Butler High School - Tropaeum Yearbook (Butler, IN)

Page 31 text:

EASTSIDE Hs LICRARY , “She'll probably give up in the morning, but I can’t bear to think of her going to bed without her dinner.” ‘He finally slept but not restfully and awoke the next morning out of sorts with himself and everyone else, particularly Sidney Trayman. Sidney also went to bed unhappy but thinking more of Jim than ever before. ; “TI don’t believe he loves me after all, but I never saw him look so strong as when he said I had to scrub those steps before I could eat. I believe I'll do it in the morning to Surprise him.”’ With this intention She slept. The next morning when she arose and went down stairs the first person she met was Jim McArthur. He was very much displeased with himself and every thing, as we have said, and consequently did not look very amiable. “Where are you going?” hedemanded. His very tone antag onized Sidney and with a toss of her head she replied, ‘To breakfast, of course,---have you any objection?” “Yes, Ihave. As I told you Sidney, no one is to eat until they have performed their duties. Unfortunately I have been chosen to ex- ecute this, and disagreeable as it is, I must say you'll have to serub those steps before breakfast.” Without replying, Sidney turned and walked off in the direction of the river, “O what a brute I’ve been,” starting after her and there checking himself. ‘‘No, I can’t give up so easily,-I’ll wait a little.” All day McArthur cursed himself for being six or seven different kinds of asses, and finally decided to go to her and ask pardon for his brutality, before dinner. . To his repeated knockings he got no reply, so he thought he must have “‘queered himself for good.” Sidney was as miserable as possible and stayed out of doors all day, So it was not strange that Jim received no reply to his overtures for peace. She was unhappy and hungry, about the worst state a girl can be in. “T suppose he’ll think I’m nothing but a stubborn child, so to-night Pll go and scrub those abominable steps.”’ That night about 12:30 a forlorn figure might have been seen steal- ing out of the big door with a pailful of water in one hand and several minute handkerchiefs in the other. “O dear! Why didn’t I give in before?” and salt water mingled with the water in the pail, She was alarmed to hear a step behind her, and upon turning she saw McArthur. She looked instinctively for a hiding place, but as none was near, she turned to meet him. He had been unable to sleep and had come out for a stroll in the moonlight. When he saw Sidney he was undecided what to do, but upon seeing her tear-stained face, he ex- claimed, “What a -brute’ P’ve been,” and then started toward her. Sympathy was more than Sidney could bear and breaking into tears again. She sobbed, “I’m (tears and sobs) so sorry (tears and ditto) and so hungry.”’ . In a moment---well it was kind of the moon to disapper behind: a cloud just then. Jannet Mason, ’10.° 29

Page 30 text:

