Natick High School - Sassamon Yearbook (Natick, MA)

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PAGE SIXTEEN TIIE SASSAMON men nt Swift 81 Co.'s and a self-made man in the truest sense of the word. When I asked for Tom Kelly, the Mayor said, You don't mean to tell me you've never heard of KeIly's Kosmetic Kalsomine, absolutely guaranteed to banish freckles and bring roses to the palest cheeks? Well! 'I'hut's 'l'om's invention. He set up a beau- ty parlor in Philadelphia and when his fair patrons saw his beauteous complexion, they fell for his Kosmetic Kalsomine so hard that now all he has to do is to roll around in his Rolls Royce, while Walter Grady manages his business for him for a mere 810,000 a year, and Earle Gainsley, for a similar salary, introduces the Kalsomine in European countries. By this time we had reached the station and as my train was in, I bade the Mayor good-bye, after thanking him for my good time, and sank back in the Pullman, to rest my weary shoulders and dream of the Mor- ley Magazine I hoped sometime to publish, and also of that time a long way back when that little High School in the Square graduated the class of 1925. ROBERT MORLEY GIRLS' PROPHECY Two weeks ago yesterday was May 22, 1940. Whom do you suppose I met on the street? You never can guess, so I'll tell you. Mr. Archibald! Said he: Well, Dorothie Pratt, I haven't seen you for an age. Where have you kept yourself? And I answered very modestly: Please, Sir, I've been in Europe the last eight years. Fine, but isn't it most time you visited your own country? Rather think I will, and then he gave mc this advice, which I took. Go west, young woman, go West. So now I'm on my way to Hollywood. fThat seemed about as far west as I could getl. I'm beginning to become tremend- ously interested in a Galsburgh, Colorado, and I may stop over there yet. Every once in a while I see, along the railroad, signs saying: Don't Forget to Stop at Gals- burgh, or farther along a sign which reads: N400 Miles to Galshurghf' and just woman-like, I'm dying to see the grand old town, out of sheer curiosity. I inquired of several people on the train, and I was told it was a beautiful little community founded and run by a group of young ladies from the east, near Boston somewhere. Old Mr. Jenkins, over across the aisle, said, Young woman, we shall be, by to- morrow morning, in Colorado. With hap- py dreams of the next day, I retired early that night. But in the middle of the night I dreamed that we were in an earthquake and I was trying to get up and dress to escape with my life, and then utter obliv- ion! When I came to, I found myself in a spotlessly, white dainty room, which seemed to be in a hospital. As I was mur- muring, with closed eyes and a feeble voice, Where am I? some good angel leaned over my bed and said, You are in the Galsburgh Hospital. I came to with a start and opened my eyes. I knew that voice. You'll never guess whom I saw- Doris Marston. In succeeding days I learned that the good old train had jumped the track and that I had been carried, O marvel of mar- vels, to the Galsburgh Hospital, near by. Sad to say, I was not allowed to see more than one person at a time, and you can just imagine how I felt when I knew that so many of my class mates were near me. Yoo hoo, came a familiar voice through my open door, one day, and in walked Dagmar Erikson, all in white. Well, Dagmar, and pray tell me what are you doing here? Ol I'm the head surgeon. What! I fairly shrieked. Why, I can remember the time when you would nearly faint at the sight of a dead mouse, let alone a live one, and now, you a head surgeon. Well. don't cut up too much, old dear. No sooner had Dagmar gone when in stepped another whitely clad damsel. It was Grace Forster, the dietitian. O Gracie, so you're the one that makes those deli- cious muffins that I look forward to in the morning. Really you should go into the business of making them. You must give me your recipe before I leave. O goodie, here come some of them now, and in 4- ..... . 5 i

