Barstow High School - El Desierto Yearbook (Barstow, CA)

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V wr ' .S 1 fffs. xl - V. ' . 1. ' almost' as a servant, an uncomplaining subject to the demands of her imperious nature. And now would she leave him alone, and with no portion of that fortune which he had helped to accumulate? Should there be no provision for his declining days? As the old lady sat there, staring hard at the money, she be- came suddenly conscious that someone was watching her. She j umped- up, quickly closed the chest, put it in the closet and replaced the chiffonier. Then she cautiously opened her dolor, looked up and down the hall, but could see no one. ' ' . It .was very late that night before the olde lady retired, as she was busy preparing for her journey. Once she was aroused slightly by a noise at the window, but thinking it to be ze blame kets!' did not bother to investigate. ' lUpon arising next morning the first thing to take her notice was that the old chiffonier was not in the place in which she had left it. An awful fear clutched at her heart. Hastily she pulled out the chiffonier, flung open the door and-thechest was- gone! Yes-her chest was gone! She could not speak or move for some seconds, she could not realize that it was gone, gone-gone! When she regained her speech she called Tom in such a ter- rifying voice that the old gentleman came rushing up the steps, wondering the while what could have happened to his lady. She unlocked the door and he entered. He saw the open closet but could not understand until she explained that the money was gone. He had not known before where she kept her precious fortune. Her plans were--ruined, her life ambitions utterly destroyed. She had passed through all those long years of hardships to end with nothing. Her fortune! She had nothing more to live for. To live would be to struggle on as she had done during all her past life. The thought was intolerable. Old Tom did not know whether to be happy or to be sad, for she could not go now, and he would not have tolive alone. She would stay and they would live on in the store as they had done. Alnd yet-he wanted tosee her happy, he wanted her to go for her own sake. So he doggedly set to work to examine matters. There seemed to be no clue to the robbery. The money, chest, and all, was gone. They did not know whom to suspect. 'Dhe 'door had been locked and-had the closet? No, in her haste the evening be- fore she had forgotten to lock it. . Old. Tom. went for the town sheriff and together they con- tinued investigations. When-what was that Old Tom saw on the window curtain? It was tar, yes and there it was on the sill. He had ag notion that the burglar had entered through the window. He went out the window and found the tar on the porch and traced it to the window of the room across the hall. Then he remembered the man who had occupied the back room that night, and who had left the houseearly in the morning. Immediately they set to searching the town. Inquiries were made atfthe railroad station, tourists were questioned, but no trace Page Eight 4- .:2'J

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f'Deedn't enybudy come un ze train? she asked him in a com- manding voice. . - T A Nobody, he answered. , 'fO?ze curseed luck! -. A . , 1 'tYou-haven't got no kick, responded Old Tom. 'fEvery room's filled but the back.',' -- . . Weel, et mite as weel be feled hedn't hit? T'w'ould be a doller more, if he -was ac-.man 5 a Meexican, 'twould be feefty cents. Hurry yourself and .geet ze lights, tees dark nowf' .She followed him into the store and busied herself behind the counter. T , She heard the slub, Uslub, ' slub, of footsteps on the porch, and there entered a man. He had his hands in his pockets and walked slouchily along, dragging his feet. His.. shoulders were rounded, although not with age, for he was in truth a very ,young man. He wore a shabby suit and shoes covered with tar. From underneath the low pulled vizor of his cap, his little white narrow, eyes gleamed. .Theywere still not one minute, but roved continu4 ously, observing every detail about him. I - '4Yuh got a room? he asked. HA cheap un? ' -'I gives ye one -for ze doller ze nite, for ze week, five dollers you pay en 'vancefl f T a '4One- nitefs all, he answered, slinging a silver dollar on the counter. ' . She then hobbled up the stairs, and he followed. -She ledwhim to the back room which he was to occupy. Then she crossed the hall, unlocked and entered her own room. It had an old andwworn appearance. The wall paper was torn and faded, the curtains hung stiff with dusty There was a small table, covered with boxes and papers, a rocking chair, an old fashioned bed, and, standing ,square against the wall in one corner was a high, broad, old chiffonier. This she pulled away from the wall, disclosing a small closed door. She. opened this and pulled out a small black chest. This she-lugged, to the-comfy old rocking chair and opened it upon her lap. Oh, what a happy old woman was she! There it was, two hundred thousand dollars, in gold and paper. She ran her stubby, hard fingers through it, and grasping a hand-full clutched it tightly. This wasthe result of 'her many years of hard work and saving. This was her reward-the key to her ambition, for with this she was going back to France-back to her own beloved people. How she longed to see them once again! How she had looked forward to that day during all these long-hard years! And at last it was to come! Yes, in a very few days she was going to the coast, where she would take the steamer for home. And Old Tom, was he going too? Oh dear, no! He could take care of himself. The store she was going to sell to Mr. Rant, who was to take possession of it on the following day. When Old Tom had heard of her plans his eyes had filled with tears. Not that he wanted to go to France 5 of that he had not the least desire.. But for years he had toiledf- Page Seven

