Erskine Academy - Pinnacle Yearbook (South China, ME)

Page 13 text:

THE PINNACLE 7 ON THE DOUBLE X. Oh, dear, I wish I knew what to do about it, sighed Margaret Linchelle. Dad is away and won't return until Fri- day and it is only Tuesday now. Bill Jackson, the foreman, is in with the rust- lers, I'm sure. Five of the best horses are gone and probably more will be gone unless something is done soon. You know, Peggy, that I will do any- thing I can to help you, replied her friend, Connie Evan, of the Big U. I should think you would tell Dick Jordan and he can find out if Bill is really one of the rustlers. He would do anything for you, she added with a laugh. Nonsense, replied Peggy, But I guess I'd better tell him. Shortly afterwards Connie left, and Peg- gy walked out to the corral where she saw Dick saddling his horse. Lo Peggy, he said, pulling his big hat off, What 'can I do for you? After returning his greeting, Peggy glanced around to make sure no one else was in ear shot. Then she said, Dick, you know live of our best horses have been rustled, and I have a feeling that Bill knows more about them than he will admit. Last night there was a good moon and I saw Bill ride over toward Still Creek, at about nine o'clock, alone, so I thought I'd better watch him. I saddled 'Lightfoot' and followed him but he had disappeared completely. Peggy, promise me you won't do any- thing as foolish again, begged Dick, You never can tell what rough men, like rust- lers, would do if they caught you. I suppose I'll have to promise, but you'll try to find out more about it won't you? I was just going to follow those tracks, replied Dick, that were found leading out toward Creggs Pass, when you came out. Bill told me to trace them today and find out where they go, so if you don't want anything more I'd better be going. So- long. Bye, called Peggy after him as he started to the further side of the corral. IS! He found the tracks and followed them closely although his thoughts were on Peggy. He had followed the trail about four miles when he stopped short with an exclamation, and leaping down from his horse examined the tracks, then mounted and whirling his horse, set out at full gal- lop for the Double X ranch. Meanwhile Peggy had returned to the ranch house and had just got settled in the living room with a book to read, when she heard a harsh voice in the kitchen. Peggy, come here, Bill was calling in a commanding tone. When she stepped into the kitchen rough hands reached out from behind the door, and she was quickly bound by two ugly looking men. Bill, standing over her, said sneeringly: So miss, you think you are pretty wise, eh? Well, we're one ahead of you this time. Dick is following a trail that will lead him right into my men's hands, and you, my pretty miss, are here helpless. Now, Jack and 'Sharpy' and I are going to clean up the horses and we will be too far away to be caught before anyone comes. Now for a nice kiss- Hands up every one, said a voice from the doorway. ' Oh, Dick! cried Peggy. Dick walked over to Peggy and cut her bond, keeping his revolver pointed at the three men all the time. Taking 'all their weapons, he said, Now you clear out and if I ever hear of any of your gang this side of Cutley Mountains, I'll fill you full of holes and hang you up for crow food, scoot! And scoot they did, and in a hurry too. Oh, tell me how you got away from Bill's gang? cried Peggy. Well, replied Dick, About four miles out on the trail I began to suspect that it was a put up job and when I examined the tracks I saw that they had been made by the same horse from the shape of the right fore shoe, so I turned and came back, and you know the rest. Oh, Dick! was all that Peggy could say as Dick drew her closely. MYRTIS SANBORN, '23.

Page 12 text:

8 THE PINNACLE found ,out that the girl was the daughter of John H. Curtis, president of the Hilton Trust Company, one of the wealthiest men in town, and of much infiuence, but best of all, that the young lady was unmarried. Weaver completed his tour of the town, and when he turned back, he had made up his mind that Hilton was not such a bad place after all, and that he would stay for a time, at least. In order to do this he must find work to avoid suspicion. At the end of the Week he had made ar- rangements to settle down. He bought out a well established shoe store, retained the same manager, and to the residents of Hilton he looked like aI successful, young business man who had decided to locate there. Two years later Hilton was pleased to see in the local paper the announcement of the engagement of Miss Florence Curtis, daughter of John H. Curtis, banker, to Edward Weaver, a popular and rising busi- ness man of the town. A week before the wedding, Weaver told his future wife that he was going to St. Louis to buy a wedding present and to settle up some business affairs. He took his satchel, which had not been opened during his residence, in the city. Mr. Curtis' married daughter and his two children, little girls of about five, were visiting at this time. The Trust Company had just installed a new lock on their large safe. It was a time lock of the lat- est design, and Mr. Curtis was anxious to show the family how it worked. They all went down to the bank and to escort Weaver to his train. The door of the safe was opened and unnoticed, one of the little girls went in and the door closed behind her. The others hearing this, turned around horrified. The safe couldn't be opened until the next morning, having a time lock on it, and no one but the experts in Chicago couldqopen it. This would take a long time and the child would smother. Florence begged her lover to do some- thing. He hesitated but a moment. Tak- ing ofi' his coat, he rolled up his sleeves and opened his satchel. It contained the T, best set of burglar tools in the country. He was going to give them to a pal of his in St. Louis. He arranged each bit of steel as it was to be used, and started on the safe. In ten minutes he had the safe open and the child came out unharmed. Unnoticed, during this time, a short, middle aged man had stepped into the doorway, and had watched the proceedings. When he Was through, Weaver looked 'toward the door and with a start, recog- nized Hisler of the Secret Service. He knew that he was caught and fairly, too. Weaver walked up to Hisler and hold- ing out his arms, said, Well, HiS1e1', here I am. Hisler, with a trace of a smile on his lips, looked Weaver over and replied, Why, man, what are you talking about? I don't know you, and with this he turned and walked out. ABRAM GLASER, '22. THE SOPHOMORE'S LAMENT. O, why did Caesar build that bridge? Why did he cross the Rhine? If he'd only had an aeroplane, 'Twould save me lots of time. At any rate 'twas not required To tell just how he made it, In four short words he could have said In iiumine pontem fecit. ll If I could only have the chance Of doing what I wanted, Pd take and cross out lots of things That have us Sophomore: haunted. The second periphrastic:-whiz! From Caesar's book I'd sever, The supine and the gerund, too, I'd put away forever. And when I'd finished all my task I'd pass this weighty law, All indirect discourse to be skipped In CAESAR'S GALLIC WAR. W. C.

