Butler High School - Magnet Yearbook (Butler, PA)

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28 'Sir THE SENIOR MAGNET

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30 — THE SENIOR MAGNET • Just cAn Old Orench (Justom Virginia Lindsey Allan Porter, riding along the country roads in his little yellow roadster, surveyed the landscape with interest. This out-of-the-way place was new country to him, a man who had spent most of his time behind stifling city walls. The peace and beauty of the gently rolling hills held him with their loneliness. He was passing a farm house when suddenly he noticed that there was something queer about it—a proper enough farmhouse, surely, white with green shutters, standing back from the road on a proper green lawn decorated with proper enough flower beds; but the gate was blue, vivid Yale blue. Always hunting for new ideas, he wondered about that blue gate. People do not usually paint their gates b’ue. Lots of gates aren’t painted at all; but if they are, never blue. The blue gate intrigued him. In fact, he thought there might be a story there. That was the purpose of this motor trip through the middle Atlantic States, to find material for his next novel. He had already published two books which had sold reasonably well and was about to start another. His nose for news” picking up the scent, he stopped his little yellow roadster in front of the blue gate and, getting out, passed through this object of curiosity, up a shell-bordered path to the front door. Repeated twistings of the old fashioned bell finally summoned the mistress of the house. Having come into Pennsylvania only a few hours before, he was scarcely prepared for what he now beheld. The woman was dressed oddly enough to match her queer gate, he thought. A deep purple skirt partly covered by an ample black apron and worn with a bright green waist made up her attire. On her head was a neat cap, white as if to apologize for the other colors. Good morning, madam,” began Allan. I was wondering about your gate. Could I - - - - ?” Our gate? Oh my, yes! Come in, come in,” she said cordialiv, throwing wide the door and leading him into a large cool room with the blinds drawn. I’ll put these blinds up tout de suite” she exclaimed. Us don’t sit in ’ere except when we ’ave company.” You was wonderin’ about our gate,” she went on. We ’ave it painted yesterday. It look nice, n’est-ce pas? Our Annie Marie, she ’ave come home Wednesday; and she give us an awful bawling out yesterday when she saw that gate. Oui, e’etait terrible! Maybe you’ll want to see ’er.” Well, I just - - - - , Oui, I know ’ow it is. She’ll be ome for dinner. She went in town this morning to buy me some flower seed. You stay to dinner and meet le pere, too.” Thank you, very much, but I’m afraid I can’t. I just wanted to know about—”