Allegheny High School - Wah Hoo Yearbook (Pittsburgh, PA)

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THE WAH HOU 13 He took two lemons from his mother's pantry and went up to his bedroom. He followed the directions specifically, just according to the book, but the book referred to clothes and it was his face that was to suffer. He was rubbing in the last half lemon when his fingers slipped and in went the darn stuff into both his eyes. He rubbed them, he dried them, but the harder he rubbed and the more he dried, the more seemed to go in. He soon managed to dilute the lemon juice with water and once more he was able to see through half closed eyes. VVhat could he do now. Suddenly, as not often before, an idea flashed into his head! He would shave them off. But where would he get a razor? His father did not shave until Friday night and he did not know where the razor was. If he asked his mother for it she would become excited and think that he wanted to kill himself-then she would watch him too closely and he would get no liberties at all. He wondered to himself if Frank, the barber, could perform the opera- tion. He ran upstairs and took twenty-five cents from his bank. All excited, with his heart beating rapidly, he was about to open the door of the barber shop when he noticed that the barber had two customers--they would tell everyone in town that jimmy Brooks had his freckles shaved off- and the town surely must know of her dislike for freckles. Then she would know that he had done it for her- that wouldn't do, and the next barber was six miles away. He turned away and was not five squares from the intended shaving when he noticed Freddy Parkins-he had a big brother! I'll give you five agates if you will :git your kid's razor for me. The price loomed big in Freddv's eyes and he accepted. jimmy had just finished locking the bedroom door and placing the cold steel edge to his face, when he heard a whistle-then someone called, Ho, jimmy, Ho, jimmy! lt was Freddy. j VV'hat's a matter?', jimmy called down. Gee whiz, blinnny, our kid came home and he needs his razor. I'll get killed if I go home without it. jimmy's mother heard, but through the various noisesj round about, all she could make out was killed, Jimmy, razor, home. l She ran hurriedly upstairs and, Ending the door locked, became more excited than ever. jimmy, what's the matter F Open the door! ! ! j Jimmy threw the razor out the win- dow and disgustedly opened the door. Jimmy, are you hurt? Tell me! What were you saying about 'razor' and 'killed'? Aw, nothin' a'tall ! He turned away for fear of more questioning and ran downstairs into the yard. That all happened Thursday. On Friday at o'clock he prepared to dress for the great occasion. He scrubbed thoroughly in the hope that a few stray freckles might come off anyhow. Then came the blow! He was to wear a Buster Brown collar. If one has ever seen a young colt being led about prior to his being saddled--that is the feeling one gets when he wears a collar for the first time. I ain't goin' to wear no collar like that ! J But mothers will be mothers, so he wore it. Then came the vital parting of his hair-he couldn't find the part, so he called downstairs, Oh, maw, I ainft goin' to that old party ! What's the matter now ? a voice

