Shortridge High School - Annual Yearbook (Indianapolis, IN)

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IN A-S-lyl-UCH as if he were afraid it was not there. Then his little, bony fingers clamped amund it and he 'began to sob again-this time for joy. It was nearing eleven o'clock and we were supposed to leave at that time for Alexandria, Egypt, so the captain carried the little boy toward the gangway and the crew followed. My little friend, you will have to go now, said the captain, and the boy understood. When the captain placed him on deck he stepped back, drew himself together and saluted, then turned and walked off the ship. I will never forget the expression on that boy's face as he turned on the dock to give us a parting look. It was one of mingled joy and sadnessg happy because he had in his possession, no doubt, more money than he had ever dreamed of and sad because he had to leave us. In a few minutes the engines began to groan, the lines were cast loose and the ship was once more headed for sea. As I stood on deck and looked at the city that had appeared, so beautiful to me that evening, I saw onllyz a few scattered lights and the dark outline of houses. Some- where among them was a homeless boy, fighting the world alone. DESERTION Behind the shack, the sunlight seems To bathe the long-forsaken field With limpid calm. The woodland curves, An amphitheatre of living green, High galleri-ed with fir and pine. Above the tangled fern, grown rank With rush, and mottled yellow and white With daisies, mustard and buttercups, A myriad insect world quickens The air with tiny life. Somewhere, Hidden, a meadow-lark sings And ever, against a mass of trees Strange whirring birds dart and streak- Exquisite elements of flight. Out in the field a scare-crow Still stands with flapping arms out-thrust, As if about to scream his taunt, Pathetic now, that once this land Of decaying human enterprise Which he has surveyed so long-was man's. ROCIE J. COX Jr.

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IN AS MUCH I do not wish you to do anything for me, sir, I replied, but I have brought aboard a little orphan boy of this country and I hope that you can do something for him. He wants to stay aboard and work for a place to sleep and something to eat. I am very sorry, said the captain. Nothing would give me more pleasure than to be able to help these poor people but I can not. The admiral has given me orders to allow no one, aboard except American citizens. Where is the boy ? I led the way to where he sat. Upon see- ing the captain the boy jumped to his feet, and, standing as straight as a soldier, sa- luted him. His tiny thin face showed a helpless, pleading look. He was waiting for his sentence. God help me, murmured the captain, for I have never had a harder task. Tears came into his eyes as he took the child in his strong arms and tried to ex- plain that he could not allow him to stay on the ship. I do not know how much the boy understood of what the captain told him, but his little frame began to shake with sobs, and I knew that he understood enough. Officer of the deck, called the captain, Pass the word, all hands on deck. Aye, aye, sir,', replied the of-licer, and hurried away. VVhen the crew had gathered on the top- side, the captain, holding the child in his arms, told them about him. , What will we do, boys ? asked the captain. Will we send this little one ashore to starve ? No, shouted the crew in one voiceg and they began to drop money into a hat that one of them passed around. 1 I do not believe the boy understood what I we were doing for when the money was offered to him he did not take it at first. He stared at it. then at the boys. He reached out his little hand and touched it

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'-new Q 19 E 'Q v--x 'Q 5 Q 3'-'Q 353 'S FQ 3 W... 'awr- HD A v Y DOROTHY LAMBERT I, HERE WAS a loud peal of the doorbell. The night ' if nurse of the orphan asylum heard footsteps, but upon . f opening the door and glancing hurriedly around, saw . W X no one. Detecting a bundle she gathered it up and fr slowly ascended the stairs to the nursery. There was A 0 Q no mark of identification, no mark at all, except the 1 i A ' Words, Davy, born on February twenty-second, f S.. Q scrawled upon a piece of brown paper and pinned to Q X ,SQ the ragged blanket. ' gf ' me As I live, it's another boy, muttered the nurse. Bundling it well in a large shawl she began rocking it. By the time Davy was nine years old, he had Won the lasting friend- ship of his nurses, because he so seldom cried and behaved so well. Even the old nurse declared that he was as good as a girl. He was frequently sick, never seriously, but nevertheless his convalescence was always slow. It was not known how he got his full name, but in the office the register held the name Clark, David. Davy's chief interest was in Jerry Aiken, who was a boarder at the orphan asylum. He lived in pleasant anticipation of the day when Jerry's mother would make her semi-monthly visit and bring apples and cookies. A close friendship had existed between Davy and Jerry since the day Mrs. Aiken had learned Davy's history and had explained to Jerry that Davy had neither father nor mother. Jerry's sympathy was aroused and from then on he insisted upon an equal division of his possessions. Davy gratefully accepted both attentions and gifts from Mrs. Aiken. In time, it was a familiar sight to see her sitting with the boys, one on each side, telling them stories. Jerry was somewhat older than Davy and so it was that he listened to all of Jerry's propositions and agreed to everything, even to the proposed partnership in a candy store which Jerry would establish when he grew to be a man. Davy seldom, if ever, entered into the games of the other children. During play hours he would stand leaning against the side of the building or sit at the foot of a tree under its shade and watch the other boys play. He would never say a word unless spoken to, then usually his answers were in monosyllables. He observed the rules, obeyed all requests without a murmurg accepted everything as a matter of course. He made little progress in school and seemed wholly devoid of that element spoken of as pride, which is often a great stimulus to harder study, and which is possessed by most boys, even those whose only home is an orphan asylum. He apparently had little or no ambition, but inwardly he longed to get away from the dull routine of orphan asylum life and to have Jerry to himself. Under no circumstances was he ridiculed by his playmates, nor was he always alone on his seat beneath the tree. When a boy had been par- ticularly unruly or boisterous and had gotten into the Pm not going to play humor, he would seek Davy and feel that he was atoning for his ...ii.l.l+ WY