Astoria High School - Zephyrus Yearbook (Astoria, OR)

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8 THE ZEPHYRUS Grandfather, who was dying, sent for my father to come over to England to him. Mamma was very delicate, so he went alone. Soon afterwards Grandpa died, and Papa started for home; but the ship on which he sailed was wreck¬ ed, and poor Papa was drowned. We used to live in New York; but after that Mamma moved out here, and she and Aunt Mary took in sewing, but Mamma has been sick for a long time now.” , Taking Gladys in his arms, the man said: “Do you know little one, I am your father and have been searching for you and your mother for over four years.” When Aunt Mary heard the story she was so surprised that she could hardly speak but he was the same George who had left them five years before and when he said, “God bless you Mary, for staying with Nell all the time,” she hurried away saying: “I had better tell Nell at once, but it is a hard task for it will harm her to be excited.” When A unt Mary entered the room where Nell was, she was at once ask¬ ed whom she had been talking to. “Now don’t get excited, Nell, it was only one of the neighbors, who called to ask how you were,” she replied. “Oh the voice sounded to me so much like George’s,” and the flush which had died her cheek gave place to its usual pallor. “I wonder if I shall ever see him again.” Then gazing longingly out of the window, she said: “Do you know Mary it doesn’t seem to me that he can be dead.” “And when we landed I searched could wait no longer. Then he told them how he had been saved, and how his name had been left out of the list of the saved by mistake, “And when we landed I searcheed for you, my Nell, for you and for our baby. No one knew where you were, and while you lived here in poverty, I lived in luxury, for father left us his entire fortune; but we are united at last, through our little Gladys, our “Little Heroine.” BIRDIE WISE. When the Fruit Cake In Handy, By Gayle Roberts. “Good-bye.” Write soon.” “Be back at Easter.” “Don’t forget to give my love to Grace.” These were a few of the remarks that Dorothy heard as she got on the train bound for home from college. She settled herself and her many be¬ longings comfortably in the two large seats, and waited for the three min¬ utes of grace to pass when she should be whirled away from her friends. Two minutes of grace had expired, when every one was startled by the cry, “O, do wait, Dot, you must have this,” which cry seemed to come from the other side of the station. Every one turned and beheld Betty — dear, kind-hearted, though behind- time Betty — running at the top of her speed, hair flying, no hat, and bearing in her up-stretched hands, what ap¬ peared to ge a large band-box. Dorothy hastily opened the window, and Betty thrust into her hand this same band-box, the bottom of which seemed rather warm. “It is the fruit cake mother made for you,” explained Betty breathlessly. It is rather warm yet for it just came from the oven.” Dorothy carefully deposited the cake on the seat beside her, and just

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THE ZEPHYRUS 7 A Little Heroine. It was indeed lucky that Aunt Mary returned from her visit when she did; for her neice was very sick and the house going to ruin under the care of the girl she had left in charge. Aunt Mary always looked on the bright side of things, but she was wor¬ ried now for there was but a dollar in the house, and when she told little Gladys to go to the grocer’s and ask for credit, there was a strange quaver in her voice that made the little girl wonder. But the grocer was very kind and filled thee basket, putting in many things that Aunt Mary had not ordered. “I think I had better send it to your home as it is too heavy for you,” he said kindly, “and tell your Aunt that she can have all the grocer¬ ies she wishes.” After thanking him for his kind¬ ness, Gladys started home, but she had gone only a little distance when she suddenly stopped. There on the sidewalk lay a quarter. Slowly stoop¬ ing, she picked it up and wondered if it was right for her to keep it. “I can never find the person who lost it,” she thought at last, “so I guess it is mine.” Just then she was passing a toy shop. The window was full of toys and in the center was a little doll. Oh what a beautiful doll! I wonder if it costs more than a quar¬ ter,” were thoughts that were pass¬ ing through her mind. In that brief instant she had forgoten her mother and how she had wished to help her. She gazed at the quarter and then at the doll and at last walked into the store. When the clerk asked her what she wanted she was rather frightened, but at last asked how much the doll was. “Thirty cents,” was the answer. “Oh! And I have only twenty- five,” and tears came into her eyes. “Well, don’t cry little girl. I’ll let you have it for twenty five.” Soon little Gladys was trudging homeward with her treasure. As she neared the little cottage which was her home, she suddenly remembered her sick mother. “And I could have bought some¬ thing for Mamma with my quarter,” she thought. “I wonder if the man would take it back?” She looked down at the doll and said: “Yes, dol¬ ly, I would like to keep you, but Mam¬ ma is sick and we are very poor.” The doll only smilied as before; and chok¬ ing down a sob Gladys started once more for the store. There was a gentleman talking to the man behind the counter, but they stopped talking as Gladys entered and again sne was asked what she wanted. Her voice was very low as she re¬ plied. “Please Mister will you take this doll back? I forgot about Mam¬ ma being sick and poor when I found the quarter, so I bought it.” ‘“Take it back?” asked the man. “Well, if it is not dirty I think I might, and he took the doll and gave Gladys her puarter. She started to go, but was called back by the gentleman who had been watching her all the time. “Wait a minute little girl, and I’ll buy the doll for you,” he said kindly. “There are very few little girls who would make the sacrifice. What is your name?” “Gladys Woods,” was the reply. The man was very white as he drew her to his knee and said: “Tell me about your father.” Gladys was puzzled by his strange looks, but began the story that her mother had so often told her. “When I was about a year old my

