Buffalo Seminary - Seminaria Yearbook (Buffalo, NY)

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SEMINARIA 1943 19 A Bnnus fur Banners LOWERfCLASS STORY Mrs. Lorey picked u The Chicago Evening News, read the article once more, and then looked out ofJ the window with eyes slightly squinted, as if she saw something that was invisible to others. She was an elderly woman with an inf tellectual air, and her plump figure was swathed in a dull blue silk dress that matched the blue of her eyes to perfection. The fingers that held the paper were long and graceful, but her nails were trimmed short, and there was something about the severity of the ashfcolored hair brushed back from her face which made her seem very businessflike. She tore herself from her reverie and again looked down at the Ladies' Page of the paper. In the left hand corner in stern black print was written A Bonus for 'Boners', and underneath was an explanation of the offer. This American paper offered a prize, a reward, a bonus, for people who were sporting enough and im- personal enough to offer up their mistakes on the altar of humor. The only stipula- tion was that the letters be written by their subscribers and mailed before mid' night that Saturday. It wasn't that Mrs. Lorey needed the money, or even wanted it for that matter, but the idea intrigued her. A Bonus for 'Boners' -Mrs. Lorey knew her subject. She took a wellfsharpened yellow pencil in her hand, looked down at the pale blue paper, let the pencil fall again, leaned back in her chair, and let her thoughts wander. Although it was many years ago, it seemed like yesterday, when Bill had kissed her at the Landons' party, and told her he wanted her to belong to him forever. She had been only twenty, and Bill hadn't had much money, so when they were married they had gone to live with Bill's mother and father in the large house on High Street. Mrs. Lorey hated the old house with the heavy old- fashioned fumiture, and all of the Lorey ancestors glaring down from their frames at her. She especially despised Aunt Eliza and Uncle Egbert Lorey who seemed to dominate the whole house from above the living room mantel. Uncle Egbert was a very meekflooking soul, and Mrs. Lorey fancied she heard Aunt Eliza sniff every time she entered the room. As years went on, Bill and jean were left sole pos' sessors of the home, but still Aunt Eliza and Uncle Egbert glared! Bill was now doing very well at the Chicago Bank and he had risen from a teller to vicefpresident in twelve years. jean had had two adorable children, Bonnie, a blonde child with her mother's eyes, and Bill, jr., who was the image of his father. Both youn sters were in school. jean and Bill had saved up enough money to send them to coiege, and now came the time for which jean had been waiting. One night when Bill was reading in the parlor, and she and Aunt Eliza had been exchanging unpleasantries for a half hour, she decided to bring up the question.

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18 SEMINARIA 1943 low disappear behind sullen, gray clouds, to be replaced by sudden flashes of Eghtning and by a delu e of rain which could not have struck the earth since Noah's time. With no tiought of reaching home, they dashed into the nearest entrance to the animal house. Rick, always the gentleman, waged a losing battle with the swiftfrising wind, but valiantly held the door for jerry. Once inside, they almost wished they had sprinted home. The animal house, already warm because of the day, was fast becoming sultry. Although the denizens of the jungle may have felt at home in the stuffy atmosphere, the dripping sightfseers, who every minute increased in numbers, became convinced that they would never be jungle explorers and Frank Buck's. The building, besides being permeated with the usual animal scents and the additional odor of wet clothing and people, was soon filled with the roaring of the caged beasts, as the lightning and thunder increased, stirring up whatever fighting spirit they had. Jerry, still clinging desperately to Rick's hand, lapsed again into a reverie almost disheartening now in its implica- tions. She was startled into reality by Rick's matterfofffact voice. With a plaintive look on his open face and a straightening of his broad shoulders, he inquired, Why d'you look so worried? You needn't be afraid because I can take care of you. See, l'm not scared even if the lions do roar and there is thunder and lightning. I'm brave enough to take care of both of us, and please stop worrying about Daddy, 'cause nothing can ever happen to him, Mommy. There in Rick's voice Jerry found the courage she needed to give her hope for the future. Then she stopped worrying about Daddy and began instead to wonder when her fourfyearfold might join the marines. Louisa HARPER, '43 0 COBWEBS Caught in the rays of the early morning sun The dewdrops glisten, Like many dancing opals, On the network of silvery, gossamer threads. JOAN WATERS, '44

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20 SEMINARIA 1943 Of course, Bill had said. We can easily afford it. So the next day jean had started to redecorate the house. She discarded the mahogany and the walnut for birdseye maple, and the heavy draperies and portieres gave way to Brussels Lace. A beautiful gas log with an odorless flame was a happy substitute in the place where a wood fire used to crackle, and a look of triumph stole over Mrs. Lorey's face when she stood in the front door of her fashionable home and watched two burly moving men carry out Aunt Eliza and Uncle Egbert from their accustomed places over the mantel. As the front door closed upon them she watched with no regret Aunt Eliza's sniff for the last time and Uncle Egbert's last disapproving glance from the corner of his eye. She had sold them for very little money, but what could one expect from two pictures like that, and besides it had been almost enough money to pay for the etching of Paris in the Spring which now occupied the coveted place over the gas log. Now that her house was redecorated Mrs. Lorey would go on through life contented. There was nothing that she wanted. The years flew by, and now Bonnie was attending a fashionable boarding school, and Bill was getting good grades in an eastern college. But something was weighing heavily on the mind of jean, something that needed to be straight- ened out. One morning during vacation when Mrs. Lorey and her two children were eating breakfast later than usual, she carefully and tactfully led the conf versation to a subject that had been troubling her. Other families have guests, why not ours? Other children bring their friends home and share the companion' ship with their parents. Your father and I would like closer contact with your friends. Is there any reason why you do not make it possible? Bill ate furiously, his face very red. Bonnie, seeing that there was no hope of help from her brother, took the conversation as gently as she could into her own hands. Blue eyes met blue eyes earnestly and truthfully. Look, mom, it isn't your fault. You and dad are swell. It's this house. It isn't comfortable or homey. It looks like it grew up when someone had an hour with nothing to do. Nothing looks old, or used, or loved, or lived with. You'd never know we had grandparents! If Mrs. Lorey felt a sting at her daughter's words, her voice, in spite of it, was cool as she answered, I never saw it just that way, children. I'll see what can be done about it by your next vacation. Now that the children had gone back to college Mrs. Lorey was free to ponder the matter over in her mind. She decided to secure the services of the best interior decorator in Chicago, and see what he could do about making their house a home. The interior decorator was really making an improvement. He had brought divans, soft colored carpets, and comfortable chairs, and now the house really looked lived in. He had told her he would be through by the end of the week, and he was faithfully keeping his promise. On Friday afternoon Mrs. Lorey was sitting in the parlor enjoying the new coziness when the decorator strode breathlessly into the room. I've got it, I've got it!, he gasped, I've got just the thing to com' plete this room. What is it? , replied Mrs. Lorey in a tone that sounded as if it just came out of the ice box.