Collingswood High School - Knight Yearbook (Collingswood, NJ)

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THE KNIGHT go somewhere where I can 'have a dress and shoes with tall thin heels and-oh, and a fan and everything. A few minutes 'later Anne paused in the middle of the small bed- room under the eaves that had been hers since infancy. Her chin quiv- ered as she looked around, bidding farewell to all that had been dear to her. You're all I've got in the whole world, she whispered, but instinctively her hand tightened on the handle of her packed carpet bag which held her few necessities. Good-bye-little room-I-might come back sometime-after-after I get a fan and a dress and-oh!-I do sort of hate to leave you-but-its Aunt Emm. I can't stand her- and-and I won't wear my brown dress any longer. With that she tiptoed out of the room and went softly downstairs. Guess I'll grab a few cookies-I might need 'em before I get to-to where I'm going, she finished lamely. The sun was nearing the horizon when at last she walked down the path and closed the front gate be- hind her. I guess I'll cut across Grahams' field, she thought, and turned in that direction. Wonder what Aunt Emm will say when she finds I'm gone? Guess she'll be sorry then. What shall I do when the sun goes down-I hate the dark-wonder if there's any bears around here or-of-of course there aren't. I'll just keep walking and when it gets dark, I'll stop and lay down and sleep and then when its light I'll go on again-hm! wonder how Aunt Emm'll get the jelly done all alone to-morrow. Well, I don't care, it serves her right. She ought to know I- Why, hello, Anne. With a start Anne looked up and there, under a large apple tree, sat an oldish man with white hair and kind gray eyes- Oh! Uncle Jim! I-you scared me, stammered Anne. The man looked at her quizzically. I-Ie was not really her uncle-but every- one called him Uncle Jim. Where you calc'lating to go, little girl, with your bag and bonnet and all? Aunt Emm sending you somewheres, is she? Wa'al now, that's real nice of you to be always doing something fer your old aunt. I allus said you was a good girl, Anne-and I say it now-not every girl is ready at the beck and call of those as needs her. But you, Anneg well, you're all right? I-Oh! Uncle Jim, don't! At the real anguish in the girl's voice the old man stopped speaking. Why, Anne, honey, -as the girl's gray eyes filled with tears- What is it? Can't you tell your Uncle Jim?,' Oh!-you don't know me-you don't, Uncle Jim. You think I'm good and-and everything, but-I'm not-Uncle Jim, I'm -she lowered her voice and leaned toward him-'Tm running away. Hm! said the man. Wall, now you must hev some reason--can't you jest tell me 'bout it-maybe-not likely--but maybe an old feller like me could-well, sort 0' put you on the right track, so to speak. 14

