Bloomington High School - Aepix Yearbook (Bloomington, IL)

Page 13 text:

THE AEGIS THE YOUNGEST AUTHOR EMILY CARLQUIST. Cleopatra Aurelia sank her pointed little chin into a basket made of two brown palms and pondered o'er the Wonderful Idea, Cand don 't you even dare think those last two words without capitalizing themj. Oh ! Her tense little body quivered delightedly, Won,t it be gr-r-r-rand! What? you ask, What is the question at stake, what will be gr-r-r-rand? Perhaps-hm-maybe -ah! Now I have it! She is contemplating discarding the terrible atrocity she has instead of a name and acquiring a real live one like Betty or Peggy or- Oh! Mercy no, you 're quite mistaken. Cleopatra Aurelia became resigned to her dramatic name fifteen whole minutes ago when-oh! no, I take that back it was fourteen minutes since the Wonderful Idea popped into her flaxen bepig- tailed head. Fourteen minutes! Is that all? Why it seemed to Cleo QI wish she would change' her namej patra, etc., that she had possessed it for years and y- well years anyway. She sat before her dressing table in her miniature bedroom in her favorite Cforbiddenj musing position, namely, heels on the topmost rung of her best ma- hogany chair, elbows on knees, chin in palms and gazed unseeingly at her eager little reflection in the shining mirror. Of course if you must have one tell you what the W. I. is, you must but really-excuse me, dear Reader, but you know you are awfully stupid not to guess. Well-here goes, it is that Cleo, etc., is to be an-QOh! I just can 't say itj an-author! There it 's out and I 'm glad of it. Isn't that the grandest ever? Do you' wonder that the precious topmost rung was being nail-dented most f rightfully ? Cleo, etc., unclasped her brown fingers and picked up the huge penholder which was to receive the honor of recording the maiden efforts of the seething young brain. The steel point was jabbed furiously into the well of ink and she was ready to start when-her imagination swerved around a corner and she beheld herself-famous. This little story Q for she admitted to herself she wouldn't attempt anything very huge right at firstj she was to write would startle the publishers so that they wouldn't be able to reply for a day or so she calculated and that meant she wouldn't get her check until Tuesday. That day was Wednesday. She would send it off the next, it would be two days on the way, the publishers could recuperate over Sunday and then Monday morning send her answer. That wouldn't be so bad. Of course she wouldn't say a word to anybody about it- not a soul should know of her wonderful ability until the story appeared in next week's Post with her name attached. Then wouldn't folks almost die? The excitement wa.s almost too much for a twelve Cgoin' on 135 year old girl to stand alone. If only Mumsey were home! But no such luck. Every time Cleo, etc., felt any special need or desire for her mother, some relative had to get married or die or something and couldn't do either without mother's assist- ance. This way, though, she could surprise Mumsey, too, sovshe took back all her uncharitable thoughts and was quite sorry that the relative died for did it get marriedilj. But that was immaterial, she was glad her mother was away whatever happened to it. 9