East High School - Quill Yearbook (Des Moines, IA)

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6 THE QUILI. to keep laughing and joking all the time. For the twenty-six years of his life he had been quiet, and it was a change. Then his thoughts turned to the trip. His au11t, being rich, would probably have several important doctors at her bedside, and he might get to talk with them, discuss late events in the medical and scientific world, and swap experi- ences. In a week his aunt had passed away, and Jim found himself to be the rather bewildered possessor of thirty-seven thousand dollars. Enough to marry, buy a home, and start a new practice in a tow11 larger than Harding. In three weeks he was able to leave for his home town. Be good to see the gang once more, ,and Edythe. He'd go out to her house soon after he arrived. But maybe it would be better to wire her that he was coming. As the train neared Harding, Jim was becoming excited. And when he saw the little brick depot, and the faded black and white sign of Hardingl' swinging over a group of friends, a lump arose in his throat. The first person he looked for as he descended the few steps of the train was Edythe, and after ploughing through several dozen of the citizens, bent on congratulating him on his good fortune, he finally did see her. There she was, standing cool and slim in a fluttery green dress, and a tall serious youth stood beside her. Until now, Jim had never paid much attention to him, but now he realized painfully that the boy, tall and straight with brown eyes and wavy hair, was a very distinct personality. Hello, Edythe. How are you? Say, you're looking fine, he greeted her enthusiastically. Why, hello, Jim. I'm glad to see you. You surely remember David Lewis, don 't you? He 's an artist, spending his summer here, painting some of our scenery. We're engaged, she finished coolly. Somehow, he managed to stammer co11- gratulations and escape from the cruel scrutiny of the crowd. So that was why she hadn't answered his last letters, though he 'd only written a few in all. The next day, loitering on the hotel veranda, again the looker-on, the watch- er, the thinker, tl1e silent man of every gathering, he ventured to ask of one of his few close friends: Jake, do you know why Edythe- well, you know what I mean. When I went away it was practically settled. Waal, I heard that she said you was too much of a talker. She allus claimed she'd pick a quiet feller to spend her life with,. probably so she could boss him, and we shore thought she 'd done it when she got you, but she says you was too all-fired noisy. Course, none of us be- lieved that, knowing you 's allus too quiet an' thoughtful, and full o' poetry. Waal, only God understands wimmin, and I reckon they puzzle Him sometimes. So I dunno the real reason. Reckon you 'll be a leaving this burg S0011, with all that money? he questioned wist- fully. Yes, Jake. I guess I will. I've got to see some of those things that I've al- ways dreamed of, but I'll come back, he finished softly. MSO Bigv BY EDNA FERBER Could you find beauty in red cabbages on an Illinois farm? Selma Peake did in spite of her drab life of hard labor. She toiled so that her son, Derk, might have the beauty in life that she had missed, but he could find nothing interesting in life but making money. VELMA GARMON '32.

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THE QUIIAL 5 L I T E R A R Y I-lelen Hanson Josephine Walsh Remodeled in Vain t By RIAXINE ArNEs OUNG Dr. Jim Rogers was rush- ing Edythe Simmons. In a small town like Harding, everyone knew it in a few days. Friends greeted him more jovially than usual, and with a re- mark about Edythe that usually made Jim get suspiciously red around his ears. Ile used to sit at his window for hours in the evenings Cwhen he was not at Edythe'sD and dream about her. A pie- ture of her was propped up beside him, and he adored it. It didn 't matter to him that it was originally a part of a group picture in the town newspaper, and though the other faces were cut away, two organdie-clad elbows prodded Edythe painfully from either side, and the face of a venerable old gent was visible over her left shoulder. But no valuable portrait with a master 's signa- ture could be more prized. But tonight, tonight he was going to call on Edythe. And did he not drive a spirited young horse. and a shiny blaek buggy, rented from the village stable? And look, beside him on the seat there reposed a huge three-pound box of candy. adorned with blue tulle ribbons and clad in snowy tissue paper. On the way out he reviewed and ana- lyzed the brilliant and witty speeches he would nonchalantly deliver at the right moments. Surely a gay and frivolous girl,like Edythe would desire a young man that was peppy, and full of zest. All right, if that was the type she pre- ferred,-then that was the type he 'd be. Naturally being reticent and thoughtful, he should be more joeose. and lawgh more. to hold her attention. Faint heart ne 'er won fair lady. That quotation had lately become one of his favorite mottoes, and at the party two weeks ago he had been able to talk a little more, laugh a little more than usualg and for the first. time, Edythe had noticed him. And with that little en- couragement he had, according to later testimonies, 'tshined right up to her. Now he was her f'steady. But was her interest not beginning to wane? Had he not fallen back into his old rut of listening instead of being listened to, of being a spectator instead of the one observed, of always being a looker on? Well, tonight was tonight. and he would make up for past dullness. And he did. At just the right moment he said the right thing, made just the right remark, gave just the right compli- ment- when presenting the candy, that made her turn and blush prettily. ln fact, he was quite loquaeious and gay and laughing. Possibly a little too much. And when he left, at 10:30, he knew that she had bee11 sorry to see him leave. even if her folks had not shared her sor- row quite so much. But all good things must have an end, or at least an intermission. The next day Jim received a telegram that his au11t was quite ill, and would he please come at once? But before he left, he met Edythe and explained his absence-to-be, and he promised: I'l1 write to you every single day. P And she promised faithfully to answer every letter. All the day on the train he kept think- ing of Edythe. How he loved and adored her! But it was a bit tiresome

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THE QUILL Mine Chilclrenl Mine Children! By INIAXINE CONKVVRIGIIT Mine Uhildren. Mine IllIlllll'8I1, dey botter mine life. VVhy don 't dey keep quiet like Gretchen, mine wife 3 Ven I am sot down for a 11ice quiet smoke, Dey crawl me all over and think it a choke. Dey break down the closeline and climb up the tree. And ven dey get hurt-dey come squalling to me. Dey hang by dere toenails and stand on dere head, And knock one another off top of the shed. Dey chop down my fruit trees and dull up mine ax- And lose all my tools and dey vaste all mine tacks. Dey fight and dey spat for a pan for to lick, And den I gets mad and I gets a big stick. I varm up dere pants. and den Oh! how dey dance! I sot dem down hard each one on a chair, And den dey yust say Ha! Ha! We don 't care. And ven dere comes company, I get disgust, Dey eat and dey eat till I tank dey would bust. Dey lose all dere money and ask me for more, Till sometimes I tank I will shurely go poor. Dey tear up mine Ford and have a good latf- IVhen seeing me coming, dey run down the path. Ven we tank it over, it does not seem right To make dem be shut up yust quite so ver' tight. I shust vant to lick dem, but den dey get vorse, And ven I get mad, I tank I vill curse. But maybe dey may grow better as years roll on by Ooh! if dey don 't-I tank I vill die! Joy Out of the gray of God 's own skies, VVe hear the bells ring loud and clear The silvery moon beams played. 'Tis ringing for Christmas tide, And the shimmering snow The loud winds are calling, Shone with wondrous glow, The white snow is falling Now brightly, now to fade. Throughout this world so wide. We hear the patter of little feet, As they come to bring us cheer. As the rustic bells ring, All the gay children sing Merry Christmas, Happy New Year! -IIIIRIAM KIEFER.