Hudson High School - True Blue Yearbook (Hudson, WI)

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6 TRUE BLUE rise in the morning we do not know what the day will bring forth, just as we do not know what the package of mixed seed contains. Some ordinary incident may result in some unusual happening. We do not know what surprising things the package contains until after the bed is in bloom; and we do not know until after the day is over, the result of some apparently insignificant event. M. McD. ’15. AN OLD MILL This jjarticular old mill, about which I am going to tell you, is situated on the bank of the Willow river, in a little old deserted village, about twelve miles from the city of Hudson. The building is an old-fashioned, board structure, originally painted white, but at present of a weather-beaten aspect. Where the windows once were, now remains gaping holes, that in the dusk seem to be the eyes of some vast face. Over the place where the wheelhouse used to stand, the water now glides still and deep, with an occasional gurgle that after dark reminds one of the gasps of a drowning per- son. Because of all these wierd. uncanny things this mill, like every other old building, has the reputation of being haunted. J. J. D. ’14. HOW WE FOUND THE CRIMINAL A neighbor invited us to go out to Uncle Pete’s for some red peppers. The place was about two miles from town, but as we were good walkers we did not mind this. The road led through a thick wood most of the way and was very dark and lonesome. About half way there was an old mill. Nobody could remember when it had ever been in use; it was claimed to be haunted and no one liked to go past it at night. It was in the middle of the after- noon that we started; we were in high spirits and walked fast so as to be back before dark. We got the peppers and started for home. We had gone about half a mile when we heard the sound of distant thunder. In the woods we had not noticed the darkening sky. The storm rapidly approached; the thunder crashed incessantly, hardly giving us time to draw our breaths between the explosions. The lightning flashed so vividly that one instant our path was brilliantly lighted, anti the next was in utter darkness. We stumbled on until, com-

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TRUE BLUE 5 to her Junior Medieval History class. Miss Cunningham entered Berlin High School in 1903. It was here she showed the first signs of future greatness, taking part in several declamatory contests, and winning first place in one and second place in another. She graduated from High School in 1907 and entered Ripon college to take an English course. After she had gone through the adversities usual to Freshmen in large colleges, it was thought by her fellow students that she had the ability to manage a school paper, so she was appointed to a place on the staff of “College Days,” the Ripon college paper. She took a great interest in dramatic work, and won a reputation by starring in several class plays. In the absence of the regular teacher, Miss Cunningham was frequently called upon to substitute in the English department, which goes to show that, although Miss Cunningham took an active interest in outside work, she did not neglect her regular studies— an example which many Juniors might follow with good results. She graduated from Ripon in 1911 and commenced teaching at Hudson in the same year. L. K. ’12 MY FLOWhR BED This year I sent for a collection of flower seeds I had seen ad- vertised in a paper. Among them was a package of mixed seeds. These 1 planted in a bed by themselves and watched them with in- terest. The number of different plants in that bed was surprising. First lettuce and parsley came up, then old-fashioned flowers, such as larkspur, pholx, and “love in the mist.” I noticed a small, feathery plant, whose flowers were white, bellshaped and small, and grew in clusters of five or six on one long stem. Another curious flower was dark red with yellow spots on it. These also grew in clusters of five or six on one stem, and were very small. I was surprised to find a number of coxcombs in my mixed bed. Some of these were a splendid dark red, while others were lighter and not so velvety and large. The foliage of some cox-comb plants is dark red, some bronze, and some green. Most of these plants bloom at different times, keeping the bed full of blossoms from early spring to late fall. This flower-bed reminds me of a bright, sunny day. When we

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TRUE BLUE 7 ing to a small clearing, we saw the old mill staring at us with its vacant windows like a huge monster of the storm. Thinking such a shelter better than none, we tried to climb in through the win- dows, but found them too high. We went around to the door, and, after Inching and pushing, finally forced it oi: en. Inside, every- thing was covered with dust. We had been within but a few mo- ments when a gust of wind blew the door shut. We at once rush- ed for it and tugged and pulled with all our strength, but were un- able to move it. At first, too frightened to think more, we did not know what to do. Here we were, locked in the haunted mill that people were afraid to pass after dark, a storm raging without and night coming on. Creeping to the nearest corner, we sank down among the cobwebs and thought of all the dread stories we had heard concerning the place. In a short time a noise was heard in the back part, a board creaked, someone was heard to sneeze several times, and then silence. How we lived through that dreadful night we never knew. Toward morning the storm abated; with the coming of the light our courage returned. Thinking that, in our terror, we had im- agined the sounds heard, we decided to explore the back part and perhaps find a way out of the building. We walked very quietly, and on looking through the door were glad we had, for, stretched on a bed of straw on the floor, was a man. One can imagine how frightened we were on finding anybody sleeping in such a place, but we did not scream, and so saved ourselves. On looking again we thought he looked familiar and thinking perhaps it might only be one of the town men, we drew nearer. All at once my compan- ion turned pale and clutched my arm. Drawing me into the next room, she whispered, “The Criminal! I knew at once whom she meant. For sometime the detectives had been looking for a man. His picture was in ail the papers and bv this means we were able to recognize him. Seeing a door partly open we crept stealthily toward it. Once outside, we ran as we had never run before. Reaching the sheriffs, all out of breath, we told Irm our story Several men went at once to the old mill and the man was taken prisoner. In time, each of us received $500 as a reward for finding the criminal. S. F. T4.