Astoria High School - Zephyrus Yearbook (Astoria, OR)

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4 their hiding-place into the open alley. The “Amateur Lockbreaker,” after a hasty address to his followers, advanced to the nearest window and gave it a lurch. One second passed, and the school was opened. ‘The window rolled up swiftly and quietly, and six anxious pairs of eyes peered into the questioning obseurity of the primary grade. ‘The steady ticking of a clock met their un- tain ears—all else was silent. The sextette were Sophomores from the school, and they figured revenge ogainst the Seniors. T'was Senior week —five days set apart in which the year’s graduates were allowed to be the only recognized class in the school. | But the Sophomores were revengeful, and they planned to raise their flag above the building and thus humiliate the wilful Seniors. The bundle which the “Cowgirl” possessed was the source of all the ex- citement—the flag. The nineteen-ten students had made their resolve: the flower of the Sophomore class took it upon themselves to act it out. Thus we understand the motive of the sextette as they stood together; peering, listening into the impenetrable gloom. After a hasty glance around in search of danger, the two brave, revengeful trios clambered through the open win- dow, and the perilous journey to the tower commenced. The bold intruders closed the sash be- hind them and then hesitated. Some- thing seemed to tell them that they would fail—fail to raise their honored flag of the gorgeous green and gold; fail to humiliate their enemies, the Seniors— but their spirit of adventure overcame their groundless fears and they tiptoed cautiously between rows of diminutive desks towards the hallway. The boards creaked and groaned beneath the touch of their lightly treading feet, making loud, uncanny noises echo and re-echo out into the empty corridor. On reaching the center of the hallway they made a careful search of their sur- roundings, and, on discovering that all THE ZEPHYRUS was safe, quietly made their way to the narrow flight of stairs which led thirty feet up to the first story. The masked troupe began to ascend the stairs. Creak! Creak! Echoes flew both above and below! The thundering noises of the gallant six hundred could not have been more terrifying. The fourth lad gave the signal; their footfalls ceased. From below and in the direction over which they had traveised came an unwelecme sound—that of ‘“‘creak, creak.”’? Even words were forgotten, and bravery flew to the winds. Five, ten, fifteen minutes elapsed before the housebreakers pro- ceeded on their way. The second and main hall was reached. Here the sextette paused and gazed into one another’s faces. The slanting moon- beams stealing through the hall windows on the floor above lit up the staircase and the part of the lower hall where the intruders were standing. For the last time they strained their hearing facilities to listen for sounds from below, but nothing greeted their anxious ears ex- cept the quartette of ticking clocks which seemed to be the only stirring articles on the second floor. The four dimly-lighted rooms were searched, and the depths of the darkened cloak-halls investigated. All was well—and the ascent to the upper floor started. In reaching the landing on the stairs they again hesitated. From below came a repetition of what they had heaid before—a long, audible creak! The Sophomores were right. Someone or something was following them. They fell on their knees and pressed their ears to the floor in an attitude of listening. The ticking of clocks both above and below was their only reward. The “Gypsy” settled affairs by remarking “It was one of the boards we creaked out of place creaking into place again.” The bold six climbed the remaining stairs and cautiously examined the High School floor. The principal’s room was locked, but the other three were open for inspection, In the depths of one of the

