Plymouth High School - Pilgrim Yearbook (Plymouth, MA)

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8 THE PILGRIM and overturned, spilling the full contents upon the gown of his dearly beloved. What wrath then darkened her eye! With what dignity did she rise to depart with a scornful good night ! The boundless cavern of utter despair yawned wide to engulf Mr. Alton Spruce. V. CUSHMAN '26 REWARDED MERIT A very acrobatic waving of arms on the part of Jimmy Parker at last caused the teacher to glance up from the arithmetic papers she was correcting. Fifth grade ideas on fractions are liable to be mis- leading. Well, James ? she said. Please, can I sharpen my pen- cil? he asked. Yes, she answered, ignoring the grammatical error. Again she centered her attention on the papers, and the class re- sumed its supposed study of geog- raphy. An observer would be puzzled to note that Jimmy's pencil had an excellent point and yet he made his way towards the sharpener in a most business-like manner. Far from being absent-minded, he had an end in view. His soul- mate, Eddy Black, well divined it and was ready to receive the note which was dropped on his desk. Wait for me after school. I got to stay for arithmetic. Tell Buddy to, was scrawled on it. When at length Jimmy was re- leased from the house of misery, he expressed his personal opinion on fractions. Gee whiz, I don't see what good the old things are. I can't get 'em straight. Oh, you must be a dumb-bell. Them was easy ones today. What you want us for? Good night, We almost fell asleep waiting fer you, Eddy tactfully changed the sub- ject. N ow you listen to me, and don't you dare tell anybody what I tell you. Cross yer heart and hope to die, said Jimmy solemnly. The rites were satisfactorily performed. You know that contest to see who gets the most kinds of wild- fiowers? The girls are 'way 'head of us. But, listen, I found two' corkin' places they can't go to. One's a swamp where there's loads of swamp violets. You hafta wear boots to get 'em. The other's 'way up in the woods. I betcha we can. get some kinds they ain't got yet. An' say, my sister in the seventh grade told me the prize this year is a peachy one. Some rich guy is goin' to give it, I guess. Now, you guys can help me an' then We can divide it, see ? finished Jimmy. Say, interposed doubtful Bud- dy, 'spose it's only a little thing. Who'll get it - you ? Aw, we'll take turns using it if it's like that, said Eddy. C'mon, Jim, when'll we go? Well, said the business-like Jimmy, I'll be busy every day after school makin' maps of how to get there. Let's go Saturday. O. K. with me, answered Eddy, echoed by Buddy, to equal Jimmy's importance. With a S'long, fellers, they parted. Sad to say the girls discovered their plans and the boys found it necessary to resort to strategy. Planned beforehand, their conver- sation at recess times ran along gruesome lines. Hey, Buddy, called Jimmy from some distance and from where most of the girls could hear, you better bring your father's gun in the woods today. 'Member what we saw yesterday ? All right, Jim, but say, you'll hafta shoot it. My arm's still sore from that snake bite I got in the swamp the other day. Their classmates appeared cred- ulous but they made no attempt

