Central High School - Cog N Pen Yearbook (Newark, NJ)

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has been all her life and I’m Besides, 1 like the scenery very much,” said Richard, looking а! Mary Ann. Well, if your mother wouldn't mind country life mother is an invalid sure the mountain air will do her good. I guess Mary Ann and I can help you out. Mary Am but she knew how much they needed the money that was anything but pleased at the news, he would pay and therefore acquiesced to the plan. Richard Henley left the next morning for New York City promising to return as soon as he could get his mother conveniently moved. As the last day of the school year drew to a close, Mary Ann started to collect hei belongings from the schoolroom when the chairman of the Board of Edu- cation, Mr. Banlan, entered and asked Mary Ann whether she would be willing to teach here again the following year. Ta everything goes all right, I shall be glad to take aid Mary Ann. Days passed and again Richard Henley was with over the school again,” Although Mary did not like Rich- ard, she was already in love with his mother. the Penningtons. She was a frail little thing, with hair as white 45 like Richard’s and beautiful skin with the roses still in them! snow, eyes So unlike her mother who had worked hard all her life and was by this time an old woman in appearance if not in years. And it was plain to see that she adored her son and that her whole world was centered іп him. Every afternoon after Mary Ann’s work was done she would sit and chat with Mrs. Henley and it was through her that she came to know Dick and to respect him. It was a few weeks after Dick's arrival when he sat talking to his mother in the summer twilight. Mother, I wonder why Mary Ann keeps avoid- ing me. Ат І so distasteful to her or doesn’t she like my looks. She avoids me as though I меге: leper or a poisonous reptile, said Dick with a frown spreading over his face. My son, replied his mother, to me you are the most wonderful man alive and how any girl could avoid you is beyond me. “Dearest, you are my mother, not a stranger, уоп know, kissing her lightly on the cheek. (For how was he to know that Mary Ann was in- terested in him but was too shy to let him know he: true feelings). Mrs. Henley's first idea in life was to keep her son happy and with this thought in mind she waited for a chance to make these two friends. The chance came sooner than she expected. It was a very warm day in July and Mary Ann was ‘sitting in her room, her chin cupped in he hands, dreaming. Mrs. Henley was lying down in the ham- mock on the summer porch while Mrs. Pennington and Dick had gone to the town for some supplies. As Mary Ann sat there she suddenly heard Mrs. Henley scream, “Mary Ann, Mary Ann, hurry down, oh, please, hurry down. As quick as a flash of lightning Mary Ann was There lay Mrs. Henley stricken with fright while near her stood a mad dog frothing at the downstairs. mouth and seemingly enjoying Mrs. Henley’s What could she do? except a flower pot and grabbing this she threw it at terror. There was nothing on hand the dog. Instead of stunning him as she had intended she missed him. Тһе dog’s attention was quickly averted from Mrs. Henley to her. With one bound he jumped at Mary Ann and bit her on the arm. That was the last she remembered. When she awoke to consciousness she was in hei She felt a sharp pain in her arm as she tried to move it, and room and the doctor was bending over her. as she recalled all that had happened she began io cry. Mary Ann, she heard Dick сау. Dick, she replied weakly. A few weeks later Mr. Banlan, the Chairman of the Board of Education received the following letter: Dear Mr. Banlan: I regret very much that I will not be able to take over the school in September, as I am going to be New York my married and am going to make permanent home. Y ours truly, Mary Ann Pennington.

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[HE SCHOOLMA'RM OF SOMERSVILLE Ву Leah Lesser Mary Ann Pennington was the schoolma'rm of Somersville. Immediately, my dear readers, you will imagine a tall, angular woman with hair drawn tightly back in a stiff bun, large tortoise shell glasses, and But Mary Ann Pennington was a young person with protruding teeth. you are entirely mistaken. blonde, bobbed, curly hair which she wore in the fashion of the day, big blue eyes which were wont to open wide at any sign of surprise, and a small, red, kissable mouth. The day that my story opens was a particularly hot one in the month of June. Mary Ann had had a very trying day in the schoolroom for, in spite of the warm weather, Johnny Roberts had persisted in being mischievous and it was all she could do to keep him out of it. She was trudging homeward on a hot, dusty road, thinking of various plans for the following day, when she heard the honk, honk, of a car and she barely had time to jump out of the road when a red sport roadster whizzed by and a young man called out: “Sorry, but I’m in a hurry. Mary Ann’s thoughts were not very pleasant after that and she vowed that if she ever saw him again she would tell him just what she thought of him and you may be sure that whenever Mary Ann Pennington made up her mind to do anything she usually did it. As she passed the neighboring farm, Miss Theo- dosia Smith, otherwise known as the Smith Daily (for she never missed anything that occurred in Som- ersville) cried out: Mary Ann, there's а young New York fella at your house talking to your Ma. ` Yer better hurry afore yer miss him.” But Mary Ann did not hurry in spite of the warn- ing that she would miss seeing а New York man if she did not do so, because she was not just at that moment interested in any man but he. of the red roadster. Yes, she certainly would tell him a few things! She entered the back door leading into the kitchen where her mother had started preparations for din- ner. As she donned a large apron she heard her mother say: 14 Well, young man, I might be able to accommo- date you if you don’t mind plain lodging and plain food. I can give you my daughter’s room as the spare room has been closed all winter and might not be fit to sleep in, and she can stay with me tonight. You had better put your automobile in the barn there in the back of the house.” “Thank you, madam,” a pleasant voice replied. Mary Ann finished her work and started to set the table for dinner. As she was doing this her mother came in and said: Mary Ann, you had better set another place. We have a New York man staying with us for the night. He did not wish to travel during the night because of the bad roads and he asked me to give him lodg- ing. She did not reply but went to the china closet to get the extra dishes and as she turned she heard that pleasant. voice cry out— “Well, if it isn't the little girl whom I nearly ran Who would have thought that I would meet her адат?” over today. As she looked up she saw a man about thirty years of age with dark hair, slightly gray at the temples, a strong chin, and eyes—well, she couldn't exactly tell just what color eyes he had. One moment they were black and another moment gray, but she liked the twinkle in them, (although she never would have admitted it, had you asked her.) Mary Ann had been brought up to be polite so of course she had to say, How do you do? to the stranger in spite of the desire to tell him to go to the devil, but she decided never to speak to him again as long as he was there. Thank Heavens! It was only for one night. At the dinner table Richard Henley, as the New York man was known, kept up a brisk conversation with Mrs. Pennington, and although he attempted to draw Mary Ann into the conversation he could not do so, for she only answered in monosyllables when spoken to and, after being snubbed a few times, he finally left her to her own thoughts of vengeance. “Mrs. Pennington, I wonder whether you could accommodate my mother and me for the summer. My

