Johnstown High School - Spectator Yearbook (Johnstown, PA)

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SPECTATOR 17 er in all the pranks played by the girls of her floor, solved the problem. Girls, she cried, going through a Gypsy dance as she talked excitedly, I've got it. Just the thing. Oh! it's great. Betty Mason, said her roommate scornfully, If you would stop your prancing long enough to tell us what you are talking about, a few of us girls would be exceedingly grateful. It's just this, said betty airily, not in the least offend- ed by her friend's words, You know how superstitious Pat is. We'll give her a little ghost scare, then all will go well. All we need to stage the scene is some bits of string and Peggy's piano. 41 III il if ar Just at dusk, before Miss Stubbs had retired to her room, two girls stole softly into Peggy's parlor. They took four pieces of cord and tied them to the hammers of four notes in the piano, two base and two treble. They opened the window, which was immediately behind the piano. By the aid of pieces of chalk tied to the ends of these strings, the girls succeeded in flinging them into the window of their own room which was just next to the parlor and on the same side of the hall. Pk if ill ik :F The clock struck twelve. Two sleepy girls scrambled up. They were ready for action. A feeling of intense ex- citement possessed them! Hark! A low, ghostly sound issued from Peggy's par- lor-it produced no effect. It sounded again-louder, more ghostlike and mournful. The watchers from across the hall saw the startled figure of Miss Stubbs rise to an up- right position upon her bed to listen. The terrible notes is- sued forth again! Miss Stubbs slipped from her bed, crept stealthily across the hall and stood in the door of the parlor. The slanting rays of a full moon streaming through the window made her doubly sure of the presence of no visible figure at the piano. The keys moved and two notes sounded in rapid succession. The hall teacher waited to hear no more. With a little scream and terrified, backward glance at Peggy's

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l6 SPECTATOR ent home to seek nature's beauty. I cannot rebel against destructive smokestacks because, after all, they are in- cluded in the scheme of human life, but I cannot but regret the desolation they bring. - 9 The Ghost ln Peggy s Parlor- Dorothy Kime, '211f3 1 Peggy's parlor was a picturesque room at the extreme end of the second floor of a certain boarding school in Maine. It was reputed to be haunted. The- legend ran that there was once attending this school a beautiful, but delicate girl, named Peggy Wood, whose lover had deserted her. On restless nights, when sad memories haunted her, she was known to steal into this parlor, where she sat Weeping or playing mournful melodies on the old piano. All this had happened long ago, but, because of the tradition that Peggy's ghost had been known to return at infrequent in- tervals, the parlor still retained its romantic name and its reputation of being haunted. - Sl' ik Sk ik wk Miss Stubbs, a nervous, superstitious, yet strict, little person was the hall teacher on the second floor of the school. The girls in her charge knew her Weakness and were very fond of relating to her in sepulchral voices, the tale of the return of Peggy's ghost. Miss Stubbs was known to tremble visibly on some of these occasions, even while reproaching the girls severely for believing in such nonsense. Now this Miss Stubbs, nicknamed Pat, occupied the room just next to Peggy's parlor. This room commanded a View of the entire hall, a particular grievance to the girls occupying it, for Pat persisted in keeping her door wide open. Consequently, no visiting between rooms and not a single midnight feast took place that either Miss Sfubb's watchful eye or sharp ear did not detect and report One day the girls of Floor No. 2 were discussing on the campus the monotony of their uneventful life. e Something must be done, declared one girl. We haven't had a feast or trunk party for ages. I'm simply bored to death. Betty Mason, a lanky, vivacious girl, who was the lead-

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18 SPECTATOR unfortunate piano, she fled into her room, bolting the door after her. She had no sooner accomplished this than Betty and her roommate rushed into the hall crying: There are ghosts in this house. This evidently was a signal for, in a second, the corridor was filled with would- be-frightened girls. l What is the matter, oh, what and where are the ghosts? they cried. Miss Stubbs appeared white and trembling, Sh-h! Oh, girls, do get back to bed before the whole school is awak- ened. ' But Miss Stubbs, several girls cried hysterically, Betty heard the ghost in Peggy's parlor playing the piano, didn't you, Betty? A group of girls verified the statement by shouting, I did too. While the wily Betty tookiona new fit of hysterics to hold the hall teacher's attention, her roommate slipped into the parlor and removed the telltale strings. Finally, Miss Stubbs succeeded in getting the girls back to their rooms. She retired after securely bolting her door. The ruse was a success. Miss Stubbs' troublesome door remained locked every evening following that event- ful one. Peace and contentment reigned on floor No. 2. The girls henceforth spoke very reverently ofiPeggy's parlor for it was through the unfortunate Peggy that midnight visits and midnight feasts were again possible. Q W .iq 'O ' 1 ,jf ,HKD Y. ' -l 2 in Q . , . JA, X ' 'Y , n '-,X Q5