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THE PILGRIM 7 I H , T Sp f? --4'TQL-' ,,i g',i,Q9,- . I 1-., M- 3 wfavff i - 1 i w M, c u.,.S.l..L., THE SODA-FOUNTAIN CLERK Mr. Alton Spruce was a most dapper young man. His trim, sleek figure could be observed, at various times during the day, en- tering or departing from the drug store where he worked. When one met him, one's eye was instantly attracted to his glossy hair. Mr. Alton Spruce was very proud of that hair. And he had excellent reason for his pride. No other head in the vil- lage could possibly acquire so bril- liant a sheen. Carefully combed and re-combed, slicked and re- slicked, greased and re-greased, its splendor was dazzling. His shoes, too, of the latest and most faddy style, were well cared for. Not that Mr. Spruce ever condescended to soil his smooth fingers by the application of shoe polish, certainly not! He had them shined every other day at the parlor opposite his drug store. He was indulgently sympa- thetic toward those who shined his shoes, it was such a nasty job! But then, the world must have its lower classes! Mr. Spruce had a very exclu- sive line of talk which he put across at the counter. It made quite a hit-with Mr. Spruce himself! Also, he had so persis- tently practiced sliding the sodas down the smooth counter that one was often startled, when being waited upon by that model of cor- rectness, by the precipitous ap- proach of one's soda. Timid old ladies were heard to utter modest shrieks of dismay and then, when the glass had stopped abruptly upon the verge of disaster, to sigh their relief at the absence of catastrophe. . Mr. Spruce was enamored of a most beauteous young lady! Nat- urally! It appeared strange to the uninitiated how her college ices were so very rich, so very creamy, and so very generous. One memorable night she con- sented to accompany him to a dance. Oh bliss! Verily I say unto you, the time spent upon the pol- ishing of Mr. Spruce's raven locks was outrageous!-And the di- rections which were given to the unfortunate individual who was entrusted with the shining of his shoes were too intricate for mortal comprehension. Mr. Spruce made it a point to dance every other selection with the young lady who had gained possession of his heart. During the intervals in which he was not proudly floating about the hall with her, he fied hurriedly to the dressing room, there to straighten his tieg dust his shoes, and give a few polishing touches to his gleam- ing head. After the dance, it was his pleas- ure to invite her to have a college ice at his store. How many tender thoughts aided the mixing of that refresh- ing ice! He gracefully slid hers to the young damsel, who squealed her appreciation both of the refresh- ment itself and the manner of presentation. His was completed. A swift turn of the wrist to send it close beside hers. A crash! A scream! And- a groan! Why had Fate so turned against him? The glasses collided

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THE PILGRIM 9 to seek the boys' find. As the days of the contest passed the girls saw the prize slipping away fron1 them. Guess we'll get it, said Jimmy confidently a day before it closed. I bet it'll be somethin' swell. P'haps a shotgun or somethin' like that, anticipated Eddy. Say, Jim, you know the fiowers are all under your name on the board. Don't forget we helped you, though, said Eddy anxiously. Course not. said Jimmy dis- dainfully. What d'yer think I am! Then came the day on which the prize was awarded-and to James Parker. He was called to the principa1's room and presented with a medium-sized package. Eagerly the boys waited for him after school and they hastened to a secluded spot to open it. Speechless they gazed at-a book-entitled Wildflowers and Where to Find Them. Disgust was written on the three faces. , Gosh, all that work and two lickin's fer not gettin' wood after school, fer just a book, came Jimmy. Good-night, and what I got fer trying' to sneak my father's gun to scare the girls, from Buddy. That's nothin', I got a cold that was so bad I can't go swimmin' till July, my mother said, from Eddy. Here, said Jimmy, who wants the first turn takin' it ? Aw, you can keep it fer havin' the good idea and' doin' the hard work, said Eddy, and Buddy nodded agreement. Guess my sister can have it if she thought it was such a peachy prize. C'mon home 'n' ask my mother fer some doughnuts. K. SAMPSON '25 TEA AND TEARS It was when a little girl I met him. He had bare feet and curly hair, and was just as brown as he could be. Every morning he passed by with the cows, and every morn- ing I watched him, furtively, from the porch, but he never so much -as smiled. It was only after much encour- agement and not a little urging that he became friendly enough to say hello and usually he said that way down deep in his throat -and I distinguished it only by closely watching his lips as he formed the word. One day, how- ever, I gained courage enough to offer him a doughnut, and for some reason I was surprised to see him take it. And how he ate! As I remembered it, there were two bites and it had disappeared. But I was glad. He was friendly enough to take it, anyway. One morning I made him prom- ise to let me go with him and help drive the cows, but he did so only on condition that I would bring him a doughnut or some other form of sweets every morning. I did so gladly. Each morning I saved some of my good things for him and I enjoyed watching him eat. Those days in the pasture were happy, but one day I had to leave and go to the city. Mother thought I had grown well enough to go to school. Six long years I went to school and then I traveled for one year, not writing to my blonde, curly- haired Jean all this time. When I returned home after traveling, I became ill and the doctor urged mother to send me to the country where I had been so happy when a child. I longed to go-to see Jean again. As my brother and I rode, I thought of him, his blonde curls and flashing teeth, his deft hand- ling of the great staff he carried. I wondered if I would see him in the morning. At last! There was aunty's house, unchanged as was