Butler High School - Magnet Yearbook (Butler, PA)

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THE MAGNET 5 AS THE SUN SANK. (By Beulah Scott.) ME sun had just begun to peep over the horizon, and gradually the dewy shadow was being lifted from the earth. Yet the people of the city in the northern part of France were astir. The streets resounded with the clash of musketry and the dragging of the cannon. Wails from children and the barking of dogs filled the air. Sturdy men and sad-faced women moved swiftly here and there. Why was all this commotion; this uneasiness ? The magistrate of the town, Monsieur Duport, had received a message the day before that the Germans were marching in that direction and would probably arrive there the following day. This was the cause of such distress. The sun had risen and its rays spread over the little city, filling it with beauty. The magistrate’s house, situated on the outskirts, was especially an object of much beauty. He and his wife, and their two children, twins, about twenty years of age, Francesco and Francis, lived here with a few servants. Francesco was the more boy of the two. In her childhood she had scorned her dolls and would run off and play with her brother and his friends. So she got the name of “Tom-boy” by the townsmen. Francis was very bashful and feminine in his tastes. Their father and mother had gone to the main part of the town— he to muster his men—she to comfort the women. Francesco and Francis were to come later with the servants. Francis was one of those fellows who put up a bold front, but really was a coward at heart. At the last minute he backed out. “I can't go! I simply can’t go!” he said to his sister. You must go! Think of the honor of our family ! What will father say ? You'll have to go! We’ll be dishonored forever! But I have a plan! You change clothes with me and I’ll go in your stead. We are exactly alike and no one will know the difference. I was always more of a boy than you, anyway —and it will save our family honor !” The change was quickly made and they proceeded to the town. Francesco took her position with the defenders, Francis taking his with the women. At noon the opposing army drew near. The townsmen, with their forces, advanced to meet them. The streets were deserted and all was quiet. The women had gone to the city hall and there awaited the tiding of the battle. The roar of the cannon disturbed the quietness and the battle raged furiously the whole day. In the meanwhile a battle was raging inside the heart of Francis. Why was he staying here with helpless women, when he might be doing something for his country? His own sister was out there fighting like a tigress. The disdain of the people—could he stand this? Somehow courage leaped up into his very soul. He rushed from the hall, to the amazement of all the women. Out of the city gate he rushed to the field of battle, forgetting that he was dressed as a woman. Up to the front he rushed, and the opposing army even stopped to see the cause of all the excitement. All they could see was a furious woman, followed by a man, who seemed to be trying to say something to her. This put life into the hearts of the townsmen and on they rushed after the pair with increased ferocity. Into the thick of the battle went the band, following the leader, a supposed woman. The battle was doubtful, each side doing its best. At

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4 THE MAGNET and I shall be ever thankful. As a signal that you will comply with this request, turn down this cross-street.’ I dropped the wallet where he could not help seeing it, and sped up the street into the darkness. 1 turned and watched the man. When he came into the light of the street lamp, by whose help I had indited the epistle, he immediately discovered the wallet. He was a burly, villainous-looking man, with a scar extending an indeterminate distance across his left cheek. He looked at the money in the wallet, pulled out one of the bills, and read my note. He flashed an ugly, knowing glance my way, and passed down the side street as directed. Infinitely relieved, I walked more briskly up the avenue, again meditating the subjects of death and immortality of the soul. To my surprise, when I had come to the corner, I had no choice but to turn downwards. The avenue I was on extended no further. It was a “blind alley.” I could not turn up because of the paving and cementing work going on in the cross street. So down I turned. I was lost in my philosophizing, or I would have remembered that my villain had gone that way. As I passed the first alley, out stepped the man! With a wild cry, I dashed to the other side of the street and ran at full speed down the pavement. He followed at a killing pace. I quickened my speed from sheer fright, and was pleased to note that the man soon dropped back and finally stopped. Soon home, I learned that the critical point was passed, and my wife was on the road to recovery. Giving praise to our Saviour, I descended to my study because I was uncermoniously ejected from the sick-room. As I entered my study, a maid brought me my wallet and a note. Surprised beyond all measure, I quickly scanned the note and broke out in hearty laughter at the contents: “Mr. L. C. S. I found your wallet tonight on my beat. I followed you and seemed to have scared you by my sudden appearance at the alley. The money is intact, as I found it. Signed, John T. I'itzguard, Plainclothes Police.” Relieved, I wrote him a cordial letter, enclosing one of the thousand-dollar notes, and requested him to come and see me. His story as he told it to me later in a persona] visit, does much to clear matters up. The path I had chosen happened to be his beat, and he also imagined the wind to be a carrier of voices that night. It was merely a case of auto-suggestion. The bill he looked at was one of the thousand kind, he never having seen one before. Also, he had turned down the side street and over to the next avenue because he knew I must go the way I did. He was not quite as villainous as he looked—just a pugnacious Trish plainclothes “bull.” For the last six months I have been taking nerve cures.

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6 THE MAGNET last the townsmen could no longer stand the attack and were forced to surrender. This, indeed was a sad fact; but sadder still were the figures of a woman and a man lying side by side in cold death on the battlefield. As the sun sank that night it was not upon the beautiful city of the morning, but upon a changed town. Women were silently weeping over their dead, some sitting in the streets with their children beside them, while they saw their earthly possessions and their homes going up in smoke. The streets still resounded with musketry and the brawls of the drunken soldiers. Indeed it was quite a different city from that of the morning—then a beautiful city—now a mass of desolation and misery. Common Sense vs. Ignorance. (By Stella Zuckerman.) OBADIAH Jeremy was tired. Yes, dead tired of having Maria, his wife, going to town shopping. First, she would gape around into all the shop windows and spend half a day doing nothing. Then she would have to have an extra meal and perhaps go to the expense of staying over. So he, Mr. Obadiah Jeremy, was going to do the shopping. He got a list from Maria and, to his extreme embarrassment, was forced to sling a large market basket over his arm. It was six o’clock when he started. He would walk to Elbourne, a distance of a few miles, and from thence he would drive to the city. As he walked along he heard subdued giggles on all sides, and “Jeremy, going to buy some table linen?” or “I hope Maria’s hat will fit her finely after ye try it on for her,” and the like greeted him on all sides. When he arrived in the city he looked over his list. First there was “5 2 percale per 10c.” He walked into the department store of Higgins Son and showed the first item on the list to the saleslady. In “per” the “p” was peculiarly similar to a “t.” She studied for awhile, then said: “Oh, certainly 5y2 percolators at 10c apiece. Oh, Mabel, come here; Zeke wants 5F2 percolators. Sell him five and the spout of another. “‘But, Miss,” he expostulated, “I’m sure Marie said that came by the yard.” A bright idea struck the two salesladies. “Ah, she was only kiddin’; she meant yuh can pour out 5l 2 yards of coffee.” “Now, thinkin’ of it, she did say somethin’ about pourin’ out.” Well, thank goodness, the first thing was bought. New, next was written cheap serge. He thought for awhile, for she did say something about that serge. Well, he asked for cheap serge. There was a piece which could not be sold, a gaudy purple. He priced a few pieces. Finding the purple cheapest, he purchased it. Next came the word “shoes.” “Now, leave me think; for whom were these— John, Susan, Maria?” He pondered and pondered and then made up his mind. He’d get size 7; they couldn’t fall off Susan’s or Maria’s feet if he had the buttons re-set a little tighter, and he’d get a good, hard working shoe and it would do for all. One more item. Oh ! What did he see? A tonic for falling hair, guaranteed to produce a good crop of hair. Fie tested a few bottles—he sort of liked the smell1