Eastern High School - Echo Yearbook (Baltimore, MD)

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THE EASTERN ECHO I3 nounced, drawing forth from the oven the beautiful crisp dainties. ul think, observed the Captain, with his mouth full of cookies, that Miss Alice must think that her mail is too heavy for me to carry, because she wouldn't let me get it for her tonight. No such thing, she clon't think that at all! ejaculated Mrs. Fusselbore. Why, what do you know about it, Gene- va? I was listening outside the door and after you had gone, Mrs. Lane asked Miss Alice why she didn't let you get their mail and that cranky girl said in her sharp tone: 'Mother, l'm expecting a check and one never knows when one can trust these uncouth people.' Uncouthl Of all things! She is the cross- est girl l've ever known-she don't do any- thing but fuss. l-lush, hush, Geneva, that ain't charitable, said the Captain. Oh, Emery, you always were so good and kind, but when l hear a chit like that talk about my husband, l can't help getting angry! Of course you can't, but she is only a child, remember. Now, let's go to bed. l'm powerful tired. l'm so bored, l don't know what to do, announced Alice at the lunch table the next day. We'll, dear, why don't you take a walk-it would do you good, observed Mrs. Lane. All right, that's a good idea, replied Alice, rising as she spoke and putting on a raincoat. It was still blowing a little outside and, as Alice walked along, carelessly kicking the sea lavendar, she noticed a quantity of sea cucum- bers, sea urchins, and clriftwood cast up by the sea, on the beach. All at once she saw something that resem- bled a life preserver lying amid the debris. Upon examination, she found it was a life preserver and on it were printed these words. Merlyn-Private Yacht of James Rawlings of New York. She mused a long time, look- ing over the great expanse of water. l wonder what poor soul had this on last night. l-le evidently perished. Oh, how true are the words of Media, 'Life is short, though life is sweet, and even men of brass and fire must die.' As she went on, she saw a dory drawn upon the beach: being a strong athletic girl, she soon had launched the boat, and was lazily drifting along, neither knowing nor caring where she went. In her abstraction she had not noticed how the sea had changed. The sun had gone, the wind increased, and the waves grew higher and higher, becoming angry dark bluish green. With a start Alice came to her senses realiz- ing she Was a great distance from land, she quickly seized the oars and tried to row with all her strength, for the shore. Her mind froze in frenzied terror Ffor she realized that the wind and tide had turned and were rapidly carrying her out to sea. Finding that her strength was waning, a dull despair seized her, but through all her misery a hideous panorama of her life passed before her. Short though it was, it revealed to her her character in a light in which she had never seen herself before. , Q I N ai fr iff ' WI It 1 'A l ,il 5 ,fp 65,3 3 X W I X-' ui' V li ill I ? 4 A X .f- f L ' ,xs- M1 7 Vi A, 6 l A if ,fell 9 A , She saw a selfish, heartless, unsympathetic and even cruel creature-no love, no kindness, no warmth of feeling in her make-up. She wondered how her mother and her friends had endured her. Then, through her tortured brain flashed the question, How could l har- bor such unkind thoughts about the whole- souled people of this island, especially Cap- tain Fusselbore, who has been most kind to me? ln the midst of her agony, she seemed to hear, far away in the distance, the warning note of a bell-buoy. To her overwrought spirit, it seemed to say, Your hour has come! Your hour has come! She tried to pray, but the only thing she 4

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I2 THE EASTERN ECHO Dawn Second Prize Camilla Boone '26 C . l Ain , mm by . H I - l all fl. llllllwl l . ll Elnlmvillh l 1 In illlilirlf irmiiiigfii ,Z Q pl z. U. ta 67': 'f-.a1 -i-.?- I O'W long before dinner, Mrs. Fus- selbore, inquired pretty Alice Lane. About an hour, was they reply. W 'M ' Such a long time-you people on this island always delay in everything you do! I wish l had never come to this primitive place, but Mother thinks it's restful, so she had to comeg but l don't see why she had to drag me along! There's nothing to do but watch the sunsets and the fog. Oh, it's awful! Following this tirade, Alice whirled out of the room, sniffing disgustedly the salt aroma which arose from Captain Fusselbore's oil skins, thrown over the porch railing, ,leaving poor Mrs. Fusselbore gazing after her with a very troubled countenance. Mrs. Fusselbore kept a boarding house dur- ing the summer months, on Swans Island and, among her many boarders were Mrs. Benjamin Lane and her daughter, Alice. Alice Lane was an unusually lovely looking girl. She had gorgeous red hair which she gath- ered in a knot at the back of her neck, beau- tiful blue eyes, and a clear, transparent com- plexion. She had made her debut about two years previous to this time and, during those few months of continuous gaiety, her whole outlook on life had completely changedg for instance, in her mind, a man who did not make over ten thousand a year, was not worth while and, if he did not own a car or dress extrava- gantly, he was not worth looking at twice, so you see, what an entirely mistaken idea she had. Mrs. Lane came every summer to Swans lsland and boarded at Mrs. l7usselbore's ls- land Rest Cottage. It rested her shattered ne1rves, as she expressed it and gave her new strength. One' night, after dinner, while Alice and her mother sat reading before a roaring fire of driftwood, and the wind was whistling through the chimney pots, Captain Fusselbore entered. l-le was a splendid specimen of manhood, and with his great broad shoulders and deep chest, he reminded Mrs. Lane immediately of an old Viking. 'Tm going for the mail now, so if you want me to I'1l get yours, he said. No, thank you, Captain Fusselbore, I couldn't think of such a thing, said Alice coldly. It wouldn't be any trouble, Miss Alice, said the good-hearted Captain. No, thank you, l will go down myself and get it, Alice repeated. All right, but really, it woulcln't be any trouble, he said, leaving the room. Alice, said Mrs. Lane in a surprised tone, why didn't you let the Captain get our mail? You see, Mother, l'm expecting a check any day for that story I wrote, and one never knows when one may trust these uncouth peo- ple. They had been reading for some little time when the hall door opened and the wind blew in Captain Fusselbore. Some night, this, Geneva, he was heard to say, the worst nor'east:er we've had in ten years. Bother, muttered Alice, can't he keep still! Back in the kitchen, Mrs. Fusselbore was soon busily dosing her spouse with boneset tea and endearments. Ive just finished baking some lovely sugar cookies, so l'm going to give you some because you've been out in such a storm, she an-

