Decatur High School - Ravelings Yearbook (Decatur, IN)

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RAVELINGS That the man would not stop at anything he rightly knew. If he could get to the operator's room and turn off the switch to the electricity so it could not be conveyed through the wires to do its dastardly work. He knew that there was no time to lose, so he darted toward the central office which was in another part of the building. As he neared the office he noticed that the blinds were all pulled down. He stealthily moved toward the door and quietly turned the knob and walked in. He had the switch in his hand when he heard a movement behind him. He turned and there in the semi-darkness he saw two men leveling their automatic revolvers at him. They were well dressed, but nevertheless they had a desperate appearance. No doubt they were at the bottom of the plot. Sid knew that it would be useless to struggle so they soon had him. bound and gagged. He was then roughly thrown into an adjoining room. Sid could hear the men hastily working in the next room and in a little while heard the outside door open. A man, doubtless the one he had seen putting the explosives in the telephone box, come in and announc- ed that everything was ready and all that was needed was to turn on the electricity and millions of dollars' worth of ammuni- tion would be destroyed. But which one of the men would sacri- fice his life to turn the switch? This led to a somewhat heated discussion but at last they decided to draw lots. In the meantime Sid was making a des- perate effort' to free himself. He knew he was the only person who could save the factory. He kept tugging his bonds for what seemed to him hours when at last he succeeded in slipping one of his arms loose. He was soon free and he crept to the door to see what was going on in the other room. There was only one man in the room, but there was no chance to overpower him as he held a pistol in his hand. This might still give Sid a chance to cut the wires on the outside of the office, but there was but one door to the room where the spy was. So when the man's back was turned he dashed acros sthe room and was out of the door before the other man could interfere. The man followed him out of the door and shot at him. Sid felt a sharp pain shoot through his left shoulder close to his heart. He staggered--he must give up-no, he would cut that wire at any cost. At the sound of the shot the guards came running toward the office. The spy, seeing them, turned and rushed back to the office and locked the door. He then sprang to the switch to turn it on and with a ghastly leer on his face, much like that of a wild beast, he swung the switch into place, and closed his eyes, awaiting the shock of the explosion. But the shock was never to come, for Sid using every ounce of his decreasing strength had staggered to the wire, clamp- ed his pliers around it and just as it fell apart he felt a shock of electricity pass through his body, and knew that he had just been in time to save the factory, for he had cut off the current as it was already on its way to set off the charge in the telephone' boxes. But that was all that human nature could endure and grasping his wound he sank to the floor with a smile of satisfaction on his face. When he opened his eyes he was lying on a bed in the factory's hospital with a bandage on his left shoulder. He had lost considerable blood and had been uncon- scious for three hours. The first thing he asked was, VVas the factory saved? XVith a nod the doctor assured him that it was and with a sigh of relief Sid dropped into a deep sleep, a sleep from which he would never awake HARRY KNAPP. O igPlPl1,5 may Helen was late for Basket Ball practice! That wasn't a new occurrence. she usual- ly wasp but she didn't wish to he today for Miss Tunston, the girl's coach. was to dis- cuss plans for future games and choosing of the First Team in two weeks. Helen was very anxious to make the First 19

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RAVELINGS A iii 1 5 X X !Qf E, K fox X Q W' f ' 4 --- 'Se' X X , R ' 1, f I f fy 'iz N W, X f f 'X' Wig .1 if X 7-r----gr ,urpf--'V '7 N l.l'rl:R RY .f 51112 151111 that Efliailril WQhat in the world could be wrong with those telephones again? That is what Sidney Gray pondered over shortly after a messenger from the superintendent had come and told him that all the telephones in the store rooms were out of commission. Sidney Gray was a young man of nine- teen, well proportioned. He was a typical young man, such as can always be found in a factory city. For three years he had been employed to take care of and repair the telephones in the different departments of the Argo Ammunition Corporation. He was well adapted to this kind of work and was well liked by all the workmen. Sid thought that this must surely be one of his off days for he had been working all day repairing the 'phones in the ware- house. He had found that several phones had been tampered with, as the batteries had been removed and the wiring changed, but he had gotten them fixed and thought no more of the matter. But here it was very close to quitting time and the telephones in the store houses were again out of or- der. He gathered up his tools and went quickly and thoughtfully to find thetrouble. He was just nearing the place when the whistle sounded the closing hour and the guards were being stationed. As he near- ed the store houses, where enough ammu- nition was stored to blow up the entire United States navy, he saw one of the many foreign employes- in a telephone booth in a secluded part of the- room, tak- ing the telephone apart. He crept behind some packing cases and watched the man through the glass doorj - He was a short man, having a small, black mustache, and piercing dark eyes, which show like live coals from under his overhanging eyebrows. At the slightest noise he would wield about with surprising agility and peer cau- tiously out of the glass door. But seeing no cause to arouse his suspicions he would resume his work. He took the batteries from the 'phone and in their stead he put three large pieces of dynamite which he produced from under his coat. He also rearranged the wiring, put the lid back on the box and turning about made another search for the guards who might be about, opened the door and went toward another booth to perform the same operation. All this happened within an instant. In the twinkle of an eye Sid knew the man's plan. He was a foreign spy who was conceal- ing explosives in the telephone boxes of the warehouse and connecting the wires in such a way that when a high voltage of electricity was sent over the wires it would ignite the explosives and cause an explo- sion which would destroy the entire fac- tory and kill hundreds of people. Something must be done in a very short time. Should he tell the guards? No, they could not act quick enough! He must foil the plans of the plotters by himself.