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12 T H li NN A H H U O I SAID-- He was just thirteen, an only son, red haired and freckled, which may have been an awful state of affairs and which may have been trying to him-but he was in a far worse pre- dicament-he was in love. His heart's desire, a very pretty lit- tle girl, slightly smaller than he, was the only daughter of the Vanders', a family who were residing at their summer home in the central and most beautiful part of the town. Her blue eyes and long curls gave her the position of the belle of juvenile so- ciety in Nelson. She could dance, she had a bicycle all her owng in fact, she had everything or could get every- thing she desired. To the younger members of the town it would have meant sure death if anything had been said against her or her dog, in his presence. In fact, he practically terrorized the children with his threats of murder, for he was king of the male society there and held full sway over all mem- bers. He had attained this position by being able to turn hve cart-wheels in succession, jump the highest and shoot commies, knee-heights the best. He may have been king of all he surveyed in male society, but he soon learned that to rule women was a dif- ferent matter. He claimed her by right of conquest-but, as all con- querors do, he met his doom. One day, while standing near her gate for no fiarfirnlar reason what- ever, he heard voices on her front porch. 1 hate frerkled faced kids, don't you P p Uh, my mother said it ain't nice to talk---- just then old Parkins' ma- chine passed, and all he could hear was faced children lt was spoken in a loud, haughty voice which he rec- ognized to be hers.', He was now lost-she had said that her mother said that it a'in't nice to even talk to freckle faced kids, and his face was just full of them! The next day among the mail re- ceived by the Brooks' was a letter for Master James Brooks. His mother opened it and read: You are rordially invited lo attend a party given by Jllr. and Mrs. Vanders in honor of Miss Grace Vanders at eight o'cl0ck Friday, July 9, 1922 53 Pennsylvania Avenue Nelson, Pennsylvania Mrs. Brooks was filled with joy at this evidence of the social prominence of her son-but jimmy read it with 2 different view. Aw, what's the use of goin' to that old party? They're a bunch 0: snobsl Had he been void of nat ture's spots he would have been verj willing to go, but he was blest bj nature. However, his mother said ln was going to go-and go he must. But he had freckles splashed al over his face-and she hated freckles He must get rid of them. That night he scrubbed his face a it never had been scrubbed before, bu the harder he scrubbed the mori freckles appeared, and the scrubbing made his face sore and red. He once had read that lemon juic takes out spots from clothes--if i worked for spots so much the bette --that's what he had. The next morning he ran down t the drug store and got one of thos medicine advertisement books tha have valuable information on anti dotes.

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14 'l' H li XR YXH H00 called up. Oh, l can't part my hair or nuthin'.'y His mother soon found the part. and changed hlimmy's mind. But for- tune was not against him in every- thing. His father had had to shave that night and leave immediately. jimmy had watched where the razor was placed, and was soon wetting his face prior to the fatal scrapingf He dragged the steel down his cheek in one slow stroke, then up again. He looked into the glass. They 'Z2'01tId1l,t rome off. He knew he wasn't going now! But, as I said before, mothers will be mothers, so he went. It was a nervous, excited, freckle- faced youth instill freckledl that rang the doorbell to her home. He en- tered, and immediately went into the corner with his gang to avoid intro- ductions. As he turned he saw her, Graff' Vandvrs, in the corner speak- ing to ri freckle-faced, red-headed sissy. K VVhether freckles are significant of courage, or not, he had both. He man- aged to get her alone and asked her: I thought you once said that your mother said that it ain't nice to talk t'o freckled-faced children, didn't you with an air of accusation. 'GI didn't say that, she managed to say, reddening a bit. I said that my mother said that it ain't nice to talk about freckled-faced children. HT-t-then y-you like freckled-faced kids PM he inquired anxiously. W-well Q she turned three shades of crimsonj, I don't exactly-really like them, but I don't hate themf, she said. I sure am glad my mother made me come ! sighed Jimmy as he fin- ished gulping down a huge sponnful of ice cream. SYDNEY M. SAW.. '22. THE BEGINNING OF A BEAUTIFUL FRIENDSHIP Ile was trying in vain, it seemed, to figure it out. VYould he never get the report finished? Besides, he couldn't multiply, then add, then subtract, when the vision of a girl that he had just met a few hours ago was con- stantly in his mind. XVhy do all seemingly sweet domes- tic girls turn out to be accountants and so on E he muttered. 'lust then she entered the room. She was neither very beautiful nor was she very homely. just about right, he had said to himself at dinner. VVhy all the paper? she asked. looking around the room, the Hoot of which. besides the chairs and desk. was littered with paper that he had used to figure it out. lust figuring, he answered, hur- riedly picking up the papers that were nearest him. Can I do anything for you ? Your sister said that I would hnd a vase here that she wants for How- ers. Oh, here it is, and vase in her arms, she left the room. t'Nice old grouchf' she murmured, but then she didn't know he was af- Hicted with an income tax report, which was commonly referred to as It by the family. He evidently had not made a very good impression upon her at dinner and had not improved it any in the last few minutes.