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MARY AND HER LAMB By Lillie August They had not seen each other for ages, or at least not since the time when Jack had left Hilton to come to the big Dayton High School. They had parted with tears and vows, and Jack had promised to be true forever and Mary had promised to live only for the day when they would meet again. And now she was coming, little blue eyed, golden- haired Mary, and Jack's eyes grew merry and his heart became joyous. Indeed, so jolly did he get with the thought of the coming of his little pal, that he attracted the attention of Rita Crandel, the ac- knowledged class vamp, who invited him to her birthday party. It was the week before the expected arrival and Jack at first spoke only of her. But it was not Jong before he began to speak at length on Rita’s charms and they soon became the best of friends. Alas for Mary, Rita was armed with accessories enough to charm many Jacks, and red lips, long eyelashes, and chic costumes did their work well. When Mary came, she went immediately to the High School where she expected to study (and play) for four years. When the two friends met, there was no rejoicing, no exclamations, no laughter; only an uncomfortable silence. Jack broke it first. How well you are looking, Mary, he exclaimed in a would-be enthusiastic voice. You look well, ioo, was the answer, and then after a few more commonplaces, the once intimate chums separated, to be alone with their own bitter thoughts. On her way home Mary was on the verge of lears. He is so different, she wailed to her cousin with whom she was staying. “He's dignified and proud and he's dressed like а dandy. Апа when I came in, he was talking to a girl who looked like one of those models I used to admire in the Fashion Book. Jack's train of thought ran something like this: “I wonder where she gets those clothes. Gosh, don't tell me she still patronizes old Bender from Main Street! And her hair—why doesn’t she bob it? How changed she is! Not at all that old pal I used to like so much. Rita’s sweater was a corker. Нег І don't think ГИ in- Rita's an awfully good eyes go good with the white. vite Mary to the dance. dancer. I'll bet Mary can't even dance.” Тһе evening of the dance approached. It was being run by the school, and the hall hired for the occasion was the largest in the town. Rita duly received an invitation and just as duly told Mary about it. cousin came in. Mary was crying when her They talked it over and finally During the days that fol- lowed she met Ja ck in the corridors znd he called once or twice but if he felt any remorse for not ask- ing her to the dance, he didn't show it. The night before the dance, Mary did a daring thing. She went up to Bill Wesely, a friend of Jack's and asked him to take her to the dance. ‘The young man was surprised, and it must be confessed, a little chagrined, but when she told him her plans, he chuckled with glee. His sense of humor forced him to enter into what he thought would be a good joke on Jack. Mary stopped crying. The next evening, a taxi drew up at Rita’s door and she was whirled away to the dance. Close be- side her sat the good looking Jack, his brown eyes sparkling at the thought of the good times ahead. In- deed, so good did he feel that he placed a kiss or two upon the unresisting lips of the vision beside him. The hall was already well filled and the pair walked through it followed by shouted greetings and laughing compliments. Indeed, Rita looked like a dream with her green frock, sparkling with shimmer- ing beads. Then the band broke into a riot of jazz and the dancing be gan. Suddenly there was a stir at the door. A young girl with a good looking cavalier entered and they both made for the dressing rooms. When they returned, they immediately joined the dancers. Апа, when, at the end of that dance, Jack turned to escort Rita to a seat, he stopped as if turned to stone. Looking up into the face of an admiring young man stood Mary. Her golden hair was piled in adorable ringlets on her small, well shaped head. Her sweet face looked beautiful with its red lips and big dark eyes framed in entrancing black lashes. Her slender form was accentuated by a gown of shimmer-