Bourne High School - Canal Currents Yearbook (Bourne, MA)

Page 18 text:

CANAL CURRENTS, BOURNE HIGH SCHOOL The Lesson Slowly and critically, for the fifth consecutive time, Annette Wilson surveyed herself in the long glass of her walnut dress- ing-table. What she saw there was a reflection that any young girl her age might well be proud of, and, in the words used more than once to describe her, proved to be “not bad, not bad at all.” A slim, sophisticated girl of about 17, clad in evening-dress, gazed back at her from a pair of very big, china-blue eyes. They were fringed with thick, black lashes, contrasting sharply with her bright yellow hair which was “done” in the latest Parisian style — high on her head and gathered there in a cluster of bright, golden curls. Her face was heart-shaped and although her nose was pert and small, making her seem a little child- ish, yet she had a knowing, proud, woman-of-the-world air about her. The dress was one like those she had always dreamed of own- ing, plain, black, slinky, and a little bit daring — so different from those awful pink things that were all sash and ruffles, and which she hated so! For tonight she was grown-up! Oh how long she had waited for tonight to come and now it had come. It was New Year’s Eve and she was going with Mother and Dad to a real, honest-to- goodness night club. No “infants” would be there and she would never be embar- rassed as she was when Joe Hodges took her to the school dance in February and stepped on her dress with his big clumsy feet and persisted in calling her “toots” or “kid” whenever any- one older was within earshot. After that, “Ophelia”, his relic of a car in which they were sup- posed to ride home and which she had implored him to park down a side street, “froze up” on him and she was obliged to wait a whole hour, her feet numb with the cold, before he had thawed “’er” out and they were chugging slowly home. What if Joe was the captain of the foot- ball team and she was eyed with envy by all the other girls? But she was much too old for that now and she would think no more about it. “Annette, Annette dear!” Sharply her mother called from her bedroom and Annette, for- getting her high heels, inter- rupted her thoughts to rush across the hall turning her ankle sharply. “Annette,” her mother began, “I nearly forgot to men- tion that we are to meet an old friend of your father’s and mine tonight. He has traveled a great deal and written several books on Egyptian relics.” Her mother was tall, and middle-aged, with regular features and graying hair. Annette’s face lit up. “Of course, Mother,” she answered, remembering once — was it only four short months ago? — when she had, with the aid of two of her friends, let the air out of the tires of a car belonging to another of her father’s friends whom she termed a “fossil”. What had changed her views on life and caused her to grow up so quickly? Perhaps it is a stage that all girls are destined Page Sixteen

Page 17 text:

CANAL CURRENTS, BOURNE HIGH SCHOOL After seeing a production one is quite apt to be heard exclaim- ing, “Gee, what a swell picture that was,” or vice versa, never realizing he has watched 129,600 separate pictures if the show ran an hour and a half. If these few facts have aroused your interest, why not visit a theatre outside of show times and seek permission from the manager to enter the projection room and get really astonished at the sight of the equipment and a more detailed account of projection? Every manager is anxious to please his patrons and every projectionist is proud of his projection room and in their spare time will be pleased to show a few of the patrons “be- hind the scenes”. John Wilson, ’40. Where I Should Like To Travel To tell you just where I should like to travel, would be to write a story of the whole world — for there is really no place where I should not like to go; however, there are some places which seem to be more fascinating than others. Who could doubt the romantic lure of a Hawaiian cruise, night on a tropic sea, soft music from muted strings, and as much pineapple as one would like? Then there is Paris. The single word Paris conveys an irresist- ible meaning — glamorous, excit- ing. It means history and art, style and beauty, fun and laugh- ter, sparkling wines and exotic perfumes; in fact, Paris is a lit- tle of everything fascinating. Third on my visiting list would be the Orient. Shanghai, sinis- ter d anger, waterfront cafes with drunken sailors and vile looking Chinese men — to say nothing of chopsticks and the probability of being bombed at any moment! Such an experience would be something not easily forgotten. Finally, before returning from my wandering, a caravan in the trackless desert, mountain climbing in the Alps, and sail- fishing off Key West would at- tract my attention. Then back to Cape Cod’s golden sunsets and russet hills. Let me come back in Autumn to rain-swept fields, and pumpkins, and orange and scarlet hills — home! Constance Swift, ’40. Page Fifteen

Page 19 text:

CANAL CURRENTS, BOURNE HIGH SCHOOL to go through, that romantic, ex- citing time when older people, especially men who treat them importantly, appeal to them. An- nette was at this very stage now and so far there had been exact- ly three of them in her life, a retired polo-player, a grizzled war veteran, and a long-forgot- ten matinee idol. They were all nearly old enough to be her fath- er and took no special notice of her, yet she imagined herself madly in love with each of them. It never lasted more than three or four weeks at a time. Then it would wear off and she would act more natural again. Anyway, Annette’s mother was getting a little tired of the whole matter and like most mod- ern mothers of today, had a ready remedy for this problem of her daughter’s. It had never come into the spoiled girl’s mind to wonder why her mother and father had consented so quickly when she expressed her desire to spend the holiday at a night club of all places! They were both middle-aged, reserved, and re- tiring but tonight was New Year’s Eve and anything could happen. At last they were there, the great lights of the “Silver Slip- per” illuminating the whole block. Inside, all was noise and laughter, crowds, music, dancing, and much confetti. Somehow they reached a table and An- nette in her glory, a smile wreathing her face, flopped into a chair. “This is the life,” she thought and gazed happily around her. After a while, her mother and father joined the dancers and she was left alone sipping her ginger-ale, happy just to be there in the midst of it all. Soon her parents returned bringing with them — goodness, bringing with them the most dis- tinguished looking man she had ever seen! He was about 30, tall and slender, with finely chiseled features and a tiny mustache. His hair was dark brown con- taining faint white streaks at the temples which added to his attractiveness. “Could this be the friend whom Mother had mentioned?” she wondered vaguely as they threaded their way to her. Sure enough, his name was Rodney Townes (he was a native of England) and his first words were, “Why Jane, you never told me that you had such a grown-up and and pretty daughter.” From then on Annette was stricken. She felt a bit dizzy and warm. When he spoke to her she was unable to answer him with the “cute” retorts which had always been so ef- fective with the boys she knew. When he asked her to dance she knew the height of happiness. He was a perfect dancer, guiding her about without any apparent effort while telling her of his experiences in Egypt and she listened in breathless wonder. It was 11:45. Soon it would be midnight and waiters were dis- tributing paper hats, horns, con- fetti, and streamers to the pat- rons. Annette set her little hat at a rakish angle. Her mother and father followed suit and Rodney, not to be outdone, donned his. It was a ridiculous paper thing and when the band began to play “Auld Lang Syne” and Rodney began to blow his Page Seventeen