Bay Ridge High School - Maroon and White Yearbook (Brooklyn, NY)

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Nothing Ever Happens A TRUE STORY BY AUDREY HOAG Woodbury, New Jersey EAR RUTH, D I guess my letters have been pretty dull up to now. Nothing ever seems to happen in Woodbury. In the daytime the natives gossip over the back yard fences and in the evening they crochet . . . such fun! But last night we were seated at the dinner table when the doorbell rang . . . Daddy rose to answer it. He opened the door and there stood a tall, slightly stooped man of about fifty. His high Cheek bones, dark, unfathom- able eyes and coarse black hair proclaimed him of another w0Ild. He twisted a weather beaten hat in his hands as he asked in a voice that had a trace of Western twang: uDo the Dimmicks live here? No. I'm sorry, said Dad. uI believe they occupied this house before we moved in, but I don't know where they are now. HYou couldn't help me find them? The voice was weary now. It's imperative that I get in touch with a young woman who lives with them. I don't know where she is at present and my only hope of finding her is through the Dimmicks. I've traveled quite a distance and I should like to accomplish something before returning home. HPerhaps Alma would know where you could reach her, ventured mother. I'll run over and ask. You come in and rest awhile. You look tired out. With that, she departed for the house across the street. We gazed at the stranger with frank curiosity, and he, sensing this, twisted his mouth in an odd, sad smile. III suppose you are wondering who I am and what my mission is, he said. HI have just come from Washington where some of my friends and I have conferred with the President about providing better housing condi- tions for us Indians. nYou look surprised, my boy, he said, looking at my young brother. nYes, I'm an Indian, but without the blanket and tomahawk with which you usually associate those of my kind. Well, Ruth, I had to blink to keep my eyes from popping out. Imagine such a thing happening to us-especially in a town like Woodbury where nothing ever happens! lll've come to Woodbury to find my daughter whom I haven't seen for nearly twenty years, continued the Indian. llln the summer of 1919, Mr. and Mrs. Dimmick traveled out west, and stopped at our reservation. Bess was a scrawny, neglected child of seven. Her mother had died the year before, and 1, young and ambitious, was attending Colsted University, and unfortunately had little time to tend to her needs. Mrs. Dimmick, in a tour of our Village, was attracted to Bess. Under strange circumstances, Mr. Dimmick rescued the Chief's nephew from the Seventy-six

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for use as Candela Wicks, another form her sister's stinginess took. Lee re- belled against this, too, since she was getting Baggs under her eyes from reading by candlelight. Sis is certainly a iBlodget on the family iscutcheon', said Lee, rue- fuily. HSometimes I feel that I should Welsh on her, but there is nobody to welsh on her to. It is too bad that mother and father are in Europe. A kinder, Braverman never lived than father. He is a perfect quI and Deg- hueest person I've ever knowneand ambitious! HI-Ie worked that whole Gran' Field of Wheat and sugar Kain When he was younger. HBut, sisteneoh! I am barely Ebel to hold up my head. Dick tells me that I am so Cerino, but little does he know that What Israel is that I am very much disturbed at my lot in life. He thinks I havent a Ker in the world, but I Havecker. 'Malone in this Wicked wide world! I cannot Barrett much longer. HWeII, I think it's Tonder go to the Miller, the Baker, and the Weaver to pay my bills, which are many. Ah, me, the Wolfe is at my door . . . soon I won't have a Kupfer to drink from. That reminds me, I must away and cool my fevered brow With an Alka-Stelzer! TI-IE EN D Editor's Note: Serota be a law against this sort of thing. CHEMISTRY, PHYSICS AND BIOLOGY

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death-bite of a rattlesnake, and to show his gratitude and appreciation, the Chief offered to grant the Dimmicks any request. Fantastic as it may seem, Mrs. Dimmick desired to take Bess home with her! Upon hearing this, I was delighted, for I was sure Bess would be well provided for and that she would have many more advantages than I could afford. HSo, early in the fall, Bess set out with her new foster parents. For a few years I kept in touch with them, but gradually we ceased to write. I was busy trying to carve a career for myself, and I did not worry because I knew she was well and happy. HLast winter, however, Bess' grandfather died, and left her some valuable property. It became necessary that I find her. I had no idea where Woodbury was situated, but as I had to go to Washington, I decided to try to find this place, too. I do hope I can find her Just then mother returned. HWe've located her! Alma told me that the young girl who lived with the Dimmicks was married last spring to a nice young man living in I Glassboro. We called up Mrs. Dimmick's daughter and she gave us the address. Here it is. Mother handed the Indian a slip of paper. Our new friend thanked us and prepared to set out for Glassboro. Daddy offered to drive him and they went off together. When he returned some time later without the Indian, we met him with a stream of questions. Bess was living next door to a filling station Which her husband owned and operated. They were not well off and the property was welcome. This morning I was awakened by Miss McGowan, a school teacher who lives next door. She was Hyo-hooing Iin typical Woodbury manneri across the street to Alma. Later she and all the curious natives were going to call on the Indian girl, Bess, and get the lowdown. This, Ruth, is just one of the thousand of exciting events occurring every day in Woodburyeoh, yeah! But seriously, tho'eI'm going to keep this hanging over the heads of all you cityites who say: nOh, nothing ever happens in a small town. Love, AUDREY. Ax ATHLETIC CLUBS Seventy-seven