Annie Wright School - Shield Yearbook (Tacoma, WA)

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A Desperate Man By Lilena Jenert SYNOPSIS or CHAPTERS PRECEDING. . Jt is the night before the students of T College leave for the summer holidays. Also the night on which the June Ball is given. At the dance Fritz! Maynard the daughter of a rich Australian, meets Richard Moreland, who be- comes infatuated with her. The next day Fritzi graduates and leaves the College to go to New York to spend a month with her friend Margie Daltan, before going to Australia, where her home is. When she arrives in New York she finds that Margie has invited a number of her young friends to a house party at her summer home, a large and beautiful residence on the banks of the Hudson. So they go directly to Margies home. Fritzi is greatly surprised to find among her guests, Richard Moreland, whom she had already met at the College dance. She also meets a John Sutherland whom she likes very much. While Fritz! stays at her friend s home. Richard Moreland falls desperately in love with her and asks her to become his wdfe. But for some unaccountable reason Fritzi has taken a great dislike to him and steadily refuses his insistent attentions. Suth- erland also has fallen in love with Fritzi, but speaks no word of love to her, thinking that she prefers Moreland. After Fritzi has been on the Hudson for a week she receives a telegram from her father, telling her that her mother is seriously ill and that she had better return home as soon as possible. When Fritzi tells her friends this sad news they all sympathize with her and are greatly disappointed at her not being able to remain longer. The night before she leaves, Richard Moreland again asks her to marry him and says that if she will consent he will accompany her to Australia, but she again refuses him. The next day Fritzi goes to New York where she is to take the boat for Australia. Moreland follows her. Just as she is about to get on the boat he stops her and asks her to reconsider his question, but without deigning him a look she walks up the gang-plank. Then in a fit of anger Moreland declares in a loud voice, “Oh! you will regret this day yet. I shall follow you to Aus- tralia and force you to marry me. CHAPTER VIII. O NE afternoon as Fritzi was sitting on the deck of the “Mauretania,” with her steamer rug wrapped about her knees and the last Munsey’s in her lap, an elderly lady walked toward her saying, “I beg your pardon, but aren’t you Miss Maynard!” “Yes.” As Fritzi looked up a feeling that she had met her before crept over her, and she vainly tried to remember where. This must have appeared in her faee, for the woman before her said. “You have met me at the Stanton’s ball in New York.” “Why you must be Lady Sutherland.” cried Fritzi, jumping up. “Are you, too, on your way to Australiat” “Yes,” replied Lady Sutherland; “my husband has received the appointment of Governor of Australia.” At that moment a dignified old gentle- man and a younger man walked up. Lady Sutherland introduced them to Fritzi as her husband and son. Fritzi was surprised to find that this son was no other than the Jack Sutherland that she had met at the house party on the Hudson a few weeks ago. The four fell into conversation and by the end of the voyage were very good friends indeed. They were all to land at Victoria, where the Sutherlands were to leave Fritzi to finish the journey overland to Celebes.

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HY AK 9 a pall-bearers wagon and make it a funeral ride. We’re all actors enough to carry it out.” “Fine, capital,” shouted the boys. “Can we get the carriage?” asked Fred. “Sure,” said Rob. “We’ll get around old Oliver. He’s a friend of mine.” When they got to the station, the train had already come and gone. A young man was standing on the platform. “That ’8 the fellow, sure,” whispered Stub. “What a dub. Mind those trousers? Gee, they look at if they shrank in the wash.” “Gosh, what a hat,” said Fred. “I feel sorry for ourselves with that pill. Oh, say, he wears glasses, too. Poor us.” Meanwhile, Rob with his cap pulled well down and his coat collar well up was approaching the subject of their comments. “Do you want to go to Chadwdck Hall?” he inquired in a sepulchral voice. “Then follow me.” The boys escorted him to the carriage in silence, helped him in. in silence, and moved slowly up the street, in silence. “Where are you taking me to?” asked the “professor” when they had gone quite a way. “To your doom,” was the answer. “Confess your sins before it is too late. We are now r approaching the graveyard, w T here a tomb is prepared for you,” said Rob, as they stopped before a gate, over- shadowed by tall trees. They helped the unfortunate “professor” out, and courteously escorted him up the long, winding path that led to a ghostly looking white structure. Half way, they left him, sadly mystified and badly frightened. They went back to Windsor House, well pleased with their ex- ploit. Here they found the boys awaiting them. Rob with many interruptions and frequent promptings, told the story. He finished. “I think I owe you boys an apology,” said a voice that they recognized as belonging to the “new boy,” “but I never had such a lark in my life. I beg leave to announce myself as John Edw r aru Lancaster, who has come to fill Mr. Perkins’ place. I must leave you now to go find the President.” “You don’t expect us to believe that, do you?” asked Stub. The professor grinned and went away, leaving a very astonished group of boys. “Well, he’s a jolly old sport, all right. He’ll do,” said Stub. And the rest echoed his sentiments. M. TARRELL, ’14.

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HYAK 11 “Oh! you darling dad!” cried Fritzi, running up the wharf and into her father’s arms. “And can this be my little daughter, this lovely young woman?” said Mr. Maynard. The two remained in Victoria overnight, and started out early the next morning on the long ride to Lake Torrens, on the banks of which w 7 as the Maynard home — a stately wdiite Colonial mansion surrounded by beautiful grounds overlooking the blue lake. On the ride, Fritzi would have liked to ask about her mother, but her tather had seemed so dejected when, the night before, she had asked how she was, that the girl did not have th eheart to mention the subject again. A little before nightfall they reached home. There was no need of preparing Mrs. Maynard for Fritzi ’s arrival, for the patient had been unconscious for days. The girl went in and knelt down by her mother ’s bedside, crying softly. Hours passed. To her loving eyes, her mother seemed a shadow ' from which life w as swiftly passing. She endured over and over the pangs of losing her. At last she looked up to encounter her mother’s wistful gaze. “Can it be true?” she murmured. “Is this my baby daughter?” Mr. Maynard, who had been standing outside the door, upon hearing this new voice, entered. His wife held out her hand ; the strong man was instantly kneeling by her bedside. Suddenly, an expression of pain spread over her face; then — “Good-bye, dear John,” she whispered, “and ray faithful — little — girl.” With this, she closed her eyes. She had entered into that land of rest, where, at some later day, she would be joined by her husband and daughter. CHAPTER IX. About eleven months had passed. Richard Moreland and his father were conversing in the latter’s office on Fifth Avenue. “Dick,” said the older man, “we ’re sadly in need of money at present. Not under; but if we don’t get money from some place soon, we’ll be apt to find ourselves in a serious condition. “You know T those mines in Australia. We’ll sell them. We’ll put them on the market. ‘They’re bonanzas, but we’re forced to sell. Need the money.’ See? That’ll act as bait. All we have to do is to be sure of getting the money before operations begin, and in Australia you’ll be a ‘needle in a haystack.’ ” “I understand. The Hispania leaves for Australia tomorrow ' . I’ll be ready.”