South Pasadena High School - Copa de Oro Yearbook (South Pasadena, CA)

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so short, I was to be Jack Sprat and she was to be his wife.” A perfect shout of laughter met this an- nouncement. But a voice, an ominous voice, brought a chill over the merriment. “Young ladies, what is the meaning of this unusual disturbance?” “Why, Miss Barnard,” glibly spoke up Marjorie,“the girls came in to pull me out of bed, as I didn’t want to get up this morn- ing. “T see. Please conduct yourselves more quietly after this,’ and with a few piercing glances, she left the room. “Goodness, there goes the bell! Girls, you'll have to help me dress.” Shortly after, the girls, excited as to the real outcome of the escapade, entered the dining-room of the Inn, where all the stu- dents of the dormitories boarded. Passing a table at which were seated some young men, Marjorie gave a start, then a suppressed giggle, but explain her- self, she would not. Upon leaving the room, the girls over- heard some conversation. “I met the fun- niest Freshman last night, or at least he’s going to be a Freshman soon. I can’t re- member his name but it was German. His voice sounded as if he were a sissy, but then if he was, he wouldn’t have been roam- ing around the country after midnight.” That was all they heard, but from Mar- jorie’s dismayed face, the girls gather ed enough information to make them nearly wild with expectation. At last, after a seemingly endless day, they were all gathered in a secluded part of the campus. “Do hurry and finish your story, Mar- jorie,’ hastily spoke Nell. “Where was I this morning when the ‘Dragon’ interrupted us?” “Oh, where you told us that you were to be Jack Sprat,” hurriedly put in two or three of the girls. “You may think it strange, but after I was dressed I made quite a respectable looking Jack Sprat. I had fun, to be sure, and had all the people guessing as to who No one was able to find out my I was. E O R O name and I can assure you, I didn’t inform them and I was congratulating myself up- on the clever way in which I was having an enjoyable time and the ‘powers that be’ none the wiser. “Tt was late when we left—still later when we arrived at the junction. Hal and [ felt certain that at that time of the ‘night we would meet no one, and so took the main road, which is the shortest route to the dormitory. “When we were just within a block or two of safety,, we saw four men coming towards us. Imagine my feelings, for | hadn’t taken the time to change my cos- tume, but had put on one of my brother's long overcoats. ‘There was no escape and the only hope was that they would be strangers. But fate was against us, for three were college boys, those whom we passed this morning, and they were ac- quainted with Hal. The other was——- Professor Perm.” “Marjorie, what did you do?” cried Nell in dismay. “Dove badly frightened. I didn’t do anything. I was too Hal, poor fellow, didn’t know what to do either, but he realized he couldn’t very well tell who I was, so he introduced me as Jack Sprat, who was soon to enter college as a Freshman. He slurred over the name so that you wouldn't have recognized it as being Sprat. I knew I had to play my part, so I changed my voice as much as possible, and said something about Hal being a great friend of mine and that he was piloting me back safely home, as I was not very well acquainted with the town as yet.” “FHow did you ever have presence of mind enough to do it all?” asked one of the girls. “Tm sure I don’t know. I don’t remem- ber how we ever managed to get past them, but we finally did and wandered aimlessly up the street. But when we came to a dark place, we ran for the dormitory as though our lives depended upon it. At last, I was safe in my room. I don’t know whether Hal had the pleasure of meeting

