Willard Middle School - Target Yearbook (Berkeley, CA)

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The Revenge of Hezekiah some neat little plan of revenge. For Hezekiah was judge, prominent citizen, owner of “Barlow’s Main Emporium”, owner of a little fishing smack, and fisherman. When enumerating his chief points, he usually left out the last item, but it will have to be added here because of its reference to our story. One eventful day, a city man — very visibly a city man — walked up to the Honorable Hezekiah and, after discussing the weather, asked if he might be allowed to go out in the judge’s boat. “Wall now, it ain’t ev’rybody I’d take out in my boat, but seem’ as yer willin’ to pay a good price. I’ll do it. When do ye want ter go?” asked Hezekiah with an eye for easy money. “Well, say tomorrow afternoon about 2:30,” replied the citified one. “I’m interested in seeing the cape. My name is Reginald Hanover if you want to locate me for anything. How much do you want to take me around the cape? A dollar?” “A dollar,” sputtered Hezekiah, too wrathful to speak distinctly. “I won’t take nobody nowhere for less’n ten anyways, and seem’ as you want ter go a good distance, you’ll have ter pay fifteen.” “Oh,” murmured M r Hanover. “All right,” he concluded. Thus they parted to meet again the following day. Now the judge disliked tightwads greatly. He also prided himself upon his personal appearance, and whenever he looked into a mirror he saw an excellent example of one. The next day early, Hezekiah arose and went down town. Drop- ping in at “Barlow’s Main Emporium,” he noticed the back of the dapper young man he was to pilot around the cape. He was talking with an equally well-dressed older one. “Well,” said Reginald Hanover, “good luck to you. I’m going to spend the afternoon going around the cape with an old codger who will give me wonderful material for my next story. To have him described will make people roar.” “Huh!” muttered Hezekiah, who had been accidentally — on pur- pose — listening to this conversation and had grown more and more angry as the conclusion of it approached. “I’ll show ’em.” EZEKIAH BARLOW was a man of extreme likes and dis- likes. When he felt that anyone had not been as polite and considerate as he should have been, he immediately thought up

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Two days later Dr. John Evans sat in his private office giving per- sonal attention to the many letters he found upon his desk. One large business-like envelope addressed in a small cramped hand surprised him. He opened it hurriedly and read as follows: “My Leap Year Proposal — “Dear Daddie: I have decided to propose to you ’cause with all my heart I love you. Brother says I’m too young. But I ' m not. I know just what I want. “First, a silver collar for Bruce. Then I want an Aunt Jemima dolly, and a new carriage for my real lady doll, Floradora. Then I want one more white kitty with two or three black spots on him. “I do hope you will accept my proposal, as I could not wait another four years for these things. From your little girl — Mary Jane.” JESSICA CAULKINS. The Mountain Pool N THE Butano Canyon is a small rippling stream at the head of which are many waterfalls where the green water splashes over tiny cliffs and finally falls splashing and dashing into a deep circling pool. The little trout swim faster to avoid the rapidly falling water. The beautiful five-fingered ferns and maiden hair grow thickly on the tall rocky cliff above the pool. From the steep worn path one looks upon the rapidly moving pool through the trees and bushes. Across one end of the pool lies the long trunk of a tree upon which sits an old fisherman. The sun is just going down and the pink clouds are reflected in the cool green water. It is the hour for all fish to come out of their dark rocky caves to find a worm or fly for their dinner. As the old fisherman sits upon the mossy log he feels a jerking upon his line. He pulls it in and finds a large rainbow trout which is jerking and wriggling to try and get back into the cool deep home. The fisher- man takes his fish and puts it into his brown basket and as the shadows grow longer across the pool and the pink fades from the sky he picks up his laden basket and winds his way along the edge of the creek until he reaches his small hut. BEATRICE LATHROP.

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Two-thirty arrived and with it Reginald Hanover. “Git right in,” said Hezekiah, outwardly genial. It was a perfect day. Hez ekiah began to steer toward some piles in the bay. Suddenly — “Swish! Plop!” — and Reginald struggled to the surface of the glassy water. He knew he could expect no assistance from the judge, so he wriggled as well as possible to a nearby pile. Hezekiah stood in his boat grinning a little. “I think,” said he, “thet I’ll git somebody to write as good a story about you as you were going to about me. You’re perfectly safe up thar, and afore long there will be some boats along thet’ll pick yer up. Meanwhile you kin sit up thar and think over your sins.” Thus was Hezekiah avenged. HELEN EVELETH. Snowball His whole name was Abraham Lin- village boys called him “Snowball”, eyes BE was a little black boy coin Blackstone. The which made little Abe roll his eyes and show his teeth in a delightfully alarming manner. Early one morning a cloud of dust could be seen at the end of the little town. The boys shouted as they ran, “The circus has come!” and little Abe ran with them. He followed the splen- did procession up and down the dusty streets. The glittering wagons and spangles and banners fairly made his eyes ache. The band played. The horses with their waving plumes stepped gaily along. The clowns cut up the funniest capers. Elephants and camels were all there. Was there ever such a beautiful circus before? At last they halted at a large common lot. While tents sprang up as if by magic all over the lot, all the animals w T ere fed and the horses carefully groomed. Little Abe carried w r ater, two buckets at a time. All of the beautiful horses must drink. He w ' as helping them to satisfy their needs. This was happiness enough. But when everything was done and the showman handed him a ticket for the afternoon performance, he stared at it as if it couldn’t be real. He just managed to stammer out, “Thank yo, sah.” As he ran homeward with his prize he saw a group of boys with a kitten. The poor creature w r as mewing piteously in the hands of her tormenters.