Cogswell Polytechnical College - Cogswell Yearbook (San Francisco, CA)

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43 THE COGSWELL stable and chicken house. Accordingly she jumped off of Dandy and led him through the gate. She was not afraid of meeting anyone because her father had told her that Mr. Thompson had gone to Cheyenne on business and would not be back until that afternoon. As soon as she had closed the gate, Margie let Dandy wander about at his pleasure while she tried to peep through the shutters of the house. Finding that she could see nothing of the interior she walked around the building several times admiring the outside. There was really nothing much to admire about it, as it was no more than an ordinary farmhouse, such as one can see in any country town, but to the inhabitants of Cow Hollow it seemed a mansion. Now, thought Margie, as she had finished admiring the house for the time being, fill go and look at the rest of the place. The rest of the place consisted of a stable, a large chicken house and another rough building which Margie intended to use for the pigs and sheep she was going to have. To her utter disgust Margie found all of these buildings securely locked, so she walked around them and peeped through the knotholes and cracks of their walls. just as she was peeping through a knothole of the chicken house she heard a peculiar hissing sound, followed by a few soft thuds, and then she heard the hiss again. Margie usually was not easily frightened, but having been away for so long seemed to have made her timid and she was aware of the fact that she was trembling with fear. She was sure there could be no one around. She turned to look at the house. There it stood staring at her, making her feel all the more alone. There must be spirits here! This house must be haunted! Vlfhat shall I do? Wfhat shall I do P and Margie leaned against the building, weak with fear. Then, as Dandy appeared from behind the chicken house she seemed to have regained some of her strength, for she grabbed his bridle and led the astonished horse hurriedly through the back gate, fearing to go by the front of the house so closely again. Hurry, Dandy! VV'hat makes you so slow? Don't you know this house is haunted? Thus did Margie speak to Dandy as she pulled him through the gate, and, when she was in the saddle again, she cried: Hurry, Dandy! lNhat makes you so slow? Run as fast as you can, old boyf! Dandy, who was one of the fastest ponies in Cow Hollow, seemed to want to uphold his reputation, for he brought his mistress home in record- breaking time. Because the cows had not been brought down from Bulkhead, Mr. Lane had already returned home for the day. He was just entering the gate when he saw Margie and Dandy galloping down the road at a terrible speed. As she came very close to him he could see that something was wrong, So he ran toward her. She hardly waited for Dandy to come tosa stop when she jumped off and ran to her father, crying hysterically: Daddy, that

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THE coGswELL 47 But don't you think it would be lovely to live in that line big house? Dandy and Andy would like the hue big stable, l'm sure. Then we could have chickens and pigs and perhaps a lamb or two, couldn't we, Daddy, dear? asked Margie, patting her father's cheek as she always did when she wanted anything very much. That'll all be very line, daughterq but d'ye think yer know enough 'bout housework to take care o' that big house all by yerselI? Now for the first time Margies enthusiasm lagged. She hadn't thought of that. She sat still for a long time as if in deep thought, then she sud- denly brightened. I have an idea, Daddy, she burst out. XYhen I go back to school next year I'll make a special study of housekeeping, and when I come back I'll know all about it. 'llhen we can go right to the new house and every- thing will be Finefi All right, daughter. l'm willin' to have it that way if you are: but do ye think ye can learn that at school? lYhy to be sure I can. Lots of married women take special lessons at school. Very good, then. Then you really mean to buy that big house for the two of us to live in? lYon't that be fine! You will let nie have some chickens and pigs to take care of, won't you, Daddy? asked Margie. patting his cheek again. lYell, we'll see about those things later, said her father, very much amused by her chatter. Thompson's comin' back to-morrow to see about it, an' I suppose we'll be able to make an agreement that'll suit us both. USO we're really going to live in that Fine big house! It seems almost impossible, doesn't it?' asked Margie, dreamily. That's what it does. But it's the truth just the same, replied Mr. Lane with a smile. After they had been sitting silently and dreaming about their new home for some time, Mr. Lane suggested that they go to bed, for Margie must be tired from her long journey and he had to be in the corral early the next morning. Margie decided that the suggestion was a good one, so after saying Good night to each other they went to their own rooms and were soon fast asleep. About 7 o'eloek the next morning, after she had said Good-by to her father, and after she had performed her household duties, Margie Lane, dressed in a becoming tan riding suit and with a felt cowboy hat upon her head, started out for a long ride on her Indian pony, Dandy. After they had gallopecl along the road for some time, Margie decided to turn up Oak Road and look at the big house that was to be her own before very long, so she turned her' pony's head in that direction. Wfhen they arrived at the house. Margie thought she would like very much to enter the gate and peep through the shutters and look into the

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THE eoosWELL 49 house is haunted! Haunted, l say! We can't live there. Well stay here in this little old shack. XYl1y we'll be killed if we go there to live! For goodness sake, daughter, don't take on so. ll don't know what you're talking about. Come here and tell me your trouble, and her dum- founded father led her to the porch. After Margie had told her story in tits and starts, her father sat silent for awhile with a puzzled expression on his face, when suddenly he re- marked: You say you heard a hissing sound, followed by some light thirds? Yes, replied Margie. lt sounded like-well-I can hardly explain it, but it sounded like a horses sneeze. VA horse's sneeze! said Mr. Lane, wrinkling' his forehead. .-Xnd where was Dandy all this time? 'lVhy, I don't know: but he just came around fl'o1t'i in back of the chicken house when- Why. Daddy l and here Margie became hysterical with laughter, what a fool l've been! 'llhat hissing sound, followed by those thuds, was only my poor innocent Dandy sniliing' around the back of the chicken house! Irma li.XIlRS. 'l-l. 1 he Snrivtg Burglar 'Here is a telegram for you, -lack. :Xt this moment Bud, the office boy, hurled the sealed envelope on top of the desk. Confound you, Bud. llihy don't you look what you're doing? lkfith these words, Jack angrily tossed the telegram to one side and prepared to remove the ink-stains from the report sheet. It was three o'clock in the afternoon. ,lack Riley, bookkeeper for Reckfall Bros., was busy balancing up the days reports. His coat was off, his sleeves rolled up, and a large cowboy hat was tilted on the back of his head. His arms and face were severely tanned, and he looked as though he had lived in the tropics all his life. He was an extremely good looking young fellow, with soft, affectionate eyes, and a mouth which would curve into the most winning of smiles. XtVith a bang he closed the ledger, put things in order, and then swung around in his swivel chair until he faced the open window. He lazily put his feet on a near-by table, filled his .rose colored meerschaum pipe, and read several short stories from a monthly magazine. By this time, it was four thirty and lack, after glancing at the Big Ben which stood on his desk, grabbed his hat and coat and dashed for the door. Then he wheeled suddenly and snatched' the hereto- fore forgotten telegram off the desk and fairly flew down the street. He opened the telegram while he was running, and, as he read, he slackened