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THE KNIGHT Well, puffed Aunt Emm, from her unbecoming seat on the floor. What do you call this, anyway? That's what I want to know, you- you- she paused for breath, and while she paused Anne had a wild desire to laugh. But that would have been fatal. However, 'there sat Aunt Emm, gaunt, red and agitated, her gold-rimmed spectacles sitting awry on her pointed nose and the small, straggly wisps of grey hair, which were always slicked back so tight, stuck out straight, giving her the effect of a bristling porcupine. Picking herself up gingerly and readjusting her glasses, Aunt Emm stopped suddenly in the brushing-off process to take an astonished look at her neice- Well I snum!! If you ain't gone and got out your own m-other's dress, as I've been after saving these fifteen years-cause I knew as how it would come in handy some day. Take that off this minute-I'll teach you to go snooping around things in this house with- out so much as asking me-guess Ilve got a little say around here yet- Do as I say now, as Anne hesitated. But Aunt Emm, this was Mother's and Daddy said-before he died -that I could have all her things and I- Yes-if that ain't just like a man-giving away things he don't know nothing about-get that off I say-why-why-what! Anne Win- throw Trotter! Hev yew been a-reading 0' thet'? Aunt Emm's scathing forefinger pointed with horror at the treasured Styles from Paris. Ain't I brung you up better'n to read dime novels like that-oho!-so its styles is it, as she turned the pages gingerly- well if you weren't too. busy watching young Timothy Tyler last Wednesday night in Prayer Meeting maybe-yew heard the parson say as how- but Anne had fled -leaving the beloved relation to have it out with herself. That night at supper Anne was unusually calm and pale, and it was with a sigh of relief that she saw Aunt Emm fasten her bonnet securely on the back of her head and prepare to go out-'Tm going to Bartlett's. I told Miranda I'd come to Sewing Circle to-night-but mind you finish those dishes and darn them stockings and-well you may as well go to bed then,,cause we'll be putting up jell to-morrow and I want you up by four. With that she swept majestically outg leaving Anne with flushed cheeks bending over the dishes. With rising indignation she re- called the remarks of her aunt, and inwardly rebelled that she should bend to the will of this woman who, as Anne put it, never loved me anyway. I won't stand it-that's all. She said I could go to the party next Thursday night-but she knows I won't go if I have to wear that old brown dress again-I've worn it three years for best now and-all the other girls are getting new ones-nice new thin ones-I won't wear it-I won't-I won't-. Stamping her foot emphatically, Anne went on with the dishes. I'll-I'll run away-that's what I'll do! When the words were out of her mouth she stopped aghast. Run away-she-run away from Aunt Emm-why only story book girls did that. But why shouldn't she? Aunt Emm would only be glad, she argued and, 1'll 13

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THE KNIGHT It was too much for Anne-she sank down on the soft turf beside him and with her head bent and hands nervously clutching each other, she poured her whole story into the sympathetic ears of Uncle Jim. And, she concluded, I won't go to that party next Thursday, Uncle Jim, if I have to wear that brown dress. Uncle Jim, its got tucks and nobody wears tucks now. No, course they don't, comforted Uncle Jim, tho' I don't know as I'd know a tuck from a hole in the ground-but perhaps we can fix it after all. What do you say to this? I know where I can get some nice dress goods just like you spoke of, and we'll ask thet new dress- maker over to Bartlett's to help make it, and you can wear it next Thursday and-and we won't have any tucks in it, either, he finished triumphantly. Oh! honest, Uncle Jim? Anneis eyes grew big with anticipation. But wouldn't it cost a, lot, Uncle Jim?-I've only got 51.42 of my own and I did so want to get a new collar and some beads like Rachel's- but- , Oh! that'll be all right, said Uncle Jim easily. Guess a friend can give another friend a present once in a while, can't he? And we're friends, ain't we? And, Uncle Jim-a fan-what'll I do for a fan? Hm! 'sposing I look next time I go to town, which will probably be to-morrow or next day, and see what kind of fans they got-guess we could get one reasonable. Oh! Uncle Jim, do I look any whiter to you-or smoother-or nicer? She bent her head expectantly, so he could get a better view of her fiushed cheeks. Well now, I don't know but what you do, he drawled. Hadn't noticed, tho'. Well, I'll tell you a secret, if you won't tell a soul-I've been beau- tifying it! Uncle Jim whistled softly through his teeth. Yes, sir-- read it in a book-use cold cream every night and, Uncle Jim, I do-I set a half a pint of cream in the ice chest every night and when it gets good and cold I slap it on good. Of course, Aunt Emm don't know-- but it has been an improvement, Uncle Jim, don't you think so? The man nodded gravely, but the twinkle in his eye became more pronounced. I But-'sposen Aunt Emm shouldn't let me accept the-the dress and all-oh! Uncle Jim, what will I do? We'll fix her all right-just you Hatter her up a bit-that'll bring her 'round. Just tell her that I-yes, you can lay it on to me if you want to-that I just dote on her luminous eyes-be sure and make it luminous, not illuminous, and that I would rather sit by her than-than the-the-the Queen of Sheby, he ended desperately. Do you think that'll do it? she asked anxiously. 15