Ashtabula High School - Dart Yearbook (Ashtabula, OH)

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THE DART eyes, with his hand frcm the slanting iays of the setting sun, he shifted his glance down the beach to the pier. There on the end of the pier stood a little boy. He evidently had a boat in the wa- ter, and as it sailed beyond his reach, he made a dive for it. Joe began to run. In another minute he was in the water hurrying to- ward the struggling child. The Jolly Crowd, attracted by Joe’s peculiar actions, at once saw the little lad’s danger. “Oh,” cried Ruth Dearborn in a frenzy, it’s my brother Hal. Oh, boys, run! hurry! Joe can never reach him.” With that, two of the boys rush- ed into the water and, in less time than it takes to tell it, one of them came back, triumphantly bearing young Hal, apparently none the worse for his ducking. Joe turned back, with a prayer of thanksgiving in his heart. As he reached the beach he sank down exhausted. No one paid any attention to Joe. Oh no! For who thot of Joe as a he- ro? The hero was the boy who had saved the child. Joe lay on the beach so exhausted that he could scarcely move, but after a time he managed to stagger home. That evening he sat dreaming of his daughter. How happy she must be. She never was tired or hungry as he was. Later he fell asleep and dreamed of angels singing, and best of all his daughter, just as she had looked twenty years ago, stretching out her hand to him. Outside the darkness deepened; a cool wind blew in from the lake, but never again was Joe tired, or hungry, or never again did he long for his daughter, for he went to her that night. When the Jolly Crowd heard of Joe’s death, they all felt deep remorse, but more than any other one, Ruth Dearborn grieved, for it was she who had made his burden seem heavier, by her unkind word . She felt even deeper remorse, when the doctor said that Joe’s death was probably due to the shock of the water. The sud- den shock undoubtedly weakened his already feeble heart. All the campers, in turn tried to comfort Ruth but she would not be comforted. If I had only said one kind word, or done one nice thing, for him, I wouldn’t feel so bad,” wailed Ruth, “ but I didn’t, instead, I made his life just as miserable as I C3uld.” “Oh, well, Ruth, never mind now,” said Mary, “for it can’t be helped; but any way it’s nice to know that he’s happy now.” They all found comfort in that fact, and soon dismissed the matter from their minds. Before they broke camp, they had all regained their usual spirits and were a “Jolly Crowd” again. 13

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THE DART old fellow,” exclaimed Ruth. Hardly before she had stopped speaking-, Periwinkle Joe’s voice could be heard in the distance. As he came nearer they could distinguish the words, “Listen while they say, ‘Oh peri, peri, winkle, winkle’ In another moment he was knocking at the door. “Oh let me go,” cried Ruth. In a few minutes she was back at the table, but her face burned. “I’m sorry I said such a horrid thing just now, for when he came, he had such a sweet patient smile on his face; but when I said such a mean thing to him, he just turned away with- out a word, and his shoulders seemed a little more stooped.” “Oh, never mind,” said some one, easily, and the next moment Jce and his troubles were forgotten. Periwinkle Joe had lived a solitary life for many years. Year in and year out he had occupied a small lonely hut by the water. Twenty years ago a great sorrow had come into his life. His only child, a girl of eighteen, had died. His grief clouded his mind. All his love seemed now centered on the lake. It was his only confidant, his only friend. Every hour of daylight he spent in its company, so the next morning after his introduction to these gay young people, he was up early. As the sun arose a certain freshness, belonging to that hour alone pervaded the air. The lake looked like a big emerald as it lay without a ripple breaking the surface. Soon after dawn, Joe could be seen upon the beach, ceasing, now and then from his work to gaze at the wide expanse of water. Then with a sigh he turned back again to his work. He sighed as he thought of his daughter who left him so many‘years ago. When she went how different was she from the girl he had seen the night before, the girl who had spoken so sharply to him, who had made him feel so far below her. “And yet,” he thot, “she has eyes like my girl.” Then he would go at his work more diligently, looking under this stone, and behind that rock, for even one periwinkle must not escape his hand. % It was toward evening of the same day, Joe, weary and foot- sore, for his tramp had been an unusually long one, was plodding westward toward his little shack. He was thinking of his daugh- ter, she had been almost constantly in his thots that day. Suddenly, as if compelled by some unseen force, shading his 12

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OUR NEW TEACHERS We wish to extend a most cordial welcome to Principal Townsend and to the new instructors of A. H. S. MR. H. R. TOWNSEND, A. B„ A. M. A. H. S. is indeed fortunate in securing as Principal, Mr. Townsend, who comes here with a flattering record. In 1910 he received the Bachelor of Arts degree from Haverford University; in 1911 the Master of Arts degree from Harvard. Mr. Townsend taught history at West Chester, Pa. High School in 1911. He was principal at Nelsonville High School in 1912. Besides being prin- cipal of our school, he will teach the Senior American history. miss enid Mcelroy, b. l. Miss McElroy comes from Delaware, Ohio. She received a B. L. degree from Ohio Wesleyan University. Her experience as teacher consists of five years teaching at Delaware High School. She is teaching English, Algebra, Physical Geography in A. H. S. MR. HAROLD COLLINS Mr. Collins, our new athletic coach, comes with the reputa- tion of being one of the best athletes in the state. In 1912 he at- tended Wooster University where he achieved many honors as an athlete. This is his first year as coach and he has had much success with the football team so far Mr. Collins will teach Phy- sical Geography. He is not native American, for he was born in Siam. MR. MARTIN Mr. Martin comes to A. H. S. to teach in the Commercial De- partment. He was graduated from Oberlin in ’12, and has also attended Heidelberg at Tiffin. Mr. Martin has taught three years at Tiffin. ' MR. F. W. MITCHELL Mr. Mitchell, who teaches mathematics, is a graduate of Ed- inboro University. He was principal at Hahntown, Pa. and Greensburg, Pa. being also substitute teacher in the high school at Greensburg. 14