Butler High School - Magnet Yearbook (Butler, PA)

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20 THE SEN JO R [MAGNET tom—“Jim dear, that old valise has been the whole cause.” Mrs. Palmer explained her hasty decision to her husband and begged forgiveness. “Well, Madaline, I wanted to tell you that morning, but you were talking on without giving me a chance to say any- -------B.H. GWENDOLYN’S Dorothy thing. I knew Mr. Briggs would call and I really couldn’t wait until you stopped your advice, because I had a very important engagement with Mr. Coggs. It was necessary for me to hurry as he was leaving on the nine car. By this time all was sweet and lovely at the Palmer home. INHERITANCE Young Gwendolyn watched Captain Sedley as he stored her baggage in the little motor boat, then she took her place in the boat while the captain pushed the boat away from the landing and grasped the wheel, all one quick motion. “Where is the island?” she asked after they had fairly started. “Ye can’t ketch a sight of her until after we round yon curve. Kinder queer, ain’t it, what cousin Jim Seaton left you when he died. Me and Mirandy thinks it would hev been a little better if he had left you a little money instead of this lonely island, which as I heerd was said in his will, ye couldn’t sell for five years.” “Yes, I guess it is queer, but cousin Jim always was that way. I too, would have appreciated a little money—but I guess he knew what he was about,” Gwendolyn responded. “Pine Island, ahoy!” cried the captain, as he rounded a curve. “My!” gasped Gwendolyn. “How pretty it looks. 1 know already that 1 am going to like it. I wonder if 1 could get a couple of pleasant people to board with me for the summer. Then I could stay here and get the rest, which I need so badly and make a little bit of money besides.” “That’s a purty good idee,” said the captain. “There’s a lady stayin’ over at the village inn, with her nephew. They’re artists and I reckon they’d like it over here where there is somethin’ worth paintin’. If ye don’t mind, I’ll go around and see ’em about it tomorrow.” “How lovely! exclaimed Gwendolyn, “I’d love to have them.” “Wal then, if youre so anxious to have them I’ll go and see ’em and if they wants to come, I’ll bring ’em around tomorrow evenin’. I lere we are now,” said the captain as he drew up at the landing of the pretty little boat house. “It’s strange that of all cousin Jim’s houses, he liked this lonely one out here best,” said Gwendolyn. “1 reckon he liked it because it was healthy out here. They left the boat and made their way up to the path to the pretty little cottage. After the captain had gone, Gwendolyn kindled a fire in the kitchen and then examined the five rooms of the cottage. She found that the house was plainly but comfortably furnished. She then set to work, and out of the provisions which she had brought along, she selected her supper. She was very tired and very sleepy, so after she had eaten and washed the dishes she went to bed. She was up bright and early the next morning. All nature seemed so beautiful that she did not know which to do first, to go out and examine her inheritance or to eat her breakfast. She de-