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THE SASSAMON PAGE FIFTEEN ing Luther in the raising of bigger and bet- ter bananas. Too bad Joe didn't furnish samples! said Mr. Canzano, and that reminded me suddenly of my dinner date with His Hon- or the Mayor. I bade Mr. Canzano a fond adieu and set out for Hall's Hotel, but a short distance away. On the way in I stopped at the desk to ask if my host had arrived and to my surprise. Ralphy French answered my inquiry. Never expected to see you here, said I, The Ritz certainly lost a fine head waiter when you turned to clerical work. And Count Van Astorbilt of South Na- tick lost a fine butler when I went into pol- itics, said a voice behind me, and there stood the Mayor himself. Throughout dinner the Mayor continued to entertain me and furnish me with the latest news bulletins about my old school- mates. How would you like to run over to the theatre with me this evening? he asked. It's Old Home Week and we may see quite a few of the old gang. Suits me to a T, said I, and a moment later we were purring down the street in a Simpson Special, with a great son of South Natick, Doug Atkinson, by name, at the wheel. That Simpson car certainly did ride great! - As we entered the theatre, Joe Hughes Mayor two tickets and me a slap on the back. How Joe up so much muscle in a box handed the tremendous could work office was a mystery to me! Boxing would have been more in his line, it seemed to me at that moment. Benny Lovejoy, who was collecting tickets, tried to imitate Joe's method of greeting, but I saw it coming and changed it into a hearty handhsake. Benny said he had sold his farm in West Natick and in- tended to go to California, in a few months and buy a few lemon groves. We had barely time to reach our seats before the curtain went up. I was sorry we hadn't arrived sooner for I should have enjoyed hearing the whole of Love's Old Sweet Song, which the orchestra, con- ducted by Senor Rufus Love, was just fin- ishing. As I looked over the program, I noticed that our old pal, George Nims, was in the printing business on his own hook. My friend, the Mayor, pointed out Hen- ry Pfeiffer, the Speed King, in a box at our left, just as I had caught sight of Gen- eral Tannar, in a box at the right, with as many medals on his chest as Marshal Foch had at the end of the World War. The first act went off beautifully. The Elite Trio, consisting of Bill Foley, Bob Woods and Eddie Robbins, made a combin- ation hard to beat and they were encored again and again. The second act was a knockout -Bob Maloney taking the part of Romeo, with Dink McGowan for his Juliet. Bob used to shine in plays at school, but Dink had never realized how charming a female im- personator he would make until Julian El- tingc discovered him and trained him as his successor. The third act was a crystal gazing stunt by an Egyptian named Fatima Camella, ac- cording to the program, but my eyes didn't need any crystal to pierce the Eastern dis- guise and discover that Fatima was none other than Frankie Bishop. Frankie cer- tainly could do his stuff and he answered six sane and sensible questions as well as thirty-nine insane and foolish ones pro- pounded by the audience that evening. The fourth act was carried off well by Shea and Moynihan, specialty artists. Shea did some marvelous feats in rapid calcula- tion and Bob Moynihan did some equally astonishing sleight-of-hand stunts with a deck of Camels. At this point we were obliged to leave, as I wanted to be back in New York be- fore noon next day. -We hurried out of the theatre and were just stepping into the Mayor's car when I heard the familiar words, Government of the people, by the people, for the people, ringing out in clar- ion toncs from a car parked close to the curb. 0h! That's Governor Russell, the Mayor told me, campaigning for reelec- tion. Quite an orator, eh? I should have liked to stay and listen, but time was short. On the way to the sta- tion the Mayor told me that Gillie Clark was out in Chicago, one of the really hig

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THE SASSAMON PAGE SEVENTEEN walked Sara Gibbons, my night nurse, with my supper. I never dreaded the coming of night, because Sara always came to my room and we would talk for hours about the good old days we spent at Natick High and incidentally would hear about her many love affairs. If I became the least bit excited, as I often did when we talked about the marvelous Thanksgiving football games, Sarah would rush and stick the thermometer into my mouth and take my temperature. Ol I've got the grandest news for you! exclaimed Doris, one day. The doctor says you can leave the hospital tomorrow. I could hardly sleep that night, thinking how, on the following day, I should again see all my class mates. The next morning I was awake bright and early and, just as I was about to leave, up rushed Ruth Sunderland. Ol you must come and see all my lit- tle kiddies before you go. They're too cute for anything this morning. So I made a quick visit to the children's ward. When I went out ,there stood a Pierce Arrow waiting. Well, if it isn't Alma Hopf! And when did you rise to position of chauffeur? O, I'm not a chauffeur, I'm the owner of the Galsburgh bus line, also have a few cars for hiring. Josephine Keeting is my right-hand lady, so you see, Josephine and I will soon be classed with-Rockefeller. Alma drove me, and I can't say, very slowly, to the boarding house, where a room had been engaged for me. As we drove up, out rushed Pearl Shepard, al- though I found out later that her name was Shepard no longer. Welcome to Restmoref' cried Pearl. It seemed so strange to see Pearl owner of a boarding house, but you never can tell, as Bernard Shaw says. My first day at Restmore, Pearl told me what the girls were doing. As she spoke of the different ones, I noticed two girls she did not mention. And where is Agnes Flynn? O, Agnes went and married one of those aviators and now spends all her time flying around. You know, Agnes always liked to be up and coming. 1 Now tell me, where is Norma Fleming?' What, haven't you heard about Nor- ma? asked Pearl. Why, she is in Holly- wood, studying under the personal direc- tion of--oh, what is her name? Any way, the leading screen vamp. I also hear that she is about to buy out one of the largest studios there. Well, who ever would have thought Norma an actress! I exclaimed. The next morning Alma came around with her car and offered to take me for a ride, so, of course. I went. O, just look at that wonderful building. What is it? That is Athena College. founded by Shirley Mullikenf' Then I want to go right in and see it. I rang the bell and as I stepped into the beautiful corridor, I thought what a won- derful setting for our stately, statuesque Shirley. Farther down the corridor was a closed door, with the words, President-- Private, in large, black lettters on the glass. As I was about to knock, the door opened and before me stood Corinne Rob- inson. What, you here, too? Why-er-yes, you see, I am a teacher here. The Gym. teacher. Did you want to see Miss Mulliken? I could see she knew me not, so I introduced myself. Well, Dot, I didn't know you. Come right in and see us all. She showed me about the building. then took me to the auditorium where the girls were in assembly. I looked in at the door and there, on the platform, sat Shirley, as sedate as ever. A lady was addressing them on the subject of :'Community Spir- it. Can you guess who it was? I could hardly believe my eyes. Well, there stood Annie Kaplan, alternately beating her fists on the table and waving her hands through the air, but she made a hit, on something besides the desk, I can tell you that. The girls were dismissed and went to their classes. Shirley then came up and spoke to me, also took me into some of the classes. The first was a shorthand class, but it wasn't the Gregg, nor Chandler, nor Pitman system, but an altogether different kind. and can you imagine it, Gertrude Houlihan was the teacher.