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THE ZEPHYRUS ols lt W ae EY We S A Journal Devoted to Liter ature, School Notes, Athletics, Etc. VOLUME 3 ASTORIA, OREGON, DEC. 1908 NUMBER 1 Che Raising of thessopbomorelflag FANNY GREGORY 710 ” At seven-thirty the ‘‘Gypsy,” accom- panied by the ‘‘Cowgirl,” stealthily en- tered the High School grounds. The night was clear; the stars, set out promi- nently against the dark evening sky, were softened by the wan light of the full moon. The air was crisp; the ground damp—a reminiscence of the lately-departed rain. ’Twas a glorious night, ne’er more nearly perfect--peace- ful, serene, sleepy. The white edifice of the High School towered above its ground floor, and from there rose to a slanting roof whose point rose, still more sloping, to alarge white tower upon which loomed a tall, prominent flagpole. The mys- terious darkness made the whole appear bleak and appalling. The ‘‘Gypsy” and the “Cowgirl” felt this as they walked from the rear of the structure around the sidewaitk and under the main stairs to the ground floor en- trance. “On time!” Four figures sneaked from beneath the shadow of the great stairs—four masked figures, who added to the weirdness of the desolate, damp surroundings. One was tall and angular. From the dim light of a nearby street lamp, one would notice an easy- going swagger about him—a careless, bold personality. He offered masks to the newcomers, and when these were adjusted the sextette dropped into the shadows of the stairs to await oncoming enemies—if there were any. The leader, hereafter known as the ‘‘Amateur Lock- breaker,’ allowed conversation to be carried on in an audible whisper, and thus, as suspense grew, their plans were laid. “Greedy,” the heavyset mystery, gave the startling announcement that some of the Juniors were ‘‘wise”’ to their actions, but he was ‘“‘squelched”’ entirely by the “Swede,” a diminutive lad, who insisted that their plans were as yet unknown by the curious barbaric outsiders. The fourth boy expressed no opinion, his ear being set for sounds of an enemy; and, on the creaking of a step overhead, con- versation ceased, and the bold intruders strained their ears for further devel- opments. One by one the mysteries crept from

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THE {ZEPHYRUS 5 cloak-halls a number of Seniors’ chemis- try aprons were found, and the nineteen- ten class took them in hand for future use upon the roof. Then they began to climb the last and longest flight of stairs —those to the laboratory. On reaching the narrow hall at the top of the stnirs the door which led to the tower was discovered to be heavily padlocked. The “Amateur Lockbreaker’”’ here made him- ‘self prominent by forcing the three locks, and as the door flew open a half-dozen heads bobbed into the wide expanse of the attic. The fourth lad held the lan- tern aloft and surveyed the interior. At the same time the ‘‘Gypsy”’ glided to the top of the laboratory steps and gazed into the dim light below. Were her senses deceiving her, or did a “‘grate, grate’’ sound float up to her ears? Her fears grew when the leader directed “Greedy’’ and herself to guard at the top of the laboratory steps. The four flagraisers began to climb to the tower—and the noise which accom- panied them was enough to frighten the bravest of the brave. The guards below trembled. Above, as the noise increased, the dancing rays of the lantern shone down through a rather dingy skylight. The ‘‘Cypsy’s’”’ eyes were supposed to be watching the right side of the stairs; her companion’s, theleft. Overhead the noise grew in volume, and bits of conver- sation and laughter floated down to the guards’ ears, Suddenly there came a crash from above, followed by an excla- mation and ending in some suppressed giggles. Below, and at the same time, the hearts of the two guards beat faster with fear. Something was moving in the principal’s room. But who could be walking in the principal’s room when the door was locked? It meant but one thing— the principal himself! Louder grew the noise above. “Greedy’s”’ one thought was to run up and warn his classma tes, but he could not take his eyes from off the dreaded door. ‘The guards waited in fear, but the stirring apparently died away and they began to breathe more freely. Still unwelcome sounds came from above. The flagraisers were evidently engaged in a war dance up on the roof. Then the increase of the noise told the guards of their returning. Down the ladder— thump, thump, thump—came the ava- lanche. At the same time the noise burst forth from the principal’s room! With a bound the guards left their posts upon the stairs and gained the upper landing, just as the guilty four burst through the door. ‘The flagraisers’ tale died on their lips at a signal from the guard. ‘The sound in the principal’s room was just on the other side of the door now—one second and it would be opened! The members of the nineteen-ten class crouched breathless, and waited. (To Be Continued) more, The Spiced Rye Bread Hun ESTHER NYLAND ’09 Gottfrid sat looking at his bread and milk with a thoughtful face, which caused his mother to ask rather sharply the rea- son for this quietness. Much to her sur- prise he answered, “Thanksgiving Day.” Now this was an entirely new subject to Mrs. Jenson, who had come from Sweden not more than nine months since to make a living for her three children, Gottfrid, aged ten, being her oldest and also her assistant. In trying to explain the day to his mother, he asked, ‘Have we anything to be thankful for, ‘Moder’? Because the a