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LITERARY DEPARTMENT JACK SPRAT, FRESHMAN ENUaNoO RG sk. Av T .K I Nes: OLN = 130 Ding! dong! ding! dong! Clear and dis- tinct sounded the bell as it pealed out its notes over the peaceful little college town. Small and calmly still seenged the city, but how full of busy, teaming college life it really was. ‘There, far removed from the great metropolis, the homes, some modest, others of portly dimensions, lie nestled con- tentedly among the green of the grass and the trees. Near the center of the city stand the imposing college buildings; there the library with its great white pillars; yonder, the domitories, and between these, the numerous other buildings. All are pro- tected by the mountains, which stand out formidable against the blue of the morning sky. The last notes of the great bell lingered long, as though loathe to stop those sounds, so familiar and yet so dreaded by drowsy students. But soon the campus began to take life; stray groups of students wan- dered to and fro, glad to be in the cool, in- vigorating air. Still, some there were in the great dormi- tory building of the girls, who refused to “ listen to the call from without. “Marjorie, will you wake up? The first bell rang ever so long ago;” the voice was reproachful; perhaps even cross. No answer came. “Marjorie Wilson! I said it was time for you to get up! Do you hear?” “Oh, do keep quiet, Nell Harrison, and let a person rest in peace.” “But, I say you haven’t time to rest in peace, for the breakfast bell will soon ring and you have your French recitation at eight. You've been late so often that the professor will be asking for an explanation.” “Oh, bother the professor.” “Tl do nothing of the sort.” “Good morning, merry sunshine,” came from the doorway, as a girl entered the room. “Well, bless my soul, if she isn’t in bed yet. ‘The very idea, and it is nearly twenty minutes after seven! Come in here, girls, and help pull Marjorie out of bed!” “All right, here we come,” and with much laughter and diminutive shouts, a half dozen girls rushed into the room. “Now, Marjorie,” spoke up one, “we won't molest you if you will only tell us what kind of a time you had last night.” “Ssh, not so loud, please,” hastily inter- posed Marjorie. I had a perfectly splendid time, but—. Well, I'll have to commence at the beginning so as to get in all the events. First, my sister Lela planned a Mother Goose party.” “Of all things for a college woman to go to! “Now, Marie Whitmore, you keep quiet and let me do the talking. I just felt that I had to go and I knew that the Dean would never give me permission to go to it be- cause I’ve overcut already; consequently, I adopted stringent methods. I wrote my brother concerning my troubles and he said he would meet me at the junction with the auto, if I were willing to take the risk. So, when the Freshman- enior reception was at its height, Nell helped me crawl from the window and away I went. I didn’t have any mishaps on the way, but I had enough coming back to make up for it. Lela had promised to prepare my cos- tume and you can’t imagine what she planned me to be.” “Oh! do hurry and tell us. Don’t keep us in such suspense!” cried the girls witli one voice. “Since I am so tall and slim and Lela is

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; those gentlemen again or not, but |] sin- cerely hope he didn't.” “What are you going to do?” asked Marie Whitmore. “I can assure you that I am going to keep ‘mum’ until I am compelled to do otherwise. I think it would be a safe plan for us to disperse now. Keep your ears and eyes open for new developments, will you?” “We certainly shall and if you come out of this scrape safely, I'll think you will be able to dare almost anything,” said Helen Halcom. The following afternoon, Marjorie con- fided to some of the girls that she was positive that Professor Perm suspected something. True it was that he had suspicions, for that very afternoon he had a conference with his companions of that night. “Do you fellows take any stock in that Freshman, Jack Sprat, or Sprague, or whatever it is?” “We haven't thought so very much about it, except that we have been keeping a look-out to see if we could find him. What made you ask us? questioned one of the boys. “Well, to tell the truth, I don’t believe there is such a person.” His words fell like a thunderbolt. ‘Don’t think there is such a person? But we saw him,” burst from the three. “Yes, but it was a very pale moon that aided your sight.” “So you think it was some one dis- guised?” “Yes, I think it was some one disguised, and, what's more, I think it was a girl.” “Whew!” “IT leave you to pick out the girl. I am going to call a meeting of the men to- morrow to make sure and—but there goes the bell. I have a clase this very hour.’ “say, fellows, I’ll bet it was Marjorie Wilson if it was anyone and it was her brother, too, you know. My, this is going to prove interesting. So long, until the grand finale tomorrow.” The next morning, Marjorie awoke rather 14 lream last night “Nell, I had and while it was funny, fe was foreboding. depressed. [ dreamt that I was dressed in that Jack Sprat costume and was being chased all around the campus by the faculty, Professor Perm in the lead. He had a long fork with a great piece of fat on it and he was going to compel me to eat it. They were gaining on me and just before the Professor caught me, I woke up.” “Now, don’t you worry. You always did have a knack for escaping penalties and you surely will this time.’ “Hope so, but I have a feeling. Not so very late in the morning, one of the girls rushed up to Marjorie and dragged her to the bulletin board. There, in great letters, was the following: “All men are requested to meet at the “Dorm” at seven prompt.” “There, now, I told Nell that something Was going to happen, but I am not going to confess until I have to, that’s certain.” The girls were greatly excited. Marjorie alone seemed calm. But in the early after- noon when the girls had gathered for a talk, Marjorie rushed upon them, flushed and triumphant, and sank into a. chair. “There’s a new Fres hman come,” she fairly shouted the words, “and his name is John and he has a sissy voice and he knows H:; ru “Now, my dear child, get your breath and calm yourself and then tet us all about it,” put in Nell. “Well, I was passing the Dean’s office and I saw a strange young man there, so I eavesdropped. He is a Freshman and his first name is John. Jack is the nickname of John, isn’t it? His last name is cert: uinly German and might be mistaken for Sprat He has what might be called a Sissy voice and the best thing of all, he knows Hal! The faculty certainly suspected me, for the Dean suddenly asked him if he were acquainted with Hal Wilson. |] waited to ie his answer and then rushed for here. I only hope he goes to that mee ting tonight. There goes the bell for my Latin. See you later. “Well, did you ever hear anything lilce it? That surely was providential. I never