Eastern High School - Echo Yearbook (Baltimore, MD)

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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

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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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Tl-IE EASTERN ECHO I5 An Unusual Subterfu ge Third Prize Harriet Bentley '25 'ND P HOMAS, JUNIOR, aged seventeen, was thinking. This, in itself, was an unusual occurrence and a great occasion Cat least so thought Maisie, who was Thomas' young sisterl. He was sitting on the back steps and Mary for Maisie as she insisted on calling her- selfj was perched in an apple tree above his head entirely hidden by the thick foliage. She was intent on his occasional mutterings and from time to time caught such expressions as dumb-bell, just like that Sam Fletcher, but I'll get even with him some of these days. Ideal poking the out-of-towner off on me! She'll be a peach, too, I'll betchaf' At this point in his reflections Maisie nearly gave her- self away, for Thomas suddenly changed his position. I-Ie moved his feet about until his toes touched and his heels were some eight inches apart. Then he pulled down his face until you could see the whites of his eyes and said in a mincing voice, No thank you Mr. Jones, I don't dance. Oh, no, thank you, sodas are so bad for the complexion. Walk? Oh, no. Mother never allows me to walk in the hot sun. l'm much too delicate. .5 fs Trifw Then again his expression changed, and, placing his elbows on his knees he buried his chin in his palms and gave himself up to dark despair. He told himself sternly --and inci- dentally aloucl-that he must put his brains to work. This was the last straw as far as Maisie was concerned. A loud peal of laugh- ter shattered the stillness. Tom, at first, was numbed with the s-uddenness, then an even louder yell fthis time of anger, arose from the steps. Motherl Mother! If you don't make that child behave. I never saw anything like it in my life. A person can't even think without that child sitting right on your coat tails and listening to you do it! Gosh darn! If this ain't the awfullest house! A loud bang of the door followed this ti- rade and later another bang announced that Tom had reached his bedroom. A moment later Maisie climbed the back fence on her way to impart this latest bit of news to her bosom friend, who lived next door. Meanwhile Torn had had an ideal Suppose he were taken suddenly ill! He revelled in the possibilities of the situation. To begin with he would rid himself of the duty of escortng the obnoxious visitor to the picnic and to end with he'd get no end of good things to eat. He remembered all the good things his mother had sent Sam when he had had the measles and he could almost taste some of them al- ready. Oh, Boy! There was some joy in life after all. With this thought he removed his coat and, throwing himself on the bed he endeavored to look ill. He lay there patiently until dinner time and by then he had reached the stage where he declared that he could say he felt funny without too much acting. At the first call for dinner he had much ado to keep from springing up and taking the steps two at a time. After about five minutes he heard his mother calling his name and to make his ill- ness more realistic he only answered by a faint groan. Then he heard his mother start upstairs and a moment later heard her voice beside the bed, saying, anxiously. What's the matter, Tommy, are'nt you feeling well? At first there was only silence, then he an- swered in a voice as faint as he could make it. No'm, I feel iust awful. But what's the matter? Can't you tell me where you feel badly? Oh, yes'm! lt's my stomach. Then to himself he added, That's no joke either. I think its grown to my backbone. 'Tm awfully sorry, Tommy. Do you think I'd better send for the doctor? Oh, no, please don't! I'll feel better after a bit. As his mother left the room, Tommy won- dered whether si.ck people Went downstairs for their meals. But this hope was nipped in the bud for his mother called back that Mary would bring his supper to him later. The worst was yet to come, however. He had thought of Maisie all along as the chief enemy to his plan and when she appeared with his tray, he knew that his worst fears were real- ized. She walked stiffly into the room, deposited his tray on the bureau and after addressing