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T :' SENIOR EM A G N E T 19 band would leave without telling her anything about it. lie might at least have told her of his intentions and how long he expected to be away. Then a thought came into her head; perhaps he had mistaken her kindly advice for nagging and dissatisfaction; but surely he would not leave her without explaining the reason for leaving. Nora” she called. “Yes, mam.” Did you find the valise?” Oh yes, mam, and it dun gone already.” Where did you send it, Nora?” To Mr. Palmer’s office, mam.” All right, you may go about your work now', Nora.” Now the only thing left for her to do was to call the office. After thinking over it, she decided to call the office that afternoon. Mrs. Palmer went to the telephone. Central, please give me 178.” Pause. “No, 1 haven’t; ring again.” Pause. Hello! Is this Palmer Yates office?” Is Mr. Palmer there?” Pause. He isn’t! Oh! All right, I’ll call the club.” She knew' that the club would be the last place that she might locate her husband. The gentleman at the club informed her that her husband had been there but was not seen with a valise. This did not satisfy Mrs. Palmer; she thought that he might have left it at the station in order to avoid suspicion o:i his part. Poor Mrs. Palmer was at a loss to know what next might be done. While thinking, she glanced at her watch. Oh! Fifteen minutes to five. Just time enough for Sam to take her to the station. Her mind w;as made up; she would go to her mother’s where she might talk it over and be comforted. Mrs. Palmer rang for Nora. “Yes mam.” “ fell Sam to bring the car down right away.” “A-right, mam, but—” “Go quickly.” Yes mam.” The five o’clock train took Mrs. Palmer to her mother's home. She did not intend to stay long. At the end of the fourth day, no word w'as received from her husband. Then Mrs. Palmer decided to go back to her home, dismiss the servants, and close up the house. When she arrived at her home, she was surprised to see Mr. Palmer sitting in front of the hearth looking into space. She quietly made her way up the stairs to her room without disturbing Mr. Palmer, although she was very much surprised to see him at home. Nevertheless, she was determined to go back to her mother. While coming down stairs she met Nora. Land sakes, mam, I is mighty glad you is back. Mr. Palmer dun lost his sense of eating, mam.” “What do you mean, Nora? When did he come home?” 1 dun know what you mean, mam.” “All right, Nora, never mind.” When Mrs. Palmer came down, her husband was standing in front of the hearth, and he looked up at her entrance. Mr. Palmer spoke first. Madaline,” he said, why didn’t you let me know you were going away. I didn’t want to ask anyone where you had gone, because I believed it would look as if you were running away from me; but for goodness sake, where were you?” Mrs. Palmer after a pause answered. “1 think, Jim, that it is you who owe me an explanation.” The door bell rang and shortly afterwards Nora came into the room. Here is your valise, sir. Mr. Briggs says he is much obliged.” Mrs. Palmer looked at her husband and spoke more gently than was her cus-

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THE SENIOR {MAGNET 21 cided on the latter course, and after she had eaten, she started on her tour of the island. She enjoyed herself all morning and all afternoon. Along towards evening Captain Sedley returned, bringing with him Miss Agnes Haspin and her nephew, Lysander Lane. The summer passed quickly and Gwendolyn found both health and happiness. How could she help being happy with a nice young fellow like Lysander to go around with her under the chaperon age of Miss Haspin Then one day something happened. Gwendolyn was rummaging among some books in the library when she found a letter addressed to her, in her cousin’s writing. She opened the envelope and found a note which read, “I knew you would be sensible and stay here to regain the health which you have all but lost. I knew you would find this note. Health and wealth bring happiness and now you will be the possessor of both. For you have, no doubt entirely regained your health and in the-----Bank you will find fifty thousand dollars deposited in your name.” Gwendolyn was overjoyed. She was now very glad that she had stayed. In the winter she went to live in the city with Miss Haspin and Lysander. The following summer it was not Miss Gwendolyn Seaton and Lysander Lane who returned to Pine Island, but it was Mr. and Mrs. Lysander Lane and their aunt, Agnes Haspin, who loves to tell the story of their romance which she has reproduced on canvass. --------b.h.s.----- JUST STUMPY Ella Steen Newsboys are “just boys” no matter whether they sell papers for a Metropolitan daily like the New York Globe or the Salem, Ohio, Argus. Newsies are necessities, it seems, although they may sometimes be nuisances. Customers pay little or no attention to them, but no one ever said that anyone ignored “Stumpy.” There was something pathetic in that little figure in the patched, second-hand clothing, and many a customer felt a curious lump in his throat as he glanced from those great dark eyes to the little crutch and the mere stump of a leg that ended just below the knee. Often an extra coin dropped into “Stumpy’s” little hand as the giver thought of other dark eyes, but laughing and full of mischief anil fun of carefree childhood. So “Stumpy” fared well, for the most part, although many an unthinking fellow newsie bullied him on occasion or even went so far as to drive him away from a desirable street corner. Christmas was coming, but the season of holly, paper Xmas bells, and mysterious packages meant little more than usual to “Stumpy,” orphan as he was, with none to give to, and none to give him anything—not even a mother’s love. Three days before Christmas the snow came, a veritable blizzard, sweeping out from the Middle West into the East. Farms, homes, villages, towns and the cities lay half buried in the snowy whiteness. In the last rush of Christmas buying, “Stumpy” was practically ignored, and sales of papers dropped, and still dropped to almost none at all. And then came Christmas eve, and still more snow. Cold, half-clothed, sick and weak, “Stumpy” was hardly able to yell, “Argus, Mister?” at hurrying pass-ersby. One or two men did buy papers, but “Stumpy” had a bundle unsold and