Page 14 text:

, 1. 3 , THE PINNACLE CAMOUFLAGE. Alphonse Rosignal-or in plain United States, Phonnie-had been actin' queer all day. Because I was his feller worker and pal and also because I had been doin' most of his work that day I decided, when twilight had settled o'er the earth and when we had et and lighted up, to ask him whatinel ailed 'im. He sighed a sigh what was a groan, spouted a dark brown spray through a couple o' teeth that made theirselves conspiceous by their absenceg and hustled out: Jacky, I'm in love. Just like that. He didn't even give any prelim- inaries. I looked over his heady started to whistle, and noticed, in a shiny piece o' tin that we used for a mirror or looking glass when we needed one, that my eyes was bulgin' out, my nose a twitchin', and even my ears was tryin' their best to warble their disbelief, under a season's growth of highly tempered hair, which is a kind what looks like dead ground hemlock and is very tough and is very-ah-auburn. Seein' that I was doing my best not to phone for the police or the asylum, which is a place for the rich and crazy, Phonnie ventured a further explanation. Yes, you see that I was a readin' a pa- per this morning? I nodded, bein' all that I could do under the circumstances. Well, he said, I saw where a lady, who had only been married twice, wished to get hitched up. He stopped here to git his breath and I sez, D'you think that any woman in her right mind would marry a bullet headed, leather skinned, bewhisker- ed, ole snake like you? Beauty only runs skin deep, he replied as cool as a steak in a hot skillet, And 'sides any woman what gits married ain't in her right mind. After he had unlimbered himself of this philosopherical statement he says as though he was Andrew Vanderbilt order- ing a nickle's worth o' licorice candy, Now Jacky, I'm goin' to write to Marjorie VVhite, this bein' the lady's given name, by return mail, and, as I can't write and think at the same time, I'll talk an' you'1l write what I say. We arguefied pro and con, me takin' the stand that when he married I would have to go out and face the cold, cruel world alone an' he settin' down and sayin' that I could stay and be the servant or hired man or something like that. At last I give up, Phonnie always was setter on his ways 'n a balky mule. So we com- menced. He started talkin' an' I started writin': Sweetheart:-Bein more of orator 'n a writer I am doin' the talkin' an' Jackey, my pal, is doin' the stenographerini I am 42 years old. I wear whiskers what kin be shaved off, if need be. My health is ex- cellent an' I have 13 teeth. I hope you don't think 13 a unlucky number 'cause in my case it ain't. I smoke a clay pipe and chew B. L. cut plug an' gum when I take a notion, which is quite frequent. Now Deer, as you know all my past history and know that I am what I am and will be changed to nothin' else, will you let me git down on my knees to ye and say in a voice trembly with fear and emotion: 'Will you become Mrs. Alphonse Rosignal or in com- mon every day talk, Mrs. Phonnie?' I am your devoted admirer and sweet- heart, Alphonse Rosignal, otherwise Phon- nie. P, S.-If you don't git this letter within three days please write so that I can write another for I am waitin' in suspense. Alphonse alias Phonnie. Now writin' this here love letter was not so easy as it seems to you for We had to express it in our best English, and at the same time convey to her what we meantg but takin' it all in all it wa'nt so bad, bein' our first. For four days after this Phonnie was a regular bunch o' nerves. He went to the P. O. four times a day and stayed there 'most all night as the P. O. was also the General Store. On the P. M. of the fifth day he came steamin' up to me at the rate of about 30 miles per hour and at the same time, wavein' his hands an' singin' It's come, it's come, it's cbme, it's come, to the tune that a wood saw makes when it goes through birch wood. Well he finely calmed down enough to give me the letter