Johnstown High School - Spectator Yearbook (Johnstown, PA)

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THE SPBCTATOR 7 No smoke from your door, started one wide-awake fellow, when up stepped Dobson, a master. Have you boys found the fire? he inquired. 1 turned in the alarm, sirg lam sure there is smoke in my room. Come and see for yourselves, answered Puck, a little miffed at not finding smoke in the corridor. Accordingly the white procession marched to Puck's room, where others from the floors below and above met them. A series of sniffing, sneezing, coughing, took place, That was all. Poor Puck's heart sank. To arouse the house on a fake alarm at one o'clock was beyond a mere joke. Dobson spoke up first. See here, Reed, this is no time for pranks. Report to the Doctor's ofnce at eight- thirty in the morning. Yes, sir, came the solemn answer. The procession then melted quickly away, leaving Puck to do the only thing that could be done at the time, go to sleep again. -I I 1 I It was but a half hour later that Puck leaped out of bed once more. Surely there was smoke in his room. He was suffocating, histeyes bulged and burned, he must do something quickly or- Groping his way to the wash- stand, he wet a towel, then tied it over his nose and mouth. He tried the electric light, but no illumination greeted him. ln his disgust he remembered that all connections were broken after eleven o'clock. Then he started toward the door, bumping and bruising himself on two chairs. lf he only had light, but the inky night shut out the faintest glimmer from his room. At last he found the door, then the knob. To his horror the key was not in the lock. After the first incident he had carelessly thrown it aside after locking. He searched for it in vain. Shortly his hands alighted on two heavy iron dumbells. A bright idea struck him. He would smash the door panels thru, That was the only escape out. He could not jump three stories to a concrete walk below, he would not lie there and die like a rat in a trap. What peculiar smoke it was! There was no crackling of flames beneath him, he felt no heat. But the horrible suffocating stuff still remained.

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6 THE SPECTATOR The change in the environment of household furnish- ings as well as many of Irving's personal effects, such as his smoking jacket, the sleeves of which tell tales of long pondering over his works, is due to the transference of Sunnyside from the direct heir to another more distant member of the Irving family. When this heir sold the New York estate, and moved to a great ranch in Texas, he car- ried with him as much as possible of the furnishings used at Sunnyside by his famous great-uncle. The Irving crested silver appears every day on the ranch-house table. The great writer would be amused to see a fortunate cowboy, who happens to be taking a meal at the ranch- house, pick up a fork, examine it closely, and say, What cattle-brand is this? Irving might be interested to know that his elegant china stands just above a shelf full of the commonest Mexican pottery. In fact, this luxurious silver and china contrasts so greatly with its present surroundings, that one can not help but feel that it is out of place in its new home on a Texas cattle-ranch. The Mystery BY ALBERT WALTERS '10 U UCK REED awoke from a troubled sleep with a start. At first he was greatly bewildered, his head swam, something caught in his throat, his eyes smarted. Yes, it was smoke, the dormitory was alire! The boy grew excited as this truth slowly dawned upon him. Something must be done, that quickly. ln a moment he had unlocked his door, was racing down the long corridor, knocking on the doors as he hur- ried by. Finally he reached the Hre alarm. He touched the electric button, the gong clamored. By the time he was making his way back to his room a score of wondering pajama-clads pounced upon him, asking where the fire could be. You idiots, in the dorm, of course. Waken up, isn't there smoke coming out of my door? he screamed at them.

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s .THE SPECTATOR It was no time to meditate, it was the time for action. Up went one dumbell above his head, it shot thru the air in the direction of the door. Smash! Then came the tinkle of falling glass. He had missed the door and hit a large framed picture of the football team hanging on the wall. Once more he heaved the weight, this time a little to the left. Another crash, followed by the splintering of wood. The two lower panels had given way. lt did not take long to ,squeeze into the hall. There for the second time the white army met him, this time in- quiring if an earthquake had rendered the building useless. Two distinct shocks werefelt, they said, followed by the thunder of falling brick. Puck was in a rage. Earthquake? he yelled. You poor fools! There is tire, smoke, and plenty of it in my room. You dreamer, go home, your mamma wants you, darling, teased one Whimp Brown, l'll tix you, Whimp, in the morning, growled Puck. Down the corridor came the dignified Doctor, wearing riding trousers and a top-coat. The boys scattered, for he carried a lantern. Take me to your room, Reed. There is no Hre, Rob- son says. You are ill, boy, said the Doctor, very kindly. Then he saw the battered door. His tone changed at once. He snapped: Reed, the next time any such fool- ishness happens, into the intirmary you go- he pushed the lantern thru the opening and peered in- moreover, there is not a thing in your room beyond a nasty smell. Now all go to bed. You shall receive the penalty to-mor- row, Reed. The lantern glimmered far down the hall-way. Puck squeezed into his room, tearing his night clothes as he did so, tumbled into bed and slept for the third time that night. I I I I- Before and between the Ere incidents our friend Whimp Brown sat in his room, directly below Puck's, burning mid-night oil Ca four inch Christmas candle.J Poor Whimp, as usual, was in desperate financial straits. Hav- ing paid his last fiver for expressage on a mysterious box he had received that afternoon from his brother, an engineer