Barstow School - Weathercock Yearbook (Kansas City, MO)

Page 31 text:

A DISASTER AT SEA Z7 MWC must sneak away from the passengers! No one must suspect, even if it fails. Mr. Lear jumped a foot! Two desperadoes! A murderous plot! And hc must foil it. Picking up his scattered luggage and trying to moderate any appearance of importance. he gave his interpretation of Sherlock l-lolmes's careless shuffle as he silently tracked the two criminals to their doom. But why, when he was so cool, should his umbrella go clattering down the gangplank and splash with a flat gurgle, as he saw one of the men coo words of encouragement to the deadly black box? Again Mr. Lear was distinctly annoyed. l-le couldnt report that an infernal machine was on the boat. But he could follow it about and see that no harm was done. The departure of the big liner was a happy one. The band boomed forth America and an army of white handkerchiefs fluttered over the rail, hiding many a misty eye. The very first throb of the mighty engine certainly sent some kind of thrill up the spine of Mr. P. Q. Lear, first-class. I-le lcft the delightful mysteries of the ship to be explored later.-that is. if there should be any mysteries left after the little black box had done its work,-and sank weakly on a divan facing stateroom 43. Through that door the men had disappeared. Mr. Lear couldn't follow them but he could wait outside and keep faithful guard. l-le puckered up his scanty eyebrows, stuck on vertically instead of horizontally by some slip of nature. and began thinking what pleasant looking scoundrels these laughing fellows were, But then. The more saint-like the person, the worse the sin, he reflected. Mr. Lear was just then awakened from thought by a metallic voice which. just for a minute, he dreamed was that of his stenographer, ordering him to hand over that fresh copy. Then he came back to earth. and realized that he was really crossing the ocean. and that the next voice. cooing uncertainly, with a high girlish giggle on 'he end, belonged to an elderly maid of uncertain age. Miss Almira Perkins was consoling her mates with a dissertation on mankind. Theres not one of them that would play with us. Well, deep sigh, it's their loss, not ours. Nervous giggles. But at that moment their accusing gaze rested on poor Mr. Lear, vainly trying to make himself smaller than the red-plush arm of his com- fortable couch, Ah, that's a nice little mang I know he'l1 come and play bridge with us! Thus it was a very uneasy, squirming man that renigged the ace of hearts and caused lvfiss Almira with remarkable versatility to suddenly veer from one view to another as she remarked, beaming encouragingly on him, An ideal husband need not necessarily be expert at trivial things,

Page 33 text:

A Dlsfxsraiz M' SEA zo Scx'en. eight, nine? just a few more minutes to live! He was petrified! Why had that doctor---here Mr. Lear muttered something very ungentlemanlyl- made him get on this infernal boat to save his nerves? Fourteen, Hfteen-. His nerves were ruined! Seventeen--. He pictured himself hurled violently into the air among splintered timbers, and Miss Almira calling him to put her cards into the golf-bag! A chuckle issued from one of the heartless villains. Twenty-one, twenty-two. twenty-three---. lxlr. Lear by some desperate acrobatic feat clawed at the canvas and thrust out the top of his head. Yes. there was the black box, and one man grasping the cord which held the spring. Twenty-seven. It was only a matter of seconds now. Twenty-eight. 3-- lX4r. Lear was frantic. Twenty-nine?-H. His eyes were glued to that box. He was hypnotized. powerless! Then he found power to close his eyes. Thirty! Where was the explosion? Maybe he was dead! lVIaybe4--- Mr. Lear's eyes openedTopened+-almost burst! From out of that fatal murderous box floated a little white thing, an innocent little tuft of feathers that soared up in the sky and flew straight for that in- visible strip of blue mist that lay beyond the sunset-land! lt was a pigeon, a carrier-pigeon. ohl--! For sometime Mr. Lear lay prostrate in his life-boat, dazed. Inside. two gay young fellows were pounding on the piano and singing. The fifty is yours if she makes No. 8 lN4t. Vernon Street tonight, one was taking breath to say. Ivlr. Lear heard, gathered himself together. crept in, guilty, sheep- ish, glad to find comfort in Almira's clucking brood of sympathetic maidens' DOROTHY SCARRITT, 14915. , .