Richmond Hill High School - Archway / Dome Yearbook (Richmond Hill, NY)

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THE DOME Page 5 more of a paternal interest in them, rather than permit oneself to be humiliated by them. Per- haps he had been too harsh in his judgment. Perhaps they were not the ones to humiliate one if one manifested his superiority properly. Coming from directly behind him, a cheery C' Hello! i' sent his soaring musings into a tail- spin for earth. Thudl It was a violent impact with mind and matter. H Why, Lill,- you! And so it started. as Surely, idiot, where were you? 7' ,lestingly she mocked his dreaming attitude by perking her head to the side and looking off into space through wide shining eyes,- for here was the identical girl. UI know you were probably thinking of meg now, weren't you? M Of coursef, he said in mock affirmation, but even at that he was conscious of a warm ting- ling sensation in both cheeks. MI was thinking only of how nice it would be if I could walk home with you after the fifthf' 4' And Fm thinking now of what a good fab- ricator you are! 'i Nevertheless he met her after the fifth, and worked himself to every advantage on their so- journ of several blocks. Two days later, on their next promenade, he asked her about the party. Tactfully he approached the subject, taking care not to rush blindly, but waiting patiently for a psychological opening and then deliberatingly asking in a very nonchalant manner. There was no question about the brilliancy of his brain- work, he was well aware. But, in spite of it, her enthusiastic reply in the affirmative partly unstabilized his equilibrium and set his pulses bounding. Yes, of course Frank was right. He had never met a sane girl until now. What a fool he had been to class them all as undependable, unin- telligent creatures. There were probably many exceptions, and he had met one at last,- one that was appreciative. Oh, well,- Enthusiastically, almost childishly so, he re- peated the conversation of the morning to Frank. It was not dilhcult to remember, especially when one's part in it had resulted in a triumphant score. He found it unusually pleasant to stress his cleverness, his masterful tact. M Of course she couldn't say no. She called me 'idiotf but she didnit mean it. I realize, though, I was one with all my ridiculous opin- ions before you put me wise to myself. She certainly is different! H 'G Well, I said you were a fooll Frank made no effort to conceal the contempt he felt for his friend and his changeable mind. John waited for her again the next day, and with increasing impatience saw the halls clear and heard the bell ring. And then she appeared. A rather pretty red-headed girl walked with her. The two were chatting. Awkwardly he started conversation. 4' Gosh! Lill, I thought you were never comingf' A big smile, one of pleasant surprise, re- warded him. MYou mean to say youive been waiting for me? '7 U Sure! I didnit expect thereid be any harm in doing so. I was wondering- 'G Oh, pardon meg this is Jane Tyler. You should know her. She says that you were in her French class last term. H True enough, but, confound it, are you going home now? 'C Oh, no. l'm sorry, I promised to work for Mr. -- this afternoon, and live really got to. 'cThat's too bad, isn't it? Thought maybe I could walk you home. Well,'7--he groped futile- ly for something to say, and finished weakly,- '4 anyway, I'l1 look for you tomorrowf, He was aware, as he strode down the stairs, of an uneasy sensation. Certainly he was forced to admit to himself that he had conducted him- self very poorly. Frank suggested, as the two of them started home, that it would be an excellent idea to ask Jane to the party, since he knew her, and she was a friend of Bob's. But John had nothing to say.

