Quincy High School - Goldenrod Yearbook (Quincy, MA)

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THE GOLDEN-ROD 15 “You can’t do this!” she cried. “It’s impossible for you to appear like this! You’re insane!” “You look swell, Kate,” declared Petruchio with a grin. “I won’t permit this!'” stormed his bride-to-be. “Say, babe, you’re marrying me, not my clothes!” “I’ll marry neither!” cried Kath- erina. But the ceremony went on. Pe- truchio spilled cocktails at every op- portunity. Katherina wept and the guests enjoyed themselves. Petru- chio would not stay for the lavish wedding supper which Baptista had prepared. He took his bride away in his old, rusty rattletrap and they jounced over all the worst roads leading to his home. At the top of a high, rough hill the car suddenly wheezed to a stop and rolled back down to the bottom. Petruchio swore and shouted and Katherina sat huddled on the hard seat as he tinkered beneath the hood, crying with misery and hunger. “You beast! You contemptible pig! Take me home!” “How dare you talk to me like that!” “Then shut up!” Katherina wept in vain. They arrived at Petruchio’s home, a rambilng old country house set back among elms and wide lawns. Upon entering the hallway Kather- ina went straight to the telephone table. “What are you going to do?” asked her husband? “I’m going to call my father and tell him what a fool he is! He forced me into this marriage and now he’s going to get me out of it. You and he are the two most contemptible wretches I ever met!” Petruchio leaned carelessly against the doorway and regarded his bride with a grin. “The telephone’s dis- connected and anyway it’s time for supper. Come on.” “I’ll not go a step farther with you!” declared Katherina hotly. Whereupon Petruchio picked her up bodily and took her into the din- ing-room, where he sat her down none too gently before the table. “What, no caviar!” stormed Kath- erina. Petruchio looked exceedingly sur- prised and echoed, “No caviar? And look, Kate, the lousy grub they ex- pect us to eat! I shall fire all the servants!” He stood up with dignity and swept all the dishes into his arms. Katherina looked on fear- fully. “The rest is all right, Petruchio, don’t take it back.” “I’m sure,” said Petruchio gallant- ly, “that my bride is worthy of a better supper than this upon her wedding night.” He marched away with the dishes and Katherina, weak with hunger, burst into tears again. In their bedroom Katherina sank down into a deep armchair and closed her tired eyes. Petruchio sat down on the bed to take off his shoes. As soon as he touched the bed, he sprang up and swore loudly. Katherine opened her eyes and looked at him apprehensively. “And how is anyone expected to sleep on this mess of rocks!” cried Petruchio. He ripped off the bed covers and yanked at the mattress. “Those servants, I shall fire them all!” “Petruchio, stop it!” cried Kath- erina. “But you can’t sleep on a bed like this, Kate, it would kill you!” He continued to pull off the mattress and sheets. Katherina was almost at the hair- tearing point. She sat up all night lamenting her fate, while Petruchio paced the floor and cursed the serv- ants. The next morning Petruchio, sun- ny-faced and cheery, brought his wife breakfast. Katherina bright- ened a little at the sight of the sav- ory food, but it was all snatched

