Stadium High School - Tahoma Yearbook (Tacoma, WA)

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TI-IE TAI-IOMA I! t hnfwlr- BHRTDN ' 'Mademoiselle Jo M MACIE FRAZIER 'I4 A bubbling love of life, a joke, and a personality of simila.r pattern were two items that had contributed toward making Coco Canfield the popular per- son she was among her Senior class- mates in I-Iigh School. Incidental ac- complices to the attainment of her posi- tion were a small elf-like face and a pair of gray eyes, apparently designed as a sort of doorplate to her soul, pro- claiming to all beholders that Madem- oiselle Joy dwelt therein. It was evidently an at home day for the said Mademoiselle Joy on a certain May afternoon, for Coco was comfortably settled in the hammock on the porch, contentedly dividing her at- tention between a squirrel on the lawn and a letter in her hand. To be sure, the letter was receiving the greater part of her attention, while the squirrel was forced to be content with contemplative glances cast in his direction in the inter- vals between Coco's re-reading of the letter. The contemplative glances were the outward and visible signs of Coco's re- Hections on the coming graduation exer- cises of her class. Having just escaped from a session with the dressmaker, who was working on a fluffy graduation dress, was not the only reason that her thoughts dwelt on that subject. The letter in her hand played its part, for it was signed Keith Masters, and contained the information that the writer would have leave of abs-ence from military school and would be pres- ent at the graduation exercises. Coco might not have admitted any connection, but certain it was that the time spent at the dressmaker's didn't seem so much too long, in view of this announcement, as it had when she was wearily standing, first on one foot and then the other, before the critical eye of the artist in cloth. Remembering Keith's frankly expressed opinion that girls ought to wear Huffy fixings, it was rather pleasant to think ofthe care the dressmaker was lavishing on her graduation dress. The next morning Coco met Abbie Arlington on the way to school, and as

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I2 TI-IE TAI-IOMA a result the hammock on the porch that afternoon held a pensively miserable Coco, who tried desperately to rid her mind of the unwelcome idea that had haunted her all day. Some unlucky chance had turned the conversation be- tween herself and Abbie that morning to the subject of graduation dresses. When Coco asked if Abbieis was fin- ished, the answer had come in a some- what wistful tone, in spite of Abbie's effort to appear unconcerned, that her dress had been finished two summers ago-and had done duty ever since. The conversation was abruptly shifted to another topic, but Cocois conscience had seized on this excuse to go on a rampage. She knew there were other girls in the class who were in a position similar to Abbie's. Then came the recollection that all the girls in the class had taken part in a water festival held the summer before, in which they had all worn white sailor suits. 'Oh, two and two certainly made four, if only she could summon courage to put them together. She thought of the letter she had re- ceived yesterday and of lkeitbis decided admiration for fluffy fixingsfi She reminded herself of the fact that she had been chosen to present the class memorial to the school, and would con- sequently have a conspicuous place on the graduation program. She contrast- ed in her mind the graduation gown now in the dressmakefs hands with the white sailor suit. Like sturdy soldiers these considerations arrayed themselves in her mind as a. battlefield and pre- pared to do battle. And opposed to them were the remembrance of Abbie's wistful face and Coco's annoying certainty that if she really tried she could persuade that class of girls to wear their white sailor suits as gradua- tion dresses, instead of elaborately a.nd expensively made new ones. The opposing forces were too pitifulg Coco hadn't the heart to annihilate them, and she suddenly 'and resolutely abandoned the hammock and almost sullenly stalked into the house, angry with herself for her inability to decide otherwise. Many people admitted that the color of Cora Canfield's hair undoubtedly justified her nickname of Coco, but they were inclined to remark inwardly upon occasion that a spice symbolical of her temper would have to be a bit warmer that cocoa. Coco's temper, however, was of the sky-rocket va- riety that was wont to blaze up sud- denly, only to disappear after a short display. And so by the next day there re- mained nothing but the firm determina- tion to make the girls agree with her view. When Coco acquired a firm determination something usually hap- pened, and this case being no exception to the rule, it was not long before her purpose was accomplished. The accomplishment had not been easy, however, and Coco had reason for heartfelt repentance many times be- fore the graduation night came. Come it did at last, and brought with it a tall young person in military uniform, who arrived in his usual happy-go-lucky fashion and demanded audience of tithe sweet girl graduate. Audience was granted in due time, but even Coco's imagination had failed to prepare her for the shocked sur- prise depicted on Keith's face when she appeared and he realized the sit- uation. Keith's ideas of propriety in dress, as imbibed from a fashionable mother and equally fashionable sister, were rather exalted. Added to which his conception of his own taste was like- wise exalted. And so it was not un- natural that, after on-e unbelieving sur- vey of Coco's attire, he lapsed into