Crawfordsville High School - Athenian Yearbook (Crawfordsville, IN)

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' rwssgarw Ti... ATHENTAN the haunting memories it had brought him. Through his mind trooped the days in which his finances had dwindled leaving him penniless and forcing him to sell his lifelong home. Again he stood and watched his home taken over by strangers. He had no place to go. All of his friends seemed to have deserted him. True, he was still jonathan Amherst-but in name only. He had changed from the happy young man he had been before the accident, into a silent, bitter, strangely older man. He repelled the advances of his former friends. in their every action, he fancied he saw pity-and jonathan was afraid of pity. What could it bring him but a recurrence of painful memories, Thus he lost contact with his friends. He started anew. Affer a long search for work, jonathan finally found a position in the coal mines. The pay was small and he had barely enough to live on. Many times he was hungry, always he was tired. He worked doggedly, day after day. Scarcely buying even the necessities of life, he managed to save a tidy amount of money each week. He was ruthless in'his dealings at the mine. He did not care whom he hurt. Anyone who stood in his path must move. It was never jonathan who gave way. Ruthless and cruel as he had grown, he had perfect control of his emotions. He tried to stifle the softer emotions of laughter and gaiety in himself, and permitted only hatred to grow steadily within him. He had no close friends and his few acquaintances knew him for a harsh and bitter man. The time moved on. Ionathan's blonde hair had long since whitened but had it not been for the harsh lines in which his face was set, he would still have been a handsome man. It was thirty years since he had begun working in the mines. Years of saving mone , scheming to undermine those higher than himself. He had worked his way up until now llie was part owner of the mines. Part owner of the mines-the thought gave Jonathan a satisfied feeling. He was a very wealthy man now, and soon, if his plans to buy out the other owners of the mine were successful, he would be making millions of dollars. The thought warmed his heart. Relentlessly' he set out to ruin his partners. One by one he forced them out of the partnership, forced them to sell their shares to him. In his thirty-fifth year at the mines, jonathan became sole owner. A rich man, he now planned to buy back his old home. Changing fortunes made it possible for jonathan to buy the house from it owners and he set about having it repaired. Everything must be as it had been when he had lived in it. He remembered every detail clearly and he paid the builders well to recreate the house. Long they worked until jonathan was satisfied. The night that the builders left, jonathan had stood in the music room looking at his violin lying in the mahogany cabinet. He had taken it up and laid it to his shoulder, but his twisted hands had been able to wring only discordant melody from the instrument. The invincible Ionathan was shocked as he felt tears rolling down his wrinkled cheek. Tears running down his cheek! jonathan roused from his revery and felt his face wet. The firelight shone on an old man silently weeping. He raised his eyes again to the portrait above the mantelpiece and muttered, Stephanie, how wrong I've been! As he stared into the fire's depths, a live coal popped from it and lay glowing brightly on the marble floor. Looking at it, Ionathan saw a reflection of his wasted life. The coal, now burning brightly, soon would go out' and leave only ashes. Had it stayed in the fire it would still be glowing with flames and would be giving warmth and light. He saw that he had everything but happiness and love, which he now wanted more than anything else. But it was too late. Life had passed him by and now he was leaving it without anyone to care. Even as he sat there, the coal sent up a tiny smoke signal and died out. jonathan Amherst, slumped deep into his chair, sat staring into the huge crackling fire. Dancing flames, dancing flames . . . he closed his eyes. He was very tired. Page Eleven

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The ATHENHAN Page, Ten , f the Stradivarius glistened dully in the light of the burning fire. Looking at it, Ionathan felt again the touch of its satin wood under his chin, He closed his eyes in pain, memories crowding into his mind . . . Again jonathan stood on the stage of the huge concert hall. A hush came over the house. The crowd waited silently for him to play. He raised his eyes to meet those of Stephanie, his wife, seated in the box to his right. Catching her slow smile, he placed the violin to his shoulder. He drew his bow across the strings. Ethereal music filled the crowded hall. He was master of these people and their emotions. At will, he could bring tears to their eyes or a smile to their lips. This was Stephanieis and his first wedding anniversary and as he played, his music was an outpouring of his joy for their life together. These thoughts were in his mind as he played, and when he had finished, the audience sat silent . . . tears in the eyes of some . . . hope in the hearts of others. There was a hush over the hall before the silence was shattered by wild applause. jonathan stood amid their cheers . . . his heart filled with happiness and mingled emotions, and accepted their acclaim. As he and Stephanie rode home, jonathan thought he had never been so happy. Success was his. He had everything he had ever wanted . . . happiness with Stephanie, success in his career, and all the money he could ever need. Abruptly, breaking sharply into his thoughts, came the cry of the coachman as he jerked at the reins of the horses to stop the carriage. The fright-maddened horses, startled by a wind-blown bit of paper had shied suddenly into the direct path of a lumbering coal wagon. Amid splintering wood and the frightened screams of the horses, jonathan saw Stephanie's life snuffed out. Horrified by his loss, he scarcely felt his own pain as the wooden frame of the carriage crashed against him. Jonathan lay in the hospital for several days without regaining consciousness. When he did so, it was with a feeling of desolation. He could not understand where he was or what had happened. Abruptly he remembered-Stephanie . . . the accident! She was dead, he knew that, but his mind recoiled from the thought. What would life be for him without Stephanie . . . jonathan roused from his revery as the whistling wind swept down the chimney making a mournful sound in the quiet room. He passed his trembling hand over his eyes as though to brush the painful memories away. His voice echoed loudly in the empty room as he cried brokenly, Stephanie, come back! The door of the room opened, as he spoke, and the butler entered. Did you call, Sirfw he asked. jonathan whirled toward the door at the sound of the butler's voice. Without meeting his eyes, jonathan spoke. No, Lyons, you were mistaken. I-I did not callf' He watched until Lyons had left the room and closed the door behind him. He leaned back into his chair again, staring into the fire and thinking. A blown bit of paper, he mused, and I lost everything. He heard again the words of the doctor who had treated him after the accident, Your hand will be only a little stiff. Outside of that, you are going to be perfectly well. Jonathan's face twisted into a bitter smile. The doctor had little known what those words had meant to jonathan. Only a LITTLE stiff! lust enoughrto keep him from ever playing his violin again. He flexed his hand now, and looked at the one stiff finger which still would not bend properly. He remembered his long convalescence in the hospital -the bitter vengeance he had sworn for his bereavement. He thought of his return home-

