Butler High School - Magnet Yearbook (Butler, PA)

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7 II E SENIOR EM A G N E 7 9 GAS Anna Nolan CHAPTER I M sorry, Jimmie, but I cannot marry you—yet. I’m not ready to settle down as a housewife. We’ve lots of time and a long life before us—can’t we just go along on the old basis of friendship for awhile and each have a good time, for a few years anyhow?” Thus spoke Peg Ryan to her friend and suitor Jimmie Burke, who had just proposed marriage to her. “Well. I don’t see anything else for us to do if that’s the way you feel about it,” spoke Jimmie. “But. Peg, if I do something big and worth while, will it make any difference?” pleaded Jimmie. “It might, but I’ll make no promises,” said the practical Peg. CHAPTER II Two years have flown by on the wings of time. Jimmie is employed in the chemical laboratories of the Government. A war has broken out among the nations of the world, such as the one of the first half of the twentieth century. Fifty years of peace had passed and Germany, under the rule of another William, again attempted to master the world. Jimmie was working under the utmost secrecy—he worked day and night, and looked it. He was thin and worn looking. His task was to try to invent some weapon of war that would be more deadly than the last fiendish invention of the Germans, a small bomb full of red hot prickly balls and a deadly gas that penetrated the gas-masks through the holes burnt by the hot pieces of metal. Alter working for about two weeks he finally completed a gas, very destructive and poisonous. He did not really know how terrible his invention was until he, with about six officers, took some of it out into the country to try it. They fired a bomb of it at a herd of cattle about a mile away. In about two minutes, when they looked again, not an animal was in sight. The gas had completely exterminated them. Thousands of gallons of this gas were manufactured and shipped to Europe in large tanks. A German spy obtained the formula and the Germans wishing to beat the Allies at their own game, manufactured great quantities of it too. I his gas was put into every conceivable weapon possible. Into air bombs, floating mines, shrapnel's, hand grenades, and many others too numerous to mention. I he only thing that kept either side from using it was fear for the safety of each army’s men. The gas was so effective that no mask had yet been invented to render a man immune to its attacks. The Germans were afraid that if they used it the wind might blow the gas back upon the German army and kill them; with the Allies it was the same. Great tanks of gas were already on the battle field in readiness for the time when a mask should be discovered. Mines had already been launched and had claimed their victims. The world stood in horror and awe of this terrible new weapon.

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8 7 IIE SENIOR (M A G N E T Sir Guvnme stumbled on but so intent were the people on the ceremony that they never noticed him until he stood behind the Victor and with a swift slash of a knife he cut the lacings of the helmet which fell open disclosing the revengeful face of Lord Brocton. Instantly something hurled through the air and traitor's knife had found a mark but not in Arthur. Sir Guvnme had placed himself between the danger and his sovereign; between the bubbles of blood which trickled from his lips he said, “Sought adventure”—and King Arthur finished for him, “And adventure has claimed you as her knight without stain and without reproach.” Gently the king laid him down and fastened the spurs to the boots of the dying man. Sir Guynme smiled and a long shudder shook him from head to foot and then all was quiet. He had been knighted anew and had started on the Greatest Adventure of AH. -------------b.h.s.-------------- “DICERE VERITUM” Frank Sarver The Seniors doin’s always shove More joy into our life; They are the silver lining of The high school’s cloud of strife; 'They brighten up the cloudy spots Their smiles dispel the gloom; And we’ll all wear forget-me-nots When they depart in June. To tell the truth I do not think That class would balk at all From duty, not a one did shrink Though it was study hall; They seemed somehow, to fire the shots That chased away the gloom; And we’ll all wear forget-me-nots When they depart in June. But that’s not all, the best is yet To fall upon your ears I'll make you sure before you get To crying out your fears. The whole thing in a nut shell rests That we should learn so soon The present Seniors are the best That e'er left us in June. ECHO— They brighten up the cloudy spots Their smiles dispel the gloom And we’ll all wear forget-me-nots, When they depart in June. “WELL DONE Frank Sarver '23 A candle began at the break of day To give to the world its light. And a close observer could hear it say “Oh, where will I be to-night? Tho’ it faintly flickered for quite a while In doubt as to what to do. It gradually brightened and seemed to smile On the day, on the world, on you, When it neared the close of the day it shone With a brilliancy equalled by none, As it stood at the end of the race, alone. It said to itself, “Well Done!” This diminutive candle did its best For the day, for the world, for you; It taught its lesson and left the rest To the class of '22. For they, no doubt, in their freshman days Resembled the candle, quite, ’Cause everyone, starting a journey says Oh, where will be to-night?” But they’ve reached the end of their tortuous trail, The race has been nobly won And since they’ve entered the port full sail, Can say to themselves—“Well Done.

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10 THE SENIOR iMAGNET CHAPTER 111. Peggy, who was living in Canada for the summer had taken up aviation as a sport. She intended, if the chance presented itself, to do her bit by means of her airplane. In order to test her endurance, she sometimes made long distance flights, remaining in the air for twenty-four hours at a time. She waited impatiently for the war to end so that Jimmie would return to her. for had she not promised him that she would be his wife just before he left for camp? CHAPTER IV. On July 5, one of the tanks was hit by a shell and exploded. The force of the explosion jarred the other tanks and they too, blew up, the aerial torpedoes were released, the gas balloons got away from their bearings, and the whole earth shook. The gas, much heavier than air, was carried bv a strong wind over all of Europe. Everywhere the people disappeared. iMen and women at one end of a street would look up and see everything living disappear, as in a wave, and finally they, too, would go. Within twelve hours after the first explosion, not a living thing was to be found in Europe, Asia, or Africa. I'he aerial bombs, strange machines having their own small motors and wings, were sent spinning skyward. They dropped all over the earth. Islands were visited by them and in a few minutes were minus all the inhabitants. In America, the quivering of the earth at the time of the explosion caused much excitement. The wireless was busy sending calls to Europe, but received no answer. It was all strange and uncanny. An air bomb fell in the United States. The people for miles around were killed. Another fell in the vicinity of one of the storage tanks. The result was the same as it had been in Europe. Everyone in North and South America was killed, or at least it looked like it. The people who lived on the islands were killed, either by the gas being carried by the wind or by air bombs or floating mines. Jimmie, who was now working on, and had just about completed a gas mask, heard and understood the explosion. He put on the gas mask or rather gas suit which he had just finished, and went to warn the people. But he was too late. Everyone had disappeared. No one answered to his calls. Poor Jimmie, alone on the earth, didn’t know what to do. He was the cause of it all—and he alone survived it. CHAPTER V. At noon, July fifth, Peggy went up in her airplane for one of her endurance flights—she remained in the air for thirty-six hours. When she came down, she was completely awestricken. There was not a living person, animal or bird to be seen. Where had they gone? Instead of staying there alone, she did the logical thing. She got into her airplane and started home. When Peggy reached home, she found conditions the same as they had been in Canada. She was terribly worried now and decided to hunt up Jimmie. She knew where the chemical laboratories were and headed in that direction. Jimmie heard the machine as it landed and he was so overjoyed to think that there was another human being near that he rushed out and collided with Peggy, who was coming towards the door.