Johnstown High School - Spectator Yearbook (Johnstown, PA)

Page 32 text:

38 SPECTATOR The subject was dropped and they soon retired, but Betty could not sleep as she thought of how the old couple dreaded the losing of their old home. All at once an idea flashed into her head and after thinking awhile she drop- ped off to sleep. The next morning, she and Mr. Gray walked down and she boarded the train, and when she reached her destination, her plan was matured. When the train stopped at Hilldale, there was Kitty waiting. The moment Betty appeared. Kitty ran to her. “I’ve been pahfectly distracted. I didn’t know what awful accident might have happened. I’m so glad to have you heah, that I don’t know what to do. It seems ages since I saw you last. Don’t you all remembah me standing on the platfohm waving my handkerchief and you all wav- ing yoahs from the train? And how we almost cried ouh eyes out. You all must tell me all about yoahself. But heah I am talking as if I were wound off. I’ll go and get yoah trunks sent up. Get into the carriage,” and off she flew. “Wait! Wait!” cried Betty. “I want to send a tele- giam to father.” They went to the telegraph office and Betty sent a long telegram to her father. Then they went to the carriage and set out for home. Not long after, Mr. Marsden, seated in his office, re- ceived a telegram from his daughter asking for a large sum of money. It gave her whole plan in full. Mr. Marsden remembered that his father had spoken of a Charles Gray who had saved his life in the war; he gladly sent the money. On the way home Betty unfolded her plan to Kitty and the following afternoon found a large pine tree on its way to the old couple, and that evening found the girls, laden With baskets, setting out for the same place. They spent a happy evening with the old people, who retired early. The girls got the Christmas tree, which was

Page 31 text:

SPECTATOR 37 the old lady’s name) said, “Miss Mahsden, couldn’t you all stay heah to-night?” “Why, yes, if it would be no trouble to you,” replied Betty. “Chahles, you all go down to the train and ask them to let Miss Mahsden know befoah they staht in the mawn- ing.” Mr. Gray and Betty walked down to the train and found the conductor, who knew the old man, for he said, “How do you do, Mr. Gray. The bridge over Snaky Creek has burned.” “So this young lady has been telling me,” returned Mr. Gray. “I have asked her to stay at ouah house foah the night. She has consented and we would be much obliged if you all would let us know befoah the train stahts in the mawning.” “Certainly I will,” replied the conductor. “I’ll tell the engineer to blow two blasts with the whistle.” The old man went after Betty’s bags and the conductor said, “If you like to hear war stories ask him to tell you some for he was a Confederate soldier.” As Betty said, “Thank you,” Mr. Gray returned and they walked back to the house. When they reached it they ate their evening meal and then went to the sitting room. It was an immense room with a huge fireplace at one end. They sat around the fire and Mr. Gray told some war stories. It was found that he and Betty’s grandfather had been great friends, even though they fought on opposite sides. Betty casually remarked what a beautiful place they had. Mr. Gray looked at his wife, then he said, “It won’t be ouah’s foah long. Theah is a moahgage whose payment falls due in a week. We are not able to pay. The man will not wait, but is going to foahclose, so we lose ouah home soon.” “What a pity!” exclaimed Betty sympathetically.

Page 33 text:

SPECTATOR 39 hidden in one of the slave huts, and set, it up. They trim- med it and hung the presents on it. The next morning when the old couple got down stairs the first sounds that greeted them were two “Merry Christ- mas,” and when they got to the sitting room, there was the Christmas tree, glittering with its fragile ornaments. The old couple then took off their gifts after they had recov- ered from the surprise. The first was a large white envel- ope addressed to Aunt Margaret and Uncle Charles and containing the receipted mortgage. The old people looked at each other with happy faces but when they looked for the girls, they were gone. They had slipped upstairs. Fun reigned in the dignified old house that day and evening. After the girls had left, two very happy old peo- ple sat at the fire and talked and at Hilldale two very happy young people talked in bed until late in the night. When Betty returned to the North, she said that it was the happiest Christmas she had ever spent. There is a standing invitation at the old home for her and many a happy day has she spent there. Friends John Louis Geis T7 There were once two dogs who became good friends in a peculiar manner. The one, a fair sized Boston Terrier or “Bud as he was called, was owned by a wealthy family of New York by the name of Long. The dog was given by Mr. Long to his daughter. The cur had been disowned ever since the death of his master two years before. His only home was an old broken box back of a meat market. Two weeks before Christmas, on a cold brisk day, the big auto of Mr. Long swung around' the snow-covered drive to the front steps of the family residence. The front door was opened and Bud came bounding out of the house follow- ed by his mistress, who walked to the auto, the dog unwill- ingly following.