San Ramon Valley High School - Kernel Yearbook (Danville, CA)

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F7 ' .7 REVENGE g We had been together at Harvard but had ex- perienced no companionship there. In fact, we had been enemies almost from the first day, Hall was in those days, a small, thin, nervous type of man, who, with his associates, perfectly epitomized the English dandy. Perhaps it was that fact which in- stilled in me the contempt of him. Behind him were years of well-bred English ancestors each of whom had, as time wore on and family wealth accumulated, found it entirely unnecessary to expend his physical and mental energies in the accumulation of money, and this petted namby- pamby was the result. This alone was enough to sanction extreme disgust but the fact that he had a yellow streak justified actual hatred. He was always very clever in concealing his weakness and the ordinary person not coming in actual daily contact with him would never have suspected it. He was an unmistakeable cheat. Belonging to an old crowd, I was in a position to injure him socially, and at every possible opp- ortunity could not resist the temptation to do sox Thus within several months we became bitter en- emies. As the years dragged onward and that brief interval of Harvard days became more deeply en- meshed in the long ago, I had heard from time to time the tales of success and woe concerning my former school-mates, and occasionally someone would mention Hall's name. After years of playing the shiftless man about town, practically devoid of cares and responsibilities, he had now settled down to the gratification of his hobby of collect- ing precious jewels! In the fall of 1928 we returned from Egypt and were busily engaged in adjusting ourselves to running water at anytime of day or night, efficient hotel service, and digestible food, when Hall's card reached us. Uwill you and your wife lunch with me tomorrow at 1:30 p.m., at my Have hotel? Will engage private dining room. something that may interest you.N Thoroughly sur- prised, I carried it to my wife, and together we commented on it. Assured that it must be some- thing of extreme importance I hastily scribbled, f ,4-4

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G Have you ever seen that place, gables and tall chimney pots and spires, black against a bloody sky and that great weeping willow forming a lacy screen to its aging walls? Rising from the shrub- by mass about it, almost unreal but for a light filtering through a blinded window. Yes, there's something about it I can't explain. You remember I told you about Mr. Hemme over there in Hemme Park and the San Ramon Harlens. Well, Hem e's son Clar- ence was to be married to Helena Harlen, and August Hemme built the place as a fit home for the chil- dren of the two wealthy pioneer families. No ex- pense was spared in the making, the best archi- tects and builders were hired and Mr. Homme him- self superintended the planting of the grounds. There were great stock and carriage barns construc- ted and the ideal farm mansion was presented to the happy couple as the wedding party swept up the curving drive to the door. But play-boy, rich man's son Clem couldn't make a husband for pio- neer Helena. Nothing was said, she just went heme. Soon after this August Hemme failed in his im ense water project down in Arizona, and though there were other things that might be blamed, that finished him. The Hemme's lest everthing. Clarence was good-hearted, but he hadn't his father's business head and without his allow- ance I guess he died in the poor-house. You see the house reflects the tragedy and sorrows and misfortunes of its master. Perhaps Helena and Clem still laugh and love in those patterned shadows, -

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9 W Wwe shall be delighted,N across the back and hand- ed it to the waiting messenger boy. , It is not our habit to be punctual but that day our curiosity prompted our punctuality. I, was, however, not fully prepared for the shock I received. The man who met us, although younger than I, seemed years older. His eyes, sunken in their sockets seemed to speak of loneliness and failure to succeed, and I actually found myself pitying him. But when with a sneering laugh, he explained to my wife that we had been at school together, the hatred for him I had experienced in those far away days, again surged up within me and flowed through every vein. The mere formalities over, the conversation shifted to other subjects. He had heard about us and our wanderings a good many times and had been looking forward to meeting us. It was not until we had nearly finished dessert that he spoke of his reason for calling us. A few months before, while traveling he had picked up a very fine hobby specimen and he had been eager to show it to some one who would app- reciate so beautiful a thing. We sat back easily lulled by the monotony of his voice, absorbing his personality which seemed to sap vibrancy from the jewels which he described. . As we drained our coffee cups he hastily arose to return shortly with a golden box about six in- ches square, set with rubies, emeralds, and several large diamonds. If we had suffered from any leth- argy before, we were certainly alert now. It was magnificent. We had commented upon it for some moments, when I chanced to glance upward to the mantel above the fireplace at the timepiece. There, reflected, in the glass of the dial, I was startled to see the smooth, dark face of a man. For some reason I could not locate the position of the face within the room, and with no explanation, rose hastily from my chair. I slowly circled that room and as I reached the window I felt a little draft from behind the heavy, velvet drapes. I suddenly drew aside those drapes, to see the window, which open- ed out on to a balcony slowly closing. There was no one there! By this time the other occupants of thc room were thoroughly aroused.