Biddeford High School - Olympian Yearbook (Biddeford, ME)

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THE CLYMPIAN TH E 'IlIIIRTE.EN CHIIVI ES 'KOh, dear, I wonder what time it is ! The time happened to be half past eleven at night. The place was a church in Boston, Massachusetts. At midnight the janitor always rang the tower bell. This night was the dark- dullest night that had ever passed during his forty years of service. Noth- ing had happened. No one had asked the way home. This was boring to a man who was used to having things happen. At last! Midnight! Then bed. VVhen I think of all those stairs to climb, my bones start to creak. Oh, well. I might as well fret it over with. I3 One, two, three. four. Oh. I shouldn't count. it may mean that it is my death walk. This building seems to creep with mystery tonight. The bell rang clear and far that night. Twelve times it rangg and then--silence. Suddenly the janitor jumped! 'Whihat was that I heard? Another dong? It couldnlt be possible, I didn't ring the bell again. But, there it was g a thirteenth chime where there should have been only twelvef, The old man shivered in his boots. I-Ie thought to himself. Could it be my sins paying me back, or could it be the devil trying to steal my soul? Before he knew what was happening, his house loomed into sight. I-Ie acted so strangely that his wife asked him what was the matter? I-Ie answered, Either my sins are catching up with me, or the devil is mighty near my heelsf, His wife laughed and said, Stop fool- ing yourself. Hurry up and come to bed, I'm tired. For the rest of the night the old man remained awake, thinking about his sins, such as not going to church two weeks ago. The next night his wife had all she could do to persuade him to go to work. In the end she finally had to go with him. All that evening Tom, the janitor, kept looking in back of him. peeking a1'ound the corners. anad listening for strange noises. Finally midnight came! Tom wondered, XVill the same thing happen tonight? It did! just like the night before except that two people ran home instead of one. Tom's wife was so frightened that she stayed in bed for a week afterwards. Tom tinally decided to tell a detective this story. Isle told four detectives and all but one laughed at him. The one who didn't laugh was Mr. Gault. Mr. Ganlt asked Tom to tell every- thing that had happened those two nights. Tom did and added that he thought it really was the devil trying to steal his soul. Mr. Gault laughed at that and said that he would solve the mystery in forty- eight hours. He also told Tom that he would go to the tower at midnight and see if it had really happened. Night came. Dark! Still! Silent! Tom was peeping all around him as he had the night before, expecting some- thing to jump out at him from some dark place. Then Tom rang the bell. One, two, three. four. hve, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. eleven, twelve. Silence! Bong ! There it was. The thirteenth chime had rung again. Mr. Gault was so surprised that he jumped out of the chair that he was sit- ting in and let his favorite pipe fall to the floor. He looked at Tom and this is what met his gaze: iss

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THE OLYMPIAN and the wonderful time she would have with Anne on the farm. She was to leave on the fourteenth, after the close of school. Laura, said her mother one evening, why don't you take your suitcase out and clean it? It's only three days until you leave. Laura left the room to do as her mother suggested. a bit sulky, the thrill gone out of the trip because of the lost manuscript. She retrieved the key from her dresser and began unlocking her suit- case. The lid snapped open and Lo! and behold! the familiar white sheets of l1er essay appeared before her startled eyes! She knelt over the pages and began read- ing' the lines. Laura's spirits soared and she ran downstairs to tell her family of The principal of the school was just rising. It was the last day of school. Today is the day we've all been wait- ing for. The best essay has been selected. You all remember our English teacher told us the best essay would be chosen for naturalness. That is why this one was chosen. Many others were also ex- cellent but not as hne as Miss Laura Mitchellisf' Everyone was surprised and glad for Laura, and as the familiar essay was read aloud. she 'felt it was the happi- est moment of her life. And, continued the principal. nl wish to announce that Miss Helen Taylor received honorable mention from the judges. At the close of school, Helen came up to Laura and shook her hand. You de- served the prize, Laura, but didn't you the glad news. The next morning Laura sci Z! 'UUUCY P1526 Ol' ?1UY!!!i1l2fH Mitchell walked to school on air with her head high and the precious manu- script tucked securely beneath her arm. She passed it in to Miss Thomas on the very day it was due. No, said Laura proudly, only a mil- lion dollars worth of glory. THERESA SULLIVAN, 43 MIGHT IS. RIGHT The snow fell down in a veil of white, The branches bent 'neath their heavy load, Softly, gently, a blanket at night Covered the iields, the roofs, and the road. The sun shone down on the world next day, On a world with its sins all covered. The people rejoiced and knelt to pray, Vlfhile about them the enemy hovered. Then down the hills shot their men on skis And ruined a Russian divisiong The orders were. Fight men! Fight if you please, Or our maps will need a revision! The world was stripped of its white disguise, And its sins lay exposed to the heaven. There was no remedy in Godys eyes. He'd said, Forgive, thou shalt be 'torgiv'n.,' Son Christ, thought God, didn't die in vain, Although there are those who believe it. And Truth, crushed to earth, shall rise again, just open your hearts and receive it. NIARGARAT VBEECROFT, '40 l54l

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THE CJLYMPIAN An old man who was holding his head, quaking in his shoes, knocking his knees, popping his eyes, and slowly sink- ing to the floor. It was such a funny sight that Mr. Gault roared until tears were streaming down his eheeks and dropping on his vest. This frightened Tom all the more but finally he became quiet. Mr. Gault took Tom home and went baek to the tower for a private investiga- tion. This is what he found. 011 the rim of the bell he found three small indenta- tions. But what made them? Not the weather. VVell, what did make them? That was what Mr. Gault had to find. VVhen Tom eame to the tower in the morning, Mr. Gault asked, By the way, Tom. who lives across the street? Tom answered, Oh, just some College boys. They come over and talk to me some timesf, That's all for now, said Mr. Gaull. But it was not all. Mr. Gault went aeross the street and asked the names ol' the people who roomed there with windows facing the street. He jotted these down in a small notebook. The ones that he thought most about were a 'Xkientworth Brown and a Robert Dun- bar. They were always up to some mis- chief or another. The next step that M r. Gault took was to search the rooms of these two boys. He looked high and low in VVinnie's room ClVentworth Browns roomj, but nothing came to view, but in Dunbar's he found one thing-the thing he was looking for-a gun. Robert Dunbar had been eramming for exams. The bell at midnight had dis- turbed his studying so much that he had sought revenge. The revenge was ear- ried out by his shooting at the bell and making it ring another time. No one has ever been able to think out a better way to seek revenge and make a person feel as if he were going insane. That was how Tom had felt and you may be sure that he was glad to find out what made the extra chime. JANE MORRISON, 43 HTHE BATTLE GF PEACE I died as a man should die, Upon a field of courage I lie, I died smiling for my eountry's sake, For Death his yearly toll must take. Hate eonquered love on this bloody field, Stay, Oh Eros, to Hate do not yield, Ch Cupid, leave us not in bloody dust, Thou Oh Hate to l.ove be thou just. Wfho held the torch of Peace XVhen her eyes from us were lifted. X-Vho held the Rose of Life VVllC11 the value of blood was gifted, None but VV ar could hold us in its palm, None but l.ove in the battle be calm. I56I FIQLIX JACQUES, '43