Jackson High School - Jacksonian Yearbook (Jackson, CA)

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'6Yes, I am that manf' said a voice over my shoulder. You understand now, don't you?', Lyon, you fool,', I bellowed. You knew the murderer confessed before James Clay's executionli' I know, he said, but it was too late. The storm had broken all means of communication with the prison. '4Oh, you blundering idiotln I cried. I killed them both! he wailed. Pull yourself together, Lyon, I said excitedly. uYou're going back to civilization. James Clay did not hang! f'Oh, my God, why do you taunt mel he screamed. You fool,'i I cried over and over. '6An airplane carried the message staying the executionf, Before I could continue I heard him groan. Slowly 'he fell to the floor a dying man. 4'Oh, God, why have you told me this, I heard him say. Lifting his throbbing head I did what I could to comfort him in his last moments. Before lapsing into unconsciousness he looked into my face. W111 you find James Clay and tell him how I have suffered for the wrong I have done? he asked. 6'He knows, I said. He knows?,' . uYes,,' I answered, for I am James Clay. I Milton Dalo LOVE TALES A Boy and a Girl Were Dancing at the 'cMasquerade . Suddenly some- one exclaimed, '4Look Who Is Here! if it's not the All American Girl . I must give you My Fraternity Pinn. As I was Waltzing in a Dream , I heard some gal say, 6'Step by Step I'm Falling in Love with You . Sez her man, c'That,s My Desiren. As I grew 'Tired I asked Sweet Sue to Save the Last Dance for Me and I strolled along c'Lover's Lanev Where I heard Goofus', telling L'Lucille,, '4Love Tales that turned out to be uLies,'. By the Lazy River I saw the Parisian Lover Begging For Love . '4Give Me Your Affection I-Ioneyi' and tell me that Weill be Sweethearts For- everv. As I was overhearing his wooing, I felt Guilty and when he turned to me and said, I'l1 Be Glad When You're Dead, You Rascal You , I said, 'GI Apologizev. '6By the Sycamore Treen I heard Juliet say I'm Fit As a Fiddle and Ready for Loven. Sez Romero, '4Please', uPut Your Little Arms Around Me , and, as she did so, he said, Oh 'LMy Darlingi' 'GWhy Can't This Night Go On For- ever? F ain would I have stayed and listened to their Love Talcsv, but, as 4'Three Is a Crowd , I went my 6'Weary', way. Angelo Avila E211

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perate effort, I began to compare his mountains to the great Himalayas where theoretically in the chain of the evolution of man the ape had learned to talk. He stopped me short and pointed out several errors that I had made in tracing the evolution of man. We debated violently for some time, I for- getting that I had not come to argue with this hermit, and he forgetting that he was a hermit. His cognition of history and science I knew at one time must have been complete. Never before had I been so humbled in debate. I was no match for this man. I, a man of education, made foolish by a mountain dweller who had not see a human face for ten years. I turned to ask a ques- tion, when suddenly his smiling face held my gaze.-That smile-I had seen it before. Could it be possible that I had met this man somewhere? Again he spoke, and in the place of anger grew a feeling of pity. This man had smiled as I knew he had once long ago when a victim of his eloquence had acted as I had. I saw him not as a ragged hermit, but as a young, clean shaven man taking the stand before an audience. We retired soon after, I taking a place on the bare floor beside the glowing fire. Sleep was impossible as over and over in my mind I wondered why this man lived in seclusion. A man who might have been a Lincoln had wasted away his life-why? My eyes roved about his tiny room, and by the light of the moon I saw an oak chest. I heard the hermit breathe deeply, a11d, knowing him to be asleep, I quietly stole to the box hoping to unravel this mystery. It was unlocked and contained, as I had expected, letters and doc- uments. My attention was especially atracted by a ruffled letter at the bottom of the chest. Taking the lamp from the table, I spread the letter upon my knee. Dear Clarence: I am leaving you , it began. In disgust I threw it down. Could it he possible that a woman had driven this strong character to solitude? Then unfolding an old typewritten article torn from a magazine, I read: We often Wonder what becomes of D. A.'s and how many people came back to town after Clarence Lyon disappeared. Clarence Lyon! I should have known you, even after all these yearsf' .I gently closed the box. Then I gazed at a letter I had dropped. Oh, I shall never forget those shaky lines written by an unsteady hand. May God forgive you for sending my innocent boy to the gallows. I am about to join Him, but before I die I forgive you as God would have me do. May He help you in brightening your futurew. I felt a sudden dull blow upon my heart and in a Hash I could see a large courtroom in which Clarence Lyon had smiled as he addressed the jury. I still saw his sneering face as he pointed a long slim finger yelling WI'hat man is a killerln I heard him build a case of hrst degree murder against an in- nocent man, and I remembered how the papers had screamed murder in his face after the sentence of death was pronounced. Above all I remembered a little grey haired mother who had died a day before her son's execution was to take place. I-201

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HELL HATH NO F URY Throughout the West, ghost-cities have become part of that sectionis stock- in-trade. The particular setting of the following tale was ons?-namely, Lone Tree-located, well that isn't important. Let my word suffice to tell you that it did exist. Its history was identical with that of the numerous other towns sharing the same fate. A small gold strike was made, very much exaggerated stories of its size and importance were circulated and as a result, hordes of eager gold-seekers, disappointed in other fields, rushed to the site and over- night a town of formidable size sprang up. Some most pretentious public buildings were built-not overnight, 'tis true, but in a short period neverthe- less. The name of Lone Tree was given to the metropolis because of the one scraggly bush that stood in the center of the town, the only evidence of vege- tation other than sagebrush and cacti to be found in many miles. Then the gold vein petered out, news of a new strike to the north was received, and the inhabitants of Lone Tree deserted their homes and more cumbersome belong- ings and struck out for new fields. For a few years, Lone Tree was forgotten. Prairie dogs and coyotes some- times stole stealthily through the streets, slipping from shadow to shadow, but even they avoided the place as much as possible. Occasional travellers some- times stopped and made a hasty survey of the place, looking through the un- packed books in the courthouse and perhaps taking a few for souvenirs. Then, as suddenly as it was deserted, Lone Tree was once again populated by human occupants. Her inhabitants were only temporary visitors, men who were working on the railroad which was under construction at the eastern edge of the town. Once again Lone Tree's streets rang with laughter and noise. An enterprising Irishman fhis name, of course, was Patj cleaned up the saloon and installed a supply of overalls, books, and other commodities likely to be demanded by a railroad crew. He had also intended to import some liquid refreshment but he found enough left by his predecessor to ap- pease the wants of the camp for quite a period to come. And at this point our heroine or villainess, call her what you will, enters. Nanny, as she was later dubbed, was a goat of indeterminate age, who had apparently been for- gotten when her owner left for parts unknown. How she had managed to exist until the advent of the train crew was her own secret. She had watched the newcomers with a wary eye but had allowed them to go their way undis- turbed. Now, however, with the reopening of the saloon she appeared nightly amongst the throng and demanded by. devious signs, that she might be given liquor. Her thirst was quickly appeased by bystanders to whom a liquor- craving goat was a novelty. The men looked upon it as a great joke and it became the custom for one and another to 'cset 'em upf' for Nanny. The latter, upon seeing her first demands crowned with success, enlarged and im- proved them and soon her first circle of benefactors was increased so that it included practically all the men in the town. Woe to the man who bought a drink without first buying one for Nanny! He would find .himself on the far side of- the room feeling carefully of the parts of his anatomy. T221