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RAVELINGS Team. When her older brother had left for college a month before, he had said, Now look here, sis, if you hold up the honor of our family in High School by getting on First Team Basket Ball I'll buy you the big- gest box of candy I can find and forever more--. Quit calling me, 'kid sister'? Helen had asked. And he had laughingly replied, Yes in- deed. Helen thought over the conversation on her way to the Gym. She didn't care so much for the candy, but she did care for her brother's esteem and she determined if it were possible to make First Team. There were three draw backs to this determina- tion, and Helen realized it-she was abomin- ably weak on throwing fouls, she hated and ignored team work-and she was lazy! All of Helen's friends knew she was lazy and Helen herself admitted it. Helen hal been very eager to join the Camp Fire Girl's organization when it was first organized but she soon tired of the work and coin- plained that to win honors took so much time, so she soon ceased to come. And Hel- en was delighted to join a Sewing Club which sewed for poor children, but after the novelty had worn off Helen failed to. come any more. And in the same way was Helen lazy in Basket-Ball. She was always late, she never came a little early, before practice began or stayed a little afterwards to practice her weakest point, foul-throw- ing, nor did she heed Miss Tunstonis ad- vice when it took a little extra exertion on her part. But all of Helen's friends had grown used to it now, and they just said when any new fancy or whim of hers dis- played itself. Oh that's just Helen's way. On the way out of the Gym, after prac- tice that evening, Helen remembered that she had left her locker key so she returned to hunt for it. She heard Miss Tunston and one of the other teachers talkingg and just as she paused. What was that Miss Tunston was saying? And then theworils came to her more clearly, Yes, said Miss Tunston, Helen is quite a good little play- ' 20 er, but I'm afraid she won't make First Team. A voice answered, but Helen was too- dum- founded to listen until she heard Miss Tun- ston say, Well you see, Helen is lazy--- she comes to practice' when she feels like it and then is usually late. Her foul throw- ing isn't so very goo-dand to put her words for it she 'hates' to play team work. l've warned her again and again but she never seems to care. The teachers, still talking left the Gym and Helen was left standing there, unseen. She remained quiet for a few minutes and then a great wave of. anger spread over' her. How dare Miss Tunston talk like that of her! She, Helen Bryce, the best player among the girls! Well she'd show Miss Tun- ston she wouldn't play at all! And with a great sob in her throat, half from anger, half broken p-ride, Helen rushed from the building and slammed the door behind he-'. But Helen did go back. On the very next afternoon, after she had over heard Miss Tunston, she had come half an hour early and practiced the much hated foul throwing. For a.fter her anger hed left her the after- noon before, she decided to show Miss Tun- ston that she COULD and WOUL-D make the First Team. And so far the two weeks that intervened, before the choosing of the Team, Helen Bryce was like on obsessed with Basket-Ball. Every evening she hurried to the Gym for half an hour's practice in foul throwing by herselfg and whenever the girls practiced Helen was always on time and she strove hard to do good team work. Miss Tunston was surprised. She hadn't supposed that Helen had such stick-to-it iveness about her. Altho, she confided to one o-f the teachers, all, of He1en's friends say that this is just Helen's way and that it won't last. , But it did last and just two weeks after Helen's bitter lesson, the First Team of the Kennington High School was chosen and Helen Bryce was one of the forwards. B-ut that wasn't the greatest victory. A week later when the Kennington High play- ed the Lincoln High, Miss Tunston said to