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9 THE 2EPHYRUS at that moment the train started and she was whirled away from her friends. It was the evening of the twenty- second, and Dorothy had hoped to be at home on the evening of the twenty- fourth— Christmas Eve. The next morning, she found to her dismay, that she was the only girl on the train. However as all the men were respect¬ able looking, she put her dismay in her pocket and a large piece of fudge in her mouth, and settled herself com¬ fortably to read. All of that day passed without any unusual occurrence, but shortly after midnight, Dorothy was awakened by the cry — “Snow, drift on the track.” She hastily scrambled from her berth and ran to the rear platform and looked out. Nothing could be seen save the pure white snow, piled in great heaps along the track, and men with lanterns peering under the cars. As there was nothing more to be seen, Dorothy was about to return to her car, when a brakeman appeared, carry¬ ing a lantern, and of him she inquired the cause of the disturbance. She was informed that “the engine had run in¬ to a blamed old snow-drift and could not be fetched out,” — whereat she re¬ returned to her car none the wiser. There was no sleep for anyone the rest of the night, and as nothing could be done to get the engine out of the predicament until daylight, everyone returned to his car. As soon as the sun rose the men went to the next station to telegraph for help, but discovered to their dis¬ may that the lines were down. There was nothing to be done but to wait until help came, and as there was no dining car on the train, this was no easy thing to do. However, the con- Said inquisitive Jonathan Force, To the singer, Professor Keith: “To have a fine falsetto voice, Must you have a false set of teeth?” ductor found a b'b .pf, coffee, and a barrel of nuts in the baggage car, and they breakfasted on these. As no relief train came that day, their luncheon and diner was neces- arily the same, and everyone went to bed wondering if he must always live on a local, and feast on coffee and nuts. When the Christmas sun arose he looked down upon a rather sorry sight. Among those several dozen men, only one girl with a very blue nose and chattering teeth appeared. She was wrapped in numerous over¬ coats and blankets. Some of the men, of course, grumbled at having to spend Christmas on a snowbound loc¬ al, while others sighed to think of the turkey they themselves had helped to fatten. After a breakfast of coffee and nuts, and a contemplated Christmas dinner of the same, Dorothy suddenly bethought herseelf of the fruit cake. “Why not cut that and give it to the men for Christmas dinner?” thought she. So she caled one of the men and asked him to open the larg box on the seat beside her. He did as she desir¬ ed, and brought to view a most beau¬ tiful fruit cake, large enough to sup¬ ply the needs of all. Soon after the last crumb had van¬ ished between the gleaming teeth of the negro porter, help came and they were towed in triumph to their des¬ tination. That night as Dorothy was dressing to go to a Christmas party, a bunch of Christmas violets, almost as large as the Christmas cake, were sent up. After that for several days, flowers and boxes of candy found their way to her home; and it was many days ere Dorothy was allowed to forget “when the fruit-cake came in handy.” “Little grains of powder, Little daubs of paint Make a girl’s complexion Look like what it ain’t.”