Butler High School - Magnet Yearbook (Butler, PA)

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THE MAGNET 7 were to be entertained at the Decker home. He thought that by keeping the information to himself, he could use it to his advantage By means of his sister he persuaded Ruth to help him out, and on the evening of the dinner he flew out from Washington in his friend’s machine and alighted carefully on the roof of the house. As he did so, the trap in the roof was opened and Ruth came out. He succeeded in overcoming her objections to the plan, so she went below and returned with the plans, secured from the safe in her father’s room. He then started the engine and glided quietly from the roof, rising rapidly into the air and starting toward Washington, which he reached without any mishap, and his friend placed the papers in the department vault. Needless to say that although the attempt to secure the plans was made by one of the agents of the conspirators, nothing could be found. Mr. Decker had completed the papers that day, and, after the guests had departed, he decided to look them over to see that they were in shape, as he was sending them by one of his agents to England the next day. Upon opening the safe he discovered that they were not in their usual place, and, thinking that he might have placed them somewhere else, he searched thoroughly, but without avail. He was mucl disturbed and immediately telephoned to the detectives attached to the legation and notified them of the loss. He did not tell Ruth, as he did not wish it to become know, but as several days passed and he could find no clue to their whereabouts, he finally told Ruth about the loss, and she decided that it was time for them to try their plan. She, accordingly, told Russel, when he called that evening over the phone, as he had done every day since the papers were taken to come out that evening. He came and told Mr. Decker that he, by a little detective work of his own, had discovered where the plans were. He could also guarantee that they had not been examined and would produce them on condition that Mr. Decker would agree to the marriage of his daughter to him. Mr. Decker could not do otherwise than give his consent, saying, as he did so, that he admired Russel’s persistence and ingenuity and believed that he would get along very well with him as a son-in-law. M. VERNE REED-

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6 THE MAGNET The Diplomacy of Love. HEN J ohn Russel Beach graduated from Boston Tech with his degree of A. M. in Design, he decided to spend a few weeks at the home of a chum from his home-town, now located in Washington, and learn to fly, which was a hobby of his chum. He was very much in love with Ruth Decker, the daughter of an attache of the British legation in Washington, and also a chum of his sister Helen. Ruth and Helen were co-eds in Boston Tech, in their Junior year, and room-mates. During his last year at school Russel had been much in the company of the two girls, if he could not persuade his sister to remain behind and give him Ruth to himself, which was very infrequent, to his way of thinking. While she evidently liked him, neither she nor her father would allow it to become more than a platonic friendship, notwithstanding the expostulations and entreaties of Russel. The Decker home was situated eighteen miles from Washington, on a tract of about eighty acres, ‘mostly wooded, and was a large, old-fashioned house of twelve rooms, two stories high, with the roof almost flat, and a balustrade around the edge. Here the family, which was composed only of Ruth, her father and the house-keeper, as her mother had died when she was very young, spent the summer, Mr. Decker moving into Washington in the winter when Ruth was in school. He had been attached to the legation for five years, and this was hi; last one, as he intended to return to his home in England and devote his time to his affairs in that country. However, it became known to a few interested parties that he had in his possession and was working on some papers and plans, which would be very useful to one of the minor nations of Europe. On two occasions attempts to secure them had been made by guests at dinners given at the house, but so far no one was successful, and they were kept safely concealed. The summer following the graduation of Russel, Ruth had invited Helen to stay a couple of weeks with her at her home, an invitation which was gladly accepted by Helen, as it would give her an opportunity to meet a great many friends and former classmates, and she would also have a splendid time before returning to her small home town for the summer. It was also noticed that Russel spent a good portion of the same time in and about Washington. He was there for the ostensible purpose of visiting his friend the aviator, who was now in the government service in the state department, but, as it may be supposed, the friend did not see a great deal of Russel. Nevertheless he knew him well enough not to be offended at anything he might do, for when he once got his mind settled on a thing, he was very liable to do it, and he seemed to have his mind set cn being with or near Ruth until she either accepted him or threw him flat. She finally agreed to marry him if he could get her father’s consent, but he soon discovered that this was not so easy as it might seem. He succeeded in getting his sister to see his side of the question, and she agreed to do her part in a plan which he decided to undertake. He had discovered, through a few words which had been dropped by one of the agents, who were after the papers and plans, that an attempt was to be made to secure them on a certain evening on which several foreign diplomats

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8 THE MAGNET A New Point of View. HE Tucker family lived in a very beautiful house surrounded by large, well-kept grounds, through which a long graveled drive led up to the house. In the library a very heated discussion was being carried on by Mr. and Mrs. Tucker and their daughter, Anita, who was twenty years old. She was their only daughter, and their son, who was three years older, was away at college, but would be home before long, as it was now the early part of May. Anita had had an attack of grip during the winter and had never gotten altogether well again. Dr. Roberts, the old family doctor, had just been there and said that she must go to the country for several weeks. This caused an outburst from Anita, who had always enjoyed every luxury and had been used to having her own way. “Mother, I just won’t go,” she exclaimed. “Imagine having no electric lights or gas! I was never there to stay, but they say the people go to bed at eight o’clock and get up at five. That would never make anyone well. Anyway, I’m not sick; that horrid old doctor is just trying to make me believe I am.” Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes bright, but her parents could tell that it was not a healthy color, but only nervous excitement. Her father threw back his head and laughed at her idea of the country. “I was a country boy myself once, daughter, so don’t try to say anything against the country people. It’s true you’ll have no gas or electric lights, but Dr. Roberts said he would find a place where we need not worry about your comfort or good care. I must go to the office now, but you be a good girl and go and get some roses in your cheeks. Goodbye.” “Well, maybe I’ll go if you promise me that I won’t need to stay long if I don’t like it. Good-bye.” “That’s a good girl,” said her mother. Of course, if you are not comfortable and satisfied, you will not need to stay.” Out in the simple country home, several miles from the railroad station, there was great excitement, for Mrs. Moore had received a letter in an unknown hand. She was seated in the kitchen, where she had been making pies, and the whole family—the father, three boys and two girls—gathered around her while she read it herself first. “Well,” she began, “do you mind that doctor who stopped here last summer when his automobile broke down? It’s from him, and he wants to know if we would board a city girl, who is not strong and needs the country air. Poor girl. He says she had the grip last winter and didn’t get well right, after it. I think we can do it all right, don’t you, father?” “Yes, Mary, I reckon we can. I’m afraid some of the fruit will be lost from that late frost, so a little extra money will come in handy for you and Rose next summer.” “Oh! won’t it be nice to have another girl. I wonder how old she is, though; he didn’t say, did he? I hope she isn’t so sick she’ll have to stay in bed, for we can have such good times together. When is she to come?” said Rose, their nineteen-year-old daughter, all in one breath. “Pie says if we will agree, to write at