as an amusement rather doubtfully, and elected Jim manager-in-chief. ‘“‘To begin with,’’ he commenced in a business like tone, ‘““how many of us are there? Twenty? Good! We’ll now proceed to divy up. What can each one do best?” ; Again there was silence then a young girl spoke dubiously, ‘‘I---I can make welch rarebit and toast and tea.’’ This was greeted with a shout of laughter, but broke the ice, and soon every one was talking eager- ly of his or her accomplishments and within twenty or thirty minutes every one had been appointed to a place. Towards the last it was hard to find occupations for all, but as they had decided that no one could eat unless they had some duty and had duly performed it, all were eager for places. Jnst at this point Sidney Trayman came strolling up the path as calm and serene as asummer morn. A look of surprise came over her face as she saw the motley looking group in front of Meadow Brook. Indeed it was a strange sight; McArthur was still mounted on a chair where he had stood to oversee the appointments, aristocratic Mrs. Todd was wav- ing a dish cloth, Mrs. Lofter was brandishing the broom, Tom. Murson was coming up the garden path carrying a basket filled with vegetables. As soon as she was within hearing, they began to shout explanations. ‘“‘We’re quarantined’’--- “Small pox’’--- “EKivery one has to work,” ‘‘We’re having a circus” and so on. At last it was explained to her; then the question came up, what should Sidney do. “The only thing left is the office of scrub maid,” said Jim, “‘so you’ll have to scrub the steps.” ‘‘Indeed,’’ flashed Sidney, “‘and why will I have to serub?’’ ‘‘Now see here, Sidney, we’re all turning in; and you’ll have to do as the rest. It is my duty to enforce the law so unless you scrub you can’t eat,” urged Jim. But Sidney’s temper was roused and she declar- ed she would never scrub those steps which was the guty of the maid in question and over which she rebelled. “I'll never do it,’’ she said and walked off to her apartments the very picture of decision. The crowd soon thinned out, as the cooks and assistant cooks had to think of dinner “Perhaps I was too dictatorial,” thought Jim, “but now I can’t turn back and perhaps she will give in.”’ “OQ dear! Why was I such a baby,” grumbled Sidney as she reached her own room. ‘I won’t do it now though, if I have to starve.” The summer boarders were determined to have as good a time as possibly, so casting aside all formalities they were as happy as children. Consequently no cne noticed Sidney’s absence nor Jim’s pre-occupation. It was a beautiful evening and McArthur thought Sidney might come out for a walk in the moonlight, but she did not appear and he retired in no peaceful state of mind. 28

Page 32 text:

An Automobile Episode. “Oh, we'll be alright, and you don’t need to worry about us,” re- plied Ruth Thornton bravely, to her friends that were cautiously ad- vising her. ‘‘Here, Don, jump up in the seat, and we will soon be speed- ing home at the rate of a century limited,” she continued, talking con- fidingly to a large Dane dog that looked up wistfully into her eyes. Ruth was the only child, and naturally had been petted and in- dulged so much, that at the age of eighteen her wishes were seldom crossed and never denied. She had left home early in the morning in her new auto, intending to spend the day with a friend who lived about fifteen miles away. Her father had been greatly opposed to her going alone, but after much coaxing and pouting he was compelled as usual to let her have her own way. Ruth had had such a good time that she had almost forgotten about going home, but the approaching darkness had warned her of the time, and with the dog beside her she was soon bounding along the highway at a fearful rate, regardless of the many lurches that the car gave. The dog looked proudly down the road, and every now and then he would lick his lips with his long red tongue, and look up at her inquisitively, as much as to say, “‘Aren’t we goin’ some?” They soon reached a lonesome country road about ten miles from home; no houses in sight, and the tall dark trees that stood on either ’ side made the appearance more gloomy. Sudddenly she noticed that the speed slackened, and after many jerks and lurches the car came to a standstill. vil “Well, what’s happened,” she exclaimed somewhat irritated, “I wonder if anytihng has broken.” She got out of the car, looked up and down the road to see if anyone was coming. Being assured that no one was in sight, she began to talk to Don. “What in the world will we do! I just wonder if---Oh, I know, she quickly added, maybe it needs cranking,’ and with this she immediate- ly preceeded to “crank” it’ which required no little effort. She got into the car again and threw back the lever, but no motion was made. “Goodness, probably I didn’t crank it enough,” she said somewhat illhumoredly, “‘I wonder if I have that book of ‘Rules and Regulations.’ ”’ The book was soon found, but her searching was all in vain, and throw- ing it down in disgust, she burst into a flood of tears. Poor Don! He looked first at his mistress, then at the machine, and with almost hu- man intelligence expressed his sympathy by many a piteous whine. “Oh, dear!’ sobbed Ruth, “if only I had let Jack come with me, we would have been home long ago, and now maybe we will have to stay here all night. Her revengeful spirit soon vanished when she thought of Jack, and how curtly she had refused his company that morning, in order to show her independence. In her desolation she became aware of the fact that she was wrong, and that it was folly for her to believe everything she had heard, especially when the author was a person who was very jealous of her. 30)