Moundsville High School - Orospolitan Yearbook (Moundsville, WV)

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dinner.' 'Perhaps he isg' agreed mother. 'But come on to dinner Mary. What 's the matter dear you look so pale VZ' she went on to say. Nothing, I assured her, 'only I feel sorta-sick. Don't want any din- ner todayf So saying, I went out., try- ing to think of some plan by which to rescue my brother. Mother being un- easy about me, came out and called, 'Now Mary, you must tell me what is wrong. You're crying. Come tell me,' she continued, fwhat is that piece of paper in your hand?' Then she came over to me taking the note that brother had given me. In amazement she read the following aloud: Dear Mama and All: Now I'm tired of this mystery, and Jimmie and me are going to try our best to find out what is in the dark pit. If anything happens to us-just remem- ber you've got a son that hain't afraid of ghosts like his paw is. Jimmie is just as brave as me, Now-don't cry if we don 't-for we are sure of getting to heaven-for I 've heard many times that if you're not afraid and trust- you'll get there. From your boy what hain't afraid of ghosts like his paw. By,By-John. ' H011 finishing the note, mother ex- claimed, 'Does this mean that my only son is in that terrible pit of darkness? Oh-my-brave son l' So saying, she fell to the ground and I ran for father. I explained to him the best I could, and then seeing that mother had recovered, he went for men to come and help get the boys out. They concluded it would never do to go down through the trap door for they would all likewise be swallowed up like the boys. They decided the best plan was to dig into the earth, where they thought the pit might be. The men dug as fast as they could. Finally they found the pit-but to their amazement they found only utter darkness, with the exception of some light that shone in through the hole they had dug. They immediately got lights and searched every place, but in vain, for the boys were not there. The mothers of the boys were nearly frantic and were reading the note over and over, Each one was telling the other how brave their sons- were. , Then to the astonishment of everyone, the two boys appeared, each smiling, and carrying a little budget. H tNow,' cried teh men, who had been digging so faithfully, 'You boys were never in that pit and we have dug for you until we are about dead. Who started that false report anyway?' ' 'We were so,' exclaimed John, 'And if you'll listen I'll tell you all about it. We were scared nearly to death when we tumbled down-and -Oh-it was dark-but I soon put a tiash light to use. We knew we had to be brave and find some way out. We screamed, but no one came or answered. Finally we found a little door, and up- on opening it we discovered a passage and that is how we got out. Papa you rt-member those willows, down by the le-rc-ok? Well-that is where the pas- sage led to. Now look what we found in a little opening in the wall I' USO saying he opened the little bud- get and poured out on the ground coins of silver and gold. At this everyone opened their eyes, 'Now,' said John tYou men shall be paid for your dig- ging that you were sweating about.' 'Well-Well,' said father, 'I've always heard that some of our ances- tors, centuries ago, kept their money down in this pit, but I never supposed any would still be there. You are brave boys, much braver than your fathers, I must admit. And you shall have the money as your own.' F. T. '22,

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looms made quite an addition to the family collection. The money derived from the gold and silver enabled Mr. Richmond ti send Jack to Harvard, thus fulfilling the boy 'si greatest wish, and as Bob had helped so much in finding the treasure he insisted upon sending him also, so as to keep together the boys whose friend- ship had been formed in early child- hood, Thus everything ended happily for the boys who had found and solved the code to the lost treasure. FRANK STULTZ, '23. THE MYSTERIOUS PIT Several of my friends, and I, were seated around the fire, one wintry eve- ning, telling stories. One of my friends told a story that interested me very much. These are her words as nearly -as I can remember: Perhaps you will listen to a story of an incident which occurred at my birthplace, when I was yet a little girl. Our house was a large, old fashioned one. In its day it had been somewhat of a mansion, but now it looked far from that-being Worn by storms of many, many years. From the day I can remember, my brother and I were taught to fear a cer- tain opening in the large basement. There was a- trap door and We were cau- tioned never to go near it, for if once we stepped on the door, we would fall into a dark pit. They told us there were all sorts of ghosts in there, My mother and father were really afraid of the place, because of the superstitious tales that had been handed down from our ancestors My brother and I had discussed these tales, and had finally decided to ,solve the mystery and find if there were really any truth in it. We plan- ned a day to investigate. Brother asked his chum to share in the adven- ture t'Taking a flashlight, we all entered the basement. John, my brother, told me to tie a rope around his waist, and also that of his friend. 'Then'-said John, 'if I call you must pull me out, but if I donlt you must let me go, Then we will wander around and investi- gate !' So well I remember of his handing me a note and saying, 'Here Sis is a note-if anything happens to us, you give this to mama.' I must have turn- ed pale at the very thoughts, for he ex- claimed, 'Don't look so scared. I h'aint 'specting anything to happen' USO saying-they stepped on the door. At that instant they were lost to my sight. How frightened I was when I discovered that I had lost the ropes and that they Were in the pit with the rboys. But-O!-what could I do? I could no-t scream to them without moth- er hearing me. I didn 't know what to tell her and I knew she should know it. I lingered. about and finally mother call- ed me to dinner. 'VVhere is brother?' she asked. Witli a sigh I answered- 'I-I-er -'sp-ect he - is-er-playing. No-maybe he's over to -Iimmie's for

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commenced to enjoy the freedom of the HANGING PICTURES It is a warm June day and spring has reached its height. Everything has taken on that fresh spring green- ness that appears about this time of year. Even the schoolboy, who has just begun to realize that vacation has really started, is gr-een, in a way, to the arts of housecleaning. He has just great outdoors and fully realizes that he is no longer bound to school work, which he has endured for nine long months. Then along comes house- cleaning with mother saying this about the time you grab your ball-bat: Won't you please come and help me with these pictures? You know how hard it is for me to climb up and down that ladder, and I must have some help. You sadly lay the bat in one corner, put on an old pair of overalls, and sight. This is the last sure sign of spring. You grab the desired picture and climb the ladder with mother instruct- ing each step. She points out a spot for the picture, and you carefully mash your thumb with the hammer the first thing Then you almost forget your mother is near and stammer out some- thing that sounds like dog-gone. At last the nail is in, and now comes the hardest part. You pick the picture up and carefully hang it in the center of the na.il. At this point mother calls up and sarcastically states that grand- pa's picture would be more becoming with him right side out. You meekly take it off and turn it around, and in doing so, nearly drop it. Mother screams and you make a beautiful catch of the precious portrait, mean- while upsetting the ladder. Down you come, picture and all! The picture suffers no damages but the tioor seems uncommonly hard to the back of your head. Mother then asks if you fell and you reply that you just came down for ano-ther nail. At last the picture is hung and you come back down the ladder on the rungs as you should. Mother then discovers that it is crook- ed, so after several trips up and down the job is finished. Such are the trials of picture hanging at house- cleaning time. L, H. '24 WHAT THE CLOCK SAW Tick, tock, tick tock, droned the old schoolroom clock that held the most prominent position on the schoolroom wall, Htick, tock, tick, tock. And no one ever dreamed how many funny and pathetic sights that clock witnessed- in fact who ever heard of a clock hav- -ing eyes? I am sure it could tell many stories while tick-tocking away on the wall. So I am going to let it tell you of one instance that it saw and told me. Of course, it would say, l have seen many little girls copying arithme- tic problems, passing notes, or trading candy, and many little boys lighting ov- er pins, pencils and marbles. But,