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couldfbB,fO11.11d-ffgThen.' 1tcWaS1'Sp'orted that one of '-the railroad shop- merfrhady,d-isappelared, and from the description given, 'he was iden- tifiedfasgQ,beling,,theIburglar. Q A rewardlwas offered for his capture 311d'Q.Q1d91 ii -t919g1naPh'Gd,t0 the officers of the near towns and' .citiesQ to---fkeepfif-'sharp look-out, forthe scoundrel, whose greed for .money wasf' about to deprive an old lady of her life ambition. , ...s .f'After!some1-five hours-had passed, 'hours which seemed as so many, days, Old Tomi' burst, into -his wife's room, wild with ex- citementf .He found the 'oldf lady sitting in her chair mute and colorless., 'Her eyes were fixed with- a vacant stare upon something outside of the window, but it was evident that she was not think- ing--of anything, which she saw, V. y y lHHe's caught! f screamed Tom. 4'He's caught! ' Who-What? . Oh, zetheef 'ee ee's caught. Oh, good God, 'ee ees caught? - Her face- brightenedg she- jumped to her feet. v It was not until 'then that Tom realized what the continuance of her plans -would: mean to him. His countenance fell. He was op- pressed by 'the sense of his coming loneliness. She misunderstood the expression and fell again into the chair. r 'fN'o, Tom, etees not. so, you fool mef' g No, l1's No, 'fsaid Tom, once-. again in control of his feelings. c IlfNlS- so! Deputy Lanefof Mark City caught him with the goods. Ha, ha, the. .fool thought he was making a get-away' when his ipartner imet him at the cross roads in that shack of a car. Huh, that's where they were fooled, for their old 'Tin Liz' .decided to have a break-down just before- she got to .the city. I had warned Lane, so he kept his eyes on the highway. Then when he seen the bird comin' in the garage, he snapped on him! When he searched the car he found the cash, ev'ry damn dollar! O--o- was all she said. She sat in a rigid attitude for a long time. Old Tom interrupted the silence occasionally by repeating to her certain details of the affair, all of which she drank in without comment. However, silence was but a cover for her Qusy thoughts. At length she said: ' Tom, and he noticed that her voice was more gentle than usual, would you really mees me very much, Tom, if I don 't come back, never? . s He looked at her in surprise, tried to answer but the words seemed to choke him and his eyes became dim. Then the old lady burst forth: No-I weel not leave you. Only ze trip, ze visit wiz my people. Then I come back to you, QI'om. We donlt work eny more, just buy ze nice lettle house wiz flowers, and ze roses, like my home in France. We weel have a home+a real home. Cvld Tom arose, walked to her side, laid his hand on her shoul- der, and looked at her long and earnestly. Then he turned and quietly went out. LELIA DUNCAN. Page Nine