Ashtabula High School - Dart Yearbook (Ashtabula, OH)

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THE DART paper did not lie—he and his trust had caused suffering among the poor and they were little better than murderers. King of finance! What irony! —king of murderers had he better be called. Now he was to be paid in full for his wrongs. Slowly the terrible figure advanced, and with each step forward she gained in size and hideousness. When she was a short distance away from the horrified Vandall, she stopped, and towering above him. gazed at him with accusing eyes. Not a word was spoken, not a sound was heard. Why did she not speak? why did she not move? why did she not end it all and wreak vengeance on him? Anything would be better than this. Suddenly the creature raised her bony fists and with terrific force brought them down upon Vandall’s forehead. With a shriek he fell to the floor and all was again still. Sixty hours later Alton Vandall opened his eyes, and in feeble amazement discovered that he was in his bed. and that bending over him were his anxious wife and the family physician. Dr. Gregg. Suddenly the money king remembered. “Martha, he weakly whispered, “have they gone? With teai s streaming down her cheeks. Mrs. Vandall glanced at the haggard face before her. She did not know to whom her husband was referring, but she did know that the crisis was passed and that he had come back to her from that terrible sleep into which he had fallen. “Yes, dear, she murmured with trembling voice, “they have gone. With a sigh of relief Vandall closed his eyes in peaceful slumber. Two weeks later a certain million- aire unfolded New York’s leading newspaper and on the second page read these headlines: “Unknown person becomes benefactor of poor. New York millionaire donates two million dollars to associated charities. Name is kept secret. The reader heard a slight noise behind him and turned to find his wife regarding him with loving eyes. With outstretched arms she advanced. “Alton, she said, “I’m so glad! AFTER FIFTEEN YEARS (Continued From Page 24) happened to have along and mixed it with two parts water and ran his car back to town. He is getting a patent on the fluid now. “That’s not quite up to Edward Morris’ latest patent. You know he has a beauty parlor in Cincinnati. He has just patented a cream for preserving pink cheeks. “Morris Mendelsohn has been appointed tailor to the ladies of the White House. We had talked so fast that we had not realized it was growing late until Mary Niles, who is Professor of Latin at Lake Erie College, and who just now was visiting me, came in and said, “I thought I was to meet you at the car line at 4 o’clock. It is just 4:30 now. “Goodness! exclaimed our noted Superintendent, “I am late for School Board meeting. Good afternoon. Miss Niles. Good afternoon. Miss Metcalf. She shrilled wildly at him. He reached over and grabbed her. shook her pitilessly and then threw her on her face. Her very hands trembled, end her screams died to mere mumblings. He then pulled the covers closer and said, “Now, I guess you’ll be quiet. Miss Alarm Clock. Ex. 31