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14 THE GOLDEN-ROD and a gentleman does not accept such treatment without comment of some sort!” “Most decidedly not,” agreed Pe- truchio firmly. “What’s the matter?” The young man eyed him scorn- fully and turned to Baptista. “Your daughter broke the music-rack over my head, sir. That makes the sev- enth this week. I’m through!” He turned haughtily toward the door and left. Baptista sighed wearily and mopped his brow again. “Katherina will have her little jokes,” laughed Pe- truchio. At that moment a slim young woman with black curls and flashing blue eyes en- tered the room. “Hello, Kate,” Pe- truchio grinned. “My name,” said the girl frigidly, “is Katherina!” “Not to me it isn’t,” declared Petruchio; “I like Kate better.” “How dare you be so familiar, you young fool! ” cried Kather- ina. “Leave at once!” “Nothing d o i n ” said Petruchio, light- ing a cigaret; “I’ve only just got here.” Baptista was almost biting his finger nails with worriment. “And besides,” continued the young man, “I’ve got something to tell you.” “I’ll listen to nothing you have to say,” stated Katherine icily. “Sure, you will, Kate. Listen, we’re going to be married next Sun- day; isn’t that swell news?” “You,” said Katherina with con- viction, “are insane.” “Oh no,” objected Petruchio. “Quite sane. Your father has given his consent,” Baptista nodded miser- ably, “so I’ll be seeing you. Be good ’til Sunday.” He donned his hat and coat and left, sending a gay grin over his shoulder to the fiery-eyed Katherina. Sunday at the home of Baptista and his daughters brought a gala occasion indeed. In the gravel drive- way stood many low, gleaming cars and on the wide, cool veranda were grouped lovely young women and trim young men, laughing and chat- tering. Katherina and her father sat in the parlor. Baptista paced and Kath- erina sulked. She looked beautiful in her white gown, but her brows were pulled together and her lips were tight. One silver-shod foot tapped the floor furiously. Petruchio was an hour late and Katherina thought she would burst with pent-up anger and hu- miliation. The radio hummed with the sound of Arthur Jar- ret’s sentimental theme song and Kath- erina jumped up and stamped over to shut it off. When Petruchio ar- rived it was with great noise and color. He stopped before the veranda in a very an- cient contraption one might have called an automobile in 1900. It was unpainted and exceedingly rusty. The mud-guards were dented and the left rear one was absent. Petruchio was dressed in dirty tennis pants and a torn orange sweater much too large for him. He hadn’t shaved all week. Jumping over the side of the car he ran up the steps of the ve- randa, calling greetings to his friends. Consequently, there was much commotion. The friends screeched and applauded and laughed. Every- one liked the effect and raved about Petruchio’s originality. That is, all except Katherina. She stood like stone with her hands clenched by her sides.

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16 THE GOLDEN-ROD away from her before she could fin- ish. Petruchio had invited scores of dressmakers and milliners to the house from whose stocks his wife was to choose clothes. Katherina was pleased by the stunning array of dresses and stood before the mir- ror trying them on. Petruchio eyed a trim, black hat with dissatisfaction. “Take it off, Kate; it looks lousey!” Katherina said, “I think I’ll buy it, I like it.” “It’s worse than a washerwoman’s derby. Take it off.” “I certainly will not!” Petruchio approached her and snatched it from her head, mussing her black curls and starting the tears again. Then he dismissed all the tradesmen without a single pur- chase. “Brute, I hate you!” “Keep still, you give me the head- ache.” “You can’t talk to me like that!” “Oh, no?” “You’re a wretch!” “Your language is sadly unrefined. Kate.” “I never want to see you again! You worm, I hate you!” Petruchio gave her a smart cuff on the back of the head and left her raging furiously. They made a journey the next day to Katherina’s home to obtain her wardrobe of clothes. This time they rode in Petruchio’s low-slung roadster of gleaming black and sil- ver and Petruchio wore white flan- nels and a dark blue jacket. Kath- erina was so thankful that she could have wept again. It was a bright afternoon and the wind was warm and sweet. Petruchio said, “How bright the moon is.” “What do you mean, the moon!” scoffed Katherina, “that’s the sun!” “I said it was the moon!” cried Petruchio. “And what I say goes!” Katherina set her lips and was silent. “And furthermore,” continued Pe- truchio, “unless you agree it’s the moon we turn back.” “All right,” sighed Katherina wearily, “it’s the moon.” At Baptista's they found a double wedding in process. Bianca and Lu- centio with two friends were taking the vows. Petruchio’s men friends hinted within their joking conversation that they sympathized with him for having obtained such an ill-tempered girl for a wife. “Gee, Marie is so easy to get along with,” said one. “We never argue.” “Boy, you should taste the lemon pies my dame slings across the sup- per table!” boasted another. “Well, boys,” grinned Petruchio, “1 11 bet five bucks that Katherina is more obedient than any of your worthy spouses.” “I could use five bucks,” said Lu- centio, digging into his pocket. Laughingly the others took up the bet. They sent a servant to Bianca first, telling her that her husband wanted her at once. The servant, looking pleasantly bored, returned saying that the young lady was too busy to come. The other young wives were also “busy.” “Now,” said Petruchio, “watch Katherina sprint.” Katherina appeared almost imme- diately and asked what her husband wished. “What,” asked Petruchio, “are the other girls doing?” “We were only sitting in my room talking,” answered Katherina. Several young men looked sheep- ish and Petruchio was twenty dol- lars richer. The evening wore on filled with merriment, noise and music. Mel- ody was hot and sweet and laughter was light. Petruchio stood on top of the piano and executed a tap dance, and to her own surprise Ka- therina found herself applauding with the others. When the evening ended Kather- ine appeared wearing a hat that Pe- (Continued on Pape ii)