Cloverdale Union High School - Spectator Yearbook (Cloverdale, CA)

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excitement, I leaped to the ground, and taking my stand among the Harvard boys, I yelled as loud as they. At first I was not noticed, but later I saw that several of the boys recognized me. I my excitement, I waived aloft my hat, and alas! my wig fell off! I stopped to pick it up. Then I felt a sharp crack on my back, and looking up beheld a po¬ liceman. “You just come along with me, old lady,” he demanded. “Consarn an old fool.” “See here ' I retorted, “I’m Jack Foster, and I came to see the races.” “The deuce you did. You’re just playing some bunco game on me. . Come along.” “I tell you I won’t.” “Well, we’ll see,” and thereupon he took out a pair of hand¬ cuffs. By this time things looked pretty uncertain for me. My sister and the two old maids had now arrived on the scene of action, and I hardly knew what to do. So I merely said to my sister, “Go in the auto and get Aunt Sarah and some of the Harvard boys. Be quick.” With this, she was off. Then, turning to the officer, I tried to reason with him. I told him my story, but to no avail, for when I finished, he said, “Well, you’ll have to show me!” “I will,” I exclaimed, and started to pull up my skirts to prove it, for I had a pair of blue overalls on underneath. Whereupon Samanthy and Jane screamed. “Oh, don’t let her,” shouted Samanthy. “She has quite lost her senses.” So with Samanthy screaming and Jane holding my dresses down, I stood trembling with anger. I heard the honk of an auto. Looking up, I saw our car with Aunt Sarah, sister and a crowd of Harvard boys. They quickly alighted and came towards us. Turning to the officer, I glared fiercely into his face. “Here’s my proof,” I hissed. “No difference; come along!” And half dragging and half pulling me, we started through the crowd. Suddenly we 10

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«r- I succeeded in passing several guests in the hall without being recognized and was breathing a sigh of relief, when I was suddenly greeted by two old ladies, who took me for Aunt Sarah. One of them must have been fond of Aunt Sarah, for she came up and gave me some friendly kisses be¬ tween exclamations of ‘‘Land Sakes! Glad to run into yer! Wal, I never! How tall ye appears to be!” How I longed to tell them it all was a mistake. But with those two garralous old ladies, how was I to get a word in edgeways? My sister came to my rescue. Pardon me,” she ventured, “but we are on our way to the Yale-Harvard rares. Will you excuse us? Our auto is ready.” “Wal, now, I never!” piped in Samanthy. “We be goin’ that way, too. Don ' t you sup¬ pose you could take us along?” “Yes, do come,” I urged in despair, for it was time for the races to begin. So we were accompanied by Samanthy and Jane, both dear friends of Aunt Sarah’s. We had traveled a good distance, when at last we came to a place near the races. Now was my time to begin to fear for my safety. How was I to still remain disguised? My chauffeur guided the car almost to the water’s edge, and there stopped the machine. I quickly raised the parasol and held it before my face, sinking back out of sight as I did so. But Samanthy and Jane would not have it so. They per¬ sisted in carrying on conversation much to my disgust. Finally all the boats lined up. How pretty the white sails gleamed along the water in the distance! Then came the pis¬ tol shot, and all the boats darted forward. First Yale was ahead, but was later far surpassed by Harvard. How excit¬ ing it all was, and how the crowd cheered! In my excitement, I forgot I was a lady, and stood upright in the car and began to cheer as loud as I could. Samanthy and Jane looked shocked! I heard Jane say to Samanthy that “Probably dear Sarah had quite lost her senses.” The shouting grew louder. The race grew more exciting Then it was too much for me, so standing on the seat in my 9

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heard a rush behind us. The boys were coming to my rescue! “Unhand that boy,” shouted the nearest one. “That boy?” piped Samanthy in bewilderment. “Wal, now, I never. Let me git away from here. Another gone crazy!” With this Samanthy and Jane went tottering through the crowd. “Look here, young fellow, you’re a pretty good sort of a fellow, but you’d better be going on your way, and not be meddlin’ with my business, or you’ll just come with me.” “See this ten-dollar bill?” said Ronald. “Recon I do, Pard,” answered the officer. “Well, you just let that boy go and it’ll be yours!” “Now, see here, young fellow, I like you and I’ll do that, providin’ you pass right along and keep mum ’bout this here little affair.” “It’s a go.” We passed quickly out from among the cheering crowd of Harvard boys, and soon we were spinning over the dusty road to the hotel.