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THE DART As her husband left her. Mrs. Van-dall hastened to her room and there burst into tears, for. in spite of Van-dall’s greed, and meanness and violent temper. Mrs. Vandall still loved him, and prayed for his redemption. Vandall remained at his club until late into the night, during which time he proceeded to drown his rage in wine, and he succeeded to such an extent that two club members escorted him home. Silently entering the house so as not to encounter Mrs. Vandall or any of the servants, these two Good Samaritans seated Vandall in a huge chair before the open fireplace, and turning off the electric lights, quickly withdrew, leaving the financier in a stupefied state in the fire-shadowed room. An hour passed by and as yet no one had disturbed the money king. Vainly he struggled to review the events of the day in his dazed mind, but clear thoughts would not come. Failing in his attempts to think clearly, he gave it up, and soon he was in the meshes of a troubled sleep. Suddenly Vandall gave a start and opened his eyes. There was danger in the room, something within seemed to warn him of that. He tried to laugh and shake off the feeling of dread which was rapidly overpowering him. but it was useless. Something terrible from which there was no escape was about to happen, of that the money king was certain. As if sensing the source of danger, Vandall gazed into the fireplace at the flickering flames which cast awesome shadows about the room. In horror he saw the little fiery tongues dart forth and in glaring letters form the three significant words. “You are doomed.” At the same time, from a distant corner of the room, the soft ticking of a huge clock came thru the breathless stillness, and. as if reading the message of the flames, it whispered, “You are doomed.” Vandall could not move; his eyes glared and his tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth. As if held under a spell he continued to watch the dancing flames, and as the ominous words vanished, he again saw a transformation taking place, and before him nov arose a scene of pitiful desolation and wretchedness. Hundreds of starving men. women, and children passed before the financier. Ragged, pale and hollow-cheeked they were—tottering, trembling old men and women, weakly crying infants, sobbing mothers, and husbands, with their last feeble breath cursing the greedy men who were responsible for their misery. With pathetically appealing eyes the masses gazed at Vandall, then one by one the wretched beings fell to earth and with a great heart-rending sob they vanished from sight. Little streams of perspiration flowed down Vandall’s horrified countenance; he struggled to arise, but some unknown force held him powerless; his heart throbbed madly in his breast and his throat was dry and parched, yet he continued to gaze in fascination at the fireplace. Now into view came an old woman whose ghastly and withered countenance struck terror to the unfortunate spectator’s heart. Merciful heavens! could she be human? was not this apparition a scowling death head sent to torment and terrify him? But no—she looked strangely familiar; Vandall had seen her before, but where? Ah, yes; she was the prominent figure in the accursed cartoon which he had denounced a few hours before. So the 30

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THE DART JUST AN ACCIDENT RALPH CULLEY It was .just an accident such as might befall any ordinary young man, but it proved to be a particularly fortunate accident for James Meade- “Jim,” as his friends called him. and his chum. Bob Daring, were working as ore-samplers at the largest iron ore-receiving dock on the Great Lakes. Bob’s father was well-to-do and was putting him thru college, but he insisted that Bob must work. Mr. Daring was a successful manufacturer, who. having worked his way up from the bottom, knew the value of training in good hard work and in taking orders. Jim’s parents were of a humbler station in life and he was working his way thru college. When, at the end of their Sophomore year. Jim told Bob that he had secured a position as ore-sampler and that there was another vacancy in the same crew. Bob accepted his invitation to work with him during the summer vacation, for they were inseparable chums. The young men had been at work now for a month and were becoming used to the dangers and thrills of their jobs. They had to go aboard the boats that drew up to the docks, and as soon as the machines had dug into a hatch for six feet or more, the samplers went into the pit, dug in the ore by the bucket, and with a little scoop and a can. took the first sample. When the machines had dug the ore out to the bottom, or nearly so, the men were required to take another sample. They could not get more than three or four scoopfuls in the can before the bucket would come dangling down out of the air, and they would have to run to get out of the pit. for the bucket, which weighed a ton or two, was likely to drop any place. Sometimes the ore would be quite wet, and the bucket would dig almost to the bottom and very little of the ore would cave off; then, all of a sudden, thirty or forty tons of ore would cave off the side of the pit and come sliding down. A man must be very careful not to be caught by one of these slides, for the operator of the bucket is seated in a little car seventy-five feet above the boat and cannot see what is happening to the sampler, even if he should get caught in under the bucket; especially is this true, if he happens to be working on a dark night and if the boat is poorly lighted. But Bob and Jim had become accustomed to such little things, and were getting bolder and more daring, especially Bob, who was all that his last name indicates. On this night in question they had been sent to work half of a boat, one of the largest on the lakes. They were to sample the ore in the last sixteen hatches- As they walked along after climbing aboard, they met some well-dressed gentlemen going forward. “Ah,” said Bob as they passed the party, “We have some ‘High Moguls’ aboard this evening.” “Never mind the ‘High Moguls.’ Throw those cans down and get down there and sweep off the quarter-deck; and step lively and get those first two rounds. We’re late.” Jim said sharply. “I’m going aft to get a lantern. Do you see the poor lights we’ve got to work under?” 32