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Page 4 THE DOME not directly responsible, I'll accompany you in an oath that will isolate us completely from the female sex for a whole year, 365 days. How's that? Do you hear what lim saying? N There was a momentary silence. Jolm flipped a half-burned cigarette into the gutter, blew the last lungful of smoke through his nostrils, and turned to his friend. HDO you mean that? HI said it, and I mean itf' H Well, I certainly have to admire your faith in me and my adventuresses, though I do think you're crazy. 4' However, I'm not the imbecile you think, replied Frank, with a pronounced emphasis on imbecile. 'Q The reason why I'm doing this, as I said before, is to convince you that with a fair opportunity youill find yourself in the class with any John Barrymore. To put it plain, you've just had some tough breaks. Girls are not as queer and uncertain as you imagine. Let's look at this thing from a sensible angle. No use act- ing insane about it. Suppose you've never made the acquaintance of a sensible, intelligent, and dependable girl. Suppose I told you that your tough breaks have not been your fault. Suppose I should introduce you to a girl of this sort. Canit you see what lim driving at? Perhaps you really haven't given yourself a fair chance. Girls aren't as queer and uncertain as you imagine. The lull after the verbal storm. if Youill have to prove that to me, John ar- gued stubbornly. H I've yet to find one other- wise. Suppose you mention one of your exam- ple acquaintances, and later introduce me. '4 Now take Lilly Williams. Come back, John, you know herf' 'L Yes, after a fashion. She looks pleasant and accommodating enough, but- H No buts at all. I know her, and she's real nice. No hery or obstinate disposition, just pleasant looking and pleasant. Sheis just the type you've wanted to meet, and you already know her. 'G Are you sure she's really dependableffl' queried John, with a note in his voice that in- terpreted a hope that she wouldn't be too good to be true. 'SPositive, was the answer. if You know what you said about being pos- itive beforef, 7 C'Well, in a case like this, replied Frank, chagrinned at being caught in his own trap, C' there's no doubt in my mind. She's O.K., and conspicuously so. 'G Well, it seems as if I must accept your word to overcome prejudice. You're pronounced an authority on such a subjectf' Frank found him- self gradually warming to the idea of a more successful future. 4' Yes, you needn't worry. lncidentally, she's the one you're going to ask to Bobis party? What an entirely different problem it is, though, to face reality again after so many em- barrassing failures. Even in this case, when reality truly was one of those fair-haired crea- tures blessed with a radiant personality and bursting with life and energy and all that, John found that his enthusiasm had abated consid- erably, as well might be expected of one whose opinions are changed instantly from the mean to the extreme under the infiuence of temporary conditions. It would be so easy if he could but regain his self-confidence and hold it. Girls had always had such a deteriorating edect on it, and even though this girl was to be of an entirely differ- ent type, there was that colossal impeding ob- stacle to surmount. It meant the expenditure of much effort. Ridiculously enough, he prepared for the encounter, and certainly in a ridiculous way,- first, by ascertaining the full Value of himself as an individual comparing with the face value of any girl he had known, and 'thus concluding his degree of superiority. It was rather an adroit idea. It produced results, at least, and Monday, while strolling the halls be- tween periods, his mind still revolved tirelessly about this center. After all, girls occupied an insignificant position in life. One should take

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Page 6 THE DOME With the big affair three days off, John dis- covered himself anticipating something which would turn the adventure into one of the too- good-to-be-true kind. The degree of pessimism which he at all times displayed naturally began to oppress him at this time, even in spite of his friend's assurance. It was a simple feat to pre- sent optimism when one is enthusiasticg but in the course of consideration, the hard luck of the past tended to depress him in the present when considering the future. Through his brain ran a chain of possibili- ties. Suppose she gets sick,- or her mother or father- Suppose she just stands me up- Suppose- The worst supposition possible he created, and then felt relieved, for he knew that those he thought of wouldn't happen,-they never did. It was always the most unexpected, the most unheard of things. There was one thing to do,- be tactfulg pretend much, not let her forget. He met her during the official period Wednes- day. By this time one thought only Was fore- most in his mind: Make sure of her! Don't bungle the job now! Everything O. K. for Saturday? was his first question as the two slowly paced along down the hall. She gazed rather cutely at him from the corner of her eye, and smiled as only Lilly could. 44 Absolutely. F11 be there with bells on. I wouldn't miss it on a bet! 7, His pulse jumped from a flickering 65 to a pounding 83. Gosh, to think Fve had this sex appeal all along! Where have l been keep- ing it? That was Wednesday. Thursday morning: C' What time will I meet you Saturday? 7' It was evident that he was attempting to eradicate any chance of a disastrous misunderstanding. The party was his only topic. Suddenly Frank's in- tention of asking Jane to the party reoccurred to him. He suggested it. 'L No! If Jane goes, I wonit be there! she exploded violently, set her chin, and appeared completely disgusted. His heart worked on three cylinders for about three seconds. In a tone pathetically weak he said, C'Don't worry. Jane will not be there. To himself, c'Wliat is that theory?-4For every action a reactiong for every pleasure a troublef Perhaps tomorrow it will be pleasure again. He reassured her once more. She smiled, a tint of boredom just perceivable. He noticed only the smile. Friday, between periods, he passed her on the stairs. Her eyes fell upon him, but focussed on the wall behind him, and she only returned his embarrassed smile with an expressionless look that caused him to wonder whether he was not dreaming. Like a petrified deer brought to life by the crack of a gun, he awoke from a split second of frozen tenseness, turned and leaped down a flight and a half after her, and grabbed her arm. ' Good Lord! what now? '7 4' Kindly remove your hand. 6'But-Frank said you were different. U Remove your hand, or I'1l slap youl U He gave ground, and with a rapidly sinking spirit watched her disappear into 110. It was with an uncertain grip that he held and rattled the gleaming brass knocker Friday evening. The feeble response from the knocker betrayed just how much more will power than courage the caller possessed. Notwithstanding the fact that such a reputable and conhdent moral support as Frank was there to aid him, a feeling of inferiority continued to overwhelm him as he waited for a response. if Well, what brought you out here? 7' It was a cold, uncomfortable, disengaging greeting. F.mbarrassment tripled. He wondered how he had permitted himself to get thus far on such a humiliating mission. The frigid demand to H Hurry up! M eased him from a state of inertia.