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Tli ATHlENlAN Q3-Htlleitllillttll' SEPTEMBER Monday was Labor Day and Tuesday we started our last year of labor at Crawfordsville High School.-Boyl Oh, boy! We looked around the school and noticed a few changes from last year. Alas, alack, we found that Uncle Sam had borrowed Mr. Moore, Mr. Rose, and Mr. Sullivan for the duration. Miss Henderson left for Indiana University. New additions are Miss Miller, Miss Denney, Mr. LaFollette, and Mr. johnson. Substitutes are Mrs. Grossman, Mrs. F ortney, Mrs. Endicott, Mrs. Finan, and Mrs. Porter. Our dear friend and adviser, Mr. Burgess, passed away during the summer vacation. The first football game was away and we held our own-Crawfordsville 6, Brazil 6. The Sunshine Society had its first meeting and the officers for this year are: President, Sallie Rogers, Vice-president, Billie Winningham, Secretary, Louise'Van Dyke, and Treasurer, Mary Ellen Patrick. The football team traveled to Shortridge and came home a sorrowful bunch-Shortridge 51, Crawfordsville 6. The first chapel program was a success. Mr. Howard Cleaves talked on the subject of Animals at Night. We waited expectantly for the first issue of The Gold and Blue, which was published on September 25 by the united effort of Merilyn Stilwell fpage one editorl, Mildred McMurray fpage two editorl, Shirley Brigance fpage three editorj, jack joel Q page four editorl, Pat MacDaniel Ccirculation managerl, and George Colvin fbusiness managerl. Our first home football game resulted in our winning from Ben Davis by the score of 6 to 0. The students are finally in the groove. OCTOBER Such a time, such a time! For days we racked our brains trying to pick the best students in our class for Senior officers, and came up with: Tom Mason, President, Bob Ross, Vice-president, Nancy Cummings, Secretary, and Louise Van Dyke, Treasurer. We struggled through the first six-weeks tests. Now, only five more to go! The Hi-Y installed their new officers: President, Pete Westfall, Vice-president, Bill Horton, Secretary, Dave Cornell, Treasurer, Bob Moon, and Sergeant at Arms, Don Swarat. AThe fighting aggregation from Crawfordsville High School bowed in defeat to Wiley of Terre Haute, 39 to 14. The Latin clubs elected new officers. The officers for Classical Club are: President, Phyllis Spencer, Vice-president, Jean McKinney, and Secretary, Sylvia Sommer. The Plus Ultra Clubis new officers are: Sara Caldwell, President, Inez Riggs, Vice-president, Annie Lee Chesterson, Secretary, Phyllis Spencer, Treasurer. The Speech Arts Club held its first meeting of the year. 'Presiding were jack Duke, President, Kate Sinclair, Vice-president, Nancy Otto, Secretary-Treasurer. The Speech Arts tryouts for membership were held two days later. It seems as if bad luck has fastened itself to our football team-Garfield 6, Craw- fordsville 0. Then jeff 38, Crawfordsville 0. The G. A. A. elected their officers for the coming year. The results of the election were: President, Margaret Ranking Vice-president, Betty Stevens, Secretary, Wilda Riddle, and Treasurer, Eleanor Green. Food!-Band Parents gave a potluck supper. The commercial classes fmostly girlsl visited their rivals, the Western Union Girls, at the Ben Hur Building. P. S. No casualties. Woe is usl Another lost cause-Frankfort 9, Crawfordsville 0. Audubon Society elected the following officers: President, David Burns, Vice-president, Bob Sosbeg Secretary-Treasurer, Betty Chadwick. Hurrahl Tables turned! Teachers go to school in Indianapolis while we loaf. Lt. Timberman spoke in the auditorium on Navy Day. Page Twelve