Fassifern School - Sapphire Yearbook (Hendersonville, NC)

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3 g 2 5gfg1 ? i3 g g f 3 55555, :5f5f2' 'V' 3-g.,:,.,..,,., 5552 iifz QQEQQIQ 22222122ifigfgff . . izi., , :: I 55::':'i:Z:: :2EiE fff-2E 1 :E:1E2f:5,:,: xxx 2 N Elise to a ball and mother had let me stay up to see her dress and I was downstairs in my gingham frock when you came and you spoke to me. Elise said that I was awfully impudent, but you were the only person who spoke to me as if l was of some importance and l liked ,you for it. HNOW, if you don't mind, I will take my turn at being impertinent and ask you why you are here. uAnd following your own good example I will tel! you the truth. It was my year to 'come out,' as the expression goes, and l begged to be allowed to spend Christmas my own way before 'appearing' in February. So l was allowed to have my own way, and julia and I fshe is my old nursej came here. It is just my may to make friends, and even though I came only a few days before you did, I know everly one within three blocks of me! Adams laughed. Well, l guess we are birds of a feather, running away from society. But how do you know you won't like it, you never have tried it? lVlr. Adams, you are ridiculous. By merely looking at me society! It is out of the question So you have never been a with attention? I shou!dn't mind the flowers those wild looking things! Very well, when you come mignonette, but you will have to violets. I willg and don't forget that merry good-bye from her steps. one could te!! that I would never like that l should. debutante and had men send 'you flowers and bother you to death if' they would only send roses and mignonette instead of orchids and out, if l am bidden to your ball l shall send you rec! roses and promise to wear them in preference to all your orchids and Parma is a promise! Nancy Chatham turned in at her door and waved a Here he was already promising to send flowers to a girl who was not yet out. What a fool he was! Nancy Chatham paused in her front room and faced herself in the mirror. She had promised her mother that she would not see any man before she returned home for her debut, but Adams was only a neighbor and she also went to see the Colburns, so certainly there would not be any harm in this friendship. Mrs. Chatham was wise when she made that stipulationg Nancy was destined for a brilliant marriage, and her impulsiveness might vent itself by selecting a husband of its own choice. And besides, the two other Chatham girls had been snatched up by the most desirable men in the field. Alice was now the Countess I-lartymg and Elise, after two brilliant winters, had married Horace Van Byrne and was now one of the prominent young matrons in society. Nancy, however, was destined to outshine her two older sisters and lead the debutantes of the coming season. So Nancy's plans for herself lay unsuspected and undiscovered while those of her mother went serenely on. Christmas eve arrived. Adams and Nancy had seen each other frequently on their early morning walks which, strangely enough, appealed to both of them. So when early that morning Adams appeared on his steps what was more natural than that he should call to Nancy Chatham standing on her doorstep: Good morning, shall we walk together? Certainly, let's discuss our Christmas plans, what are yours? I have noneg my Christmas is to be spent very quietly. We are trying to forget Christmas at my house. Trying to forget Christmas! Mr. Adams, are you crazy? No, only extremely sensibleg Christmas is a waste of time and energy. at V I know you are crazyg please tell me what are your reasons for this wild view of yours? u Well, you see, you are wasting time preparing for a single da,y, and you are friendly for a single with people you decline to speak to the rest of the yearg therefore the whole thing is a farce. I see I shall have to take you in hand and convert you to the true meaning of the day. It is not only silly but sacrilegious for you to speak so. day ' Please don't try to convert me, Miss Chatham. I have carefully spent every Christmas in the Page forty-nine

