Bloomington High School - Aepix Yearbook (Bloomington, IL)

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20 THE AEGIS Why yes, I guess so, if you keep at it long enough. How about it, old Poll? said Dick, turning around to look at the bird who hopped discon- solately around in her cage. f Polly wants a cracker! she said crossly. I love you! said Bob, distinctly to the bird. Oh, my land, Polly answered with a croak of fright and a flutter of feathers. They all laughed and turned their attention to Polly, who was very nervous. Well, that sounded like Miss Selina, didn't it, said Betty going back to her papers with a sigh. Well its leap year said Bob meaningly. A few days later, Mr. and Mrs. Price were again at their table. From the dining-room came much laughter and talking. I just can 't imagine what those children are up to, said Mrs. Price to her husband, dropping her knitting into her lap. How's that? said Mr. Price, looking up sharply from the map, on which he was tracing the latest marches in the war. Well something's up, she said decidedly, for they have been laughing to themselves, and I never knew them to be so affectionate! She stopped for breath and took up her knitting again. Why Bob is always letting Betty know he loves her and then, Dick says, go to it, and then they all laugh. Even the parrot has caught it. Mr. Price went back to his absorbing occupation and said absently, Oh well, they 're all right. ' H 'Tisn't natural for children to be so affectionate. Mrs. Price was un- satisfied for she knew that healthy growing sisters and brothers didn 't spend so much of their time, telling how they loved each other. So the days passed. and Polly acquired many new words for her vocabulary, and she was especially efticient in talking slang, but her intuition failed to tell her just when and where to use it. At length Miss Selina came back, breathing a sigh of relief at getting away from the everlasting noise of the elevated. Before she took off her new city coat she came over to get her parrot. Polly was very quiet as she was carried back to her accustomed place in the sunny parlor window but Miss Selina was overjoyed to hear her say crooningly, as she fMiss Selinaj came tripping down the stairs, I love you. Why you darling Pollyll' cried Miss Selina, with tears of joy in her eyes. So you did miss me! She playfully stuck her fingers through the bars of the cage to scratch Polly 's head. Go to -! said Polly crossly, and then Miss Selina wept. Do you wonder that she cried? She was all alone, day after day, and her only companion in all the years since her father died, was the bird. But as the tears ran down her cheeks, she looked with a start at the calendar,- Thursday-and at the clock-seven-thirty- Oh dear me! She jumped up and hurried up the stairs, the bird forgotten, for on every other Thursday

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THE AEGIS 19 now that Spring's here, though it don't seem like 'tis and you 've been home all winter. I think it 's fine. If o11ly 'twern't for the fire and the parrot, started Miss Selina. Mrs. Price turned with the pie tin in her hand and laughed. Now, if you had three children, a husband and a dog, you might talk, but nothin' will freeze now without a fire, and your parrot will be real amusing to the children. Now you just go on and have a good time and come back fat and sassy. ' What 's neighbors for if not to help one another and Polly won 't be a bit of trouble. Miss Selina looked grateful to have Mrs. Price grasp the situation and save her the mortification of asking a favor, however small. Oh what pride the Haslett's had had, and in her as the last one, it all seemed concentrated. As their fortunes decreased their pride grew greater, until now Miss Selina with her simple cottage a11d parrot had changed from a simple, unaffected girl, into a silent, rather lonely woman, but one just couldn't stay cold and distant for very long in Mrs. Price's cheery presence, so it was a softened and a pathetically grateful Selina, who with her fascinator wrapped tightly over her head made her way with dignity across the fresh green yard, that sepa- rated her simple white cottage from the Price's rambling house. So it was, that a few days later, Polly Ann was carried in, croaking and gently exclaiming, by her greatly perturbed mistress. Dear me, .I hope she doesn't get cross, cried Selina hovering about the cage. Sometimes she does take strange spells. So with many backward glances, she left. That evening Mrs. Price and her husband were sitting near the glowing lamp in the living room. The children, with their books before them were strangely silent. Dear me, ex- claimed Polly Ann, as though in a gentle, breathless excitement. Mrs. Price laughed, Land sakes, that bird does give me a scare. She talks for all the world just like Selina. Don't wonder though, they are alone all the time, ex- cept on every other Thursday night when the Judge comes to call. Mr. Price looked up and smiled at his wife across the table. Evidently, said he, the Judge didn 't say much or else the bird would have picked up some expression. Its a queer case surely. Its gone on just the same only with them getting farther apart all the time, and both too proud to change things. Mrs. Price shook her head. Oh my heart l said Polly Ann tragically. Poor Polly laughed Betty looking up from the papers she was correct- ing. Betty, the eldest of the three, taught in a country school near there. Is life so hopeless? Bob, who had been sitting with his head propped in his hands whistled- l'vo got an idea. Impossible, said Dick, the older brother, without looking up from the complicated drawing i11 front of him. Say! continued Bob, his eyes twinkling with animation. You can teach parrots to say anything, can't you?

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THE AEGIS 21 night, just as the grandfather's clock struck eight, the Judge came to call. This had been the case for ma11y years and would probably happen for many more. It had unconsciously become a habit for him to call at eight and leave at nine-thirty. She even wore the same black silk dress on every occasion, but at eight o'clock tonight, she was not there to open the door for him, so he walked in. QKeys had long ago disappeared from the doors.l He blinked as he entered the softly lighted room. No doubt, he missed not having Miss Selina silently open the door. He appeared to be strangely restless tonight. He looked around and saw Miss Selina coming down the stairs. He turned to put down his hat. I love you, said a voice sweetly soft, yet with a notice- able break in it. It was at once a question and an exclamation. Miss Selina who was crossing the room to cooly give the Judge her ha11d, as was their custom, gasped. The Judge, turned to the trembling Selina, startled. Go to it, continued the bird in no gentle tones. A smile slowly broke on the ster11 face of the Judge, as though his leathery skin cracked at the un- aecustomed effort. He held out his hands, Come Selina, we have waited quite lo11g enough. Their eyes met and her gaze fell quickly to the floor and be- fore she k11ew what she was doing, she was in his arms. Some time later, the Prices were at dinner when the mother said, You can 't guess what I heard this morning. She didn 't wait for them to guess. The Judge and Selina are going to be married and that spiteful Mary Jenkens says that she probably proposed, herself. The children looked at each other, with expressive glances. Maybe, she did, said Bob calmly, Its leap year, and he continued eating his dinner as though nothing had happened. Well you do beat all, and Mrs. Price dropped her hands in her lap, and looked at her family in disgust. COMPLEINT OF A SENIOR T0 HIS PURSE QApologies to Chaucerj. DOROTHY VANPETTEN. To you, my purse and to non other Wight Compleyne I for ye be my closest friende I am so sory now that ye be lyghte For certes, I have nothing now to spende Me were as leif my life would ende For which unto your mercy thus I crye Beth hevy ageyn, or elles mot I dye.