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I4 THE EASTERN ECI-IO could think of was a song her mother used to sing called Rock of Ages. Rock of Ages, cleft for me- I I..et me hide myself in thee. What could it possibly mean? The sound of the buoy, which she knew was chained to the rock, grew nearer. Was she going toward it? Yes. She knew that in a little while she would be wrecked off the dangerous shoal. She was fast sinking into a merciful uncon- sciousness from exhaustion, and as the boat neared the rock, she saw, as in a dream, a huge foam-crested wave rise before her-she felt the boat strike the ledge-and then-ob- livion. When Alice opened her eyes, she found herself lying in the bottom of a large motor- boat that rocked dangerously from side to side. Why, how did this happen-how did I get here? she said aloud, pushing back the damp hair from her forehead. Don't be afraid-you are all right now, said a strangely familiar voice, and, looking up she saw Captain Fusselbore. A rush of awe, gratitude and shame over- came her. Was this man her rescuer-this man whom, last night, she had not trusted? How humiliated she felt! The engine suddenly stopped. She saw they were near the shore. Are you-do you need any help? asked the Captain. No thank you. They stepped out of the boat into a little dory that was moored near the boat and rowed for shore. When they reached it, without say- ing anything to her preserver, she' jumped out of the dory and ran as quickly as she could to the Island Rest Cottage. 'iAlice, said IVIrs. Lane, meeting her at the door, what has happened, you're wet thru? I went out in a dory and was wrecked off that shoal in the bay, and Captain Fusselbore saved me. Without waiting to hear another word, she dashed upstairs into her own room and in a few minutes Mrs. Lane heard the key turn in the lock. Alice is in one of her moods again, so l'll not bother her, she murmured. A few minutes after this episode, Captain Fusselbore entered. Oth, 'Captain Fussfelbore, you saved my daughter's life! I-low can I ever thank you! until poor Captain Fusselbore, turning a pain- ful red, blurted out: There's the supper bell- please come in! All night long Alice lay awake thinking of her experience of the previous day. At length being unable to stay in bed any longer, she arose and made her way to the kitchen. Bidding Geneva Fusselbore a cheery Good morning, she entered and saw Captain Fus- selbore eating breakfast on the opposite side of the room. Captain l:usselbore, she said, you have shown me what a heartless girl I've been. If you had not saved me, I would have died With- out having done one action that was worth While. I have been a selfish, heartless girl and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for having saved me from myself. Sit down, won't you and have a piece of blueberry pie, he said. Alice was a trifle surprised at this reply, but as she looked at him, she knew he understood. She sat down and was surprised to find that she enjoyed the blueberry pie at that hour of the morning. After she finished, she went out on the beach and as she watched the purple and gold heralds of day appear, she knew that the sun was dawning on a new world for her. N 1 43Tsvwaq'i:a35':m! Q4mg-wig-ralph. Jm,g:Bib?Bf -as -Si J .fu ' - - t ?J aK-flfgx' , I K- -a-X--X N ' C 14 ' -1 '-X2-4 .5 XT: 'TJ' It '- - If'l?f1- -. -fi rfiijj iz' . A----1-a -QL, -. , ,sf wr foie, eff- 45534 5- E 'i as ff- -e 'iii' ' E' f-:ef 'Mgr airs -iff s M f v P-N , I, fx - Q L? Cf ,,xw-'1-'Q-f'k..+ , as T 14 LZQ-If lg :Mp I I ,L- g hgfkkx -I Q I 24 1? 1 x ,X .. - W' -'qi I -fm-- . uH h,'I' fu i . ---, fe-gg---Q :gi T- 3,1 g,,A-- f ' Pie- ,mfl -'fJ,3gQv- , ,H .a 95' ' J, S , 5 ' c-RN I ,C -- at iwfj --- fi? ' ' 9 wg:--4:-'X:'i'm., rx. ., --V. pl JM 3 -sf y If f4?'e1If3'G:af- HTTE L-gf ,sf He- Q - 14 , -gf' ,-nI2,,,,',,,'lf1+3 , 14 . 1 ii 'sig 'aa - :?'i1su?'fTQ-L-Tx -I EF f':'? lo. Y - 1-T11-Tv.M,-11 ,,,,, f:fl'T , 1,51