hastened with alacrity to crawl under it. This was too much for the ghost, and he filled the room w ' ith peals of deep-sounding laughter. ' Oh. boys! he said. ' I am your father ' s spirit I It was father.