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:E:i:E: s:s:s:f ::-:..-.. Eiii '55553555:51::aEE555t52i?EEEE5. ' . ff X - ,, , . t c c- , ctccccccrii l..unch passed tranquilly, and about three o'clock Mrs. Colburn called. Morris answered her firmly. No, madam, the master is not well and he refuses to see anyone. Yes, maclam, l will tell him that you calledf, After dinner the phone rang and, Morris being busy in the kitchen, Adams answered it himself. The Voice spoke. Morris, l called you up to tell you that your basement light is burning, sorry to have troubled you. This is Adams speaking. l will notify Morris. Thank you, Miss Chatham. Would people never stop bothering him? Peace indeed! He rose and went to the front winclow. The light from the house on the left looked very pretty and through the Colburns' windows he could see them, on very intimate terms. Heavens! Why didn't people pull their shades down! Then in Miss Chatham's front room he could see her. She was standing with her back to him, a slender figure in red. and before her stood a mang she was speaking to him, she held out her hands and he took them. Adams jerked his shade down. The following morning, needing a breath of fresh air, Adams went for a stroll around the block, choosing an early hour, scarcely thinking any of his neighbors would be out by seven-thirty on a Decem- ber morning. But he had barely taken twenty steps before he saw Miss Chatham fhe supposed it was she as she wore a red tam, approaching him. Uh, Mr. Adams, for aren't you he? l am so glad to see you are out! H Yes, Miss Chatham, l am glad to be out also. There he was already, speaking in platitudes again, and one really shouldnit to this girl, she looked so fresh and happy. May l join you in your walk? This is my regular hour for a walkg l love early winter mornings, don't you? Adams did, but he sincerely wished that this girl clidn't. She was so radiant with cheerfulness that it was catching, and Adams didn't wish to catch any cheerfulness. l-le strode along without saying a worcl until his companion stopped her merry talk and was silent also. Suddenly she turned and faced him. Mr. Adams, l'cl like to ask you something. Perhaps you will think it too impertinent and won't answer it, and then again you might not let me even ask it, which will it be ? Certainly ask it, Miss Chatham, ancl since you are so frank l will be frank alsog l may not answer it. Thank you. Well, it is just this: l want to know why you won't see anyone, why you won't be at all sociable, why you left all the gaiety of the winter season. Because, you see, l know you are THE Mr. Adamsg of course l know that in all probabilities you wont answer me. V Adams was silent, then he spoke: That was a bit impertinent for but really l believe that l will tell you all you want to know if you it to a soul. There was a twinkle in Dicks eye, but the girl did not that she would not him. You see, it got tirecl of all the apartment. As for Oh, l thought breathe it to a soul. Dick walkecl slowly on and was because l-you promise you will never tell? Winter gaiety you speak of and l ran away to the so short an acquaintance as ours, promise faithfully not to breathe see it and she answered solemnly then he turned to the girl beside Well, you see it was because I peace and solitude of an obsolete my unsociableness, why l didn't know what pleasant neighbors-I had! that you had committed murder, robbed the Trust Company, or something equally serious! l am so relieved! u as And how did you know that l was THE. Mr. Adams, as you so kindly said? l have heard mother speak of-oh, mercy, l have let the cat out the bag, haven't I? Are you Mrs. Arthur Chatham's daughter? Are you Nancy Chatham? No, you are not Nancy's age, .. she is only a little girlg can you by any chance be her sister? Now that you have let me speak for myself l can tell you that l am Nancy Chatham herself! u Why, it seems only yesterday that l was at your house and you were about fifteen, merely a flapper, how can you be the same? That was five years ago and l was only a flapper then. l remember that timeg you were taking Page forty-eight

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SSW' Nav N S- as mx 3 1 X . customary way everisince I can remember, and I took this 'vacation' in order that I might keep it for once in my own way. No, the trouble is that you have been keeping it exactly the wrong way. Let me see what you call keeping Christmas the right way: did you send cards to everyone you know? Yes, every oneg and silly expensive gifts to those that expected them. 'iDid you go to church Christmas morning? Went to that fashionable Avenue church where the minister preaches against the sins of the poor every Christmas. Did you go calling that afternoon? I DID! I went to see every old dowager that sent me 'At Home' cards. Did you go to bed after a dance, wishing that Christmas didn't come every year? I did, and I sincerely wished Christmas didn't come at all. Mercy, you kept it entirely the wrong way! Will you let me show you the right way tomorrow? But you see, Miss Chatham, I came off here to keep it my own way! Please let me show you the right waxy! I'm sure that if you knew it you would love it. Finally it ended that Adams was to keep the following day in the way Miss Chatham guaranteed to be the only true and correct way to keep it. While he was at luncheon Morris brought in a large bundle with the message that Miss Chatham said he was to sign his name to these and not just slip his card in them. So he settled himself to the job of sending cards to every one in the block-the grocer, the janitor, his laundress, his tailor, and many others. Miss Chatham had addressed the cards and the job of sending them was lessened by the humor of his situation. The cards finished, his benefactor called for him and together they bought baskets for all the poor families of the neighborhood and delivered them personally. Then she instructed him to buy a present ftor Morris and put a note on it saying that he had the day free to do what he pleased. But what shall I do for my meals? asked Adams. i'Why, Morris will get your breakfast and you are to take dinner with me, and we will see about supper later. So all responsibility was thus taken out of Dick's hands and he found himself sheepishly enjoying himself. At early breakfast on Christmas morning, to his surprise, he saw a small package bay his plate. Upon opening it he found it to contain a note book from Morris. I-le thanked the poor man, who blushed and stammered his thanks for his pipe and the unexpected holiday. At a quarter to eleven Adams called by to take Miss Chatham to church and found her ready, looking very pretty in her red dress and soft brown furs. She wished him a merry Christmas, but did not ask him how he liked her way of celebrating. Dick blessed her for it as he would have hated to admit that he was enjoying himself immensely. They went to a small chapel where a kindly, grey-haired old rector welcomed them in and they took their places very near the back. The sermon was one which caught the interest of even Dick and held itg it repeated the old-time story in such a simple way that Dick found himself thinking of the times when his sweet-faced mother told it to him in her room. Dinner was very gay, the small dining room in Nancy's apartment was festive with holly and mistletoe, Nancy also was very festive. Dick soon caught the mood, and between them gay repartee flew back and forth and the hour passed far too quickly. Dick thought of the difference between this Christmas and the one a year agog then he was taking dinner with the Marshalls, for it was Grace Marshall he was rushing just then. It was hard to compare the dim, gloomy old Marshall room with Grace sitting across the table from him with this cheerful, sunny room and the gay, laughing girl opposite. The comparison was not complimentary to the Marshalls. Dinner over, they went into the small sitting room and Dick laughed. It was here that I hrst saw you. I was standing at my front window and I saw you standing in here with a man: I was in a Page fif t