Ferndale Union High School - Tomahawk Yearbook (Ferndale, CA)

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Uhr illakv iialmint Gerald threw down his pen and with one swing of his muscular arm, swept the papers covered with physics notes to the floor. His face was dismal in its gloominess and despair, as he looked across the table at his room-mate whose head was buried in a book entitled, Browing's Poems. Ye Gods, Phil ! moaned Gerald. Its no use. I'm all at sea. How can I write up these experiments when I didn't do them in the Lab? VVe had no right to cut. Suppose yo-u've learned that poem off word for word? It's no use: you and I, old boy, are going to flunk out flat. No diploma-no gradua- tion for us-Ch, Lord! VVhat will our folks say ? f'Shut up! cried Philips, he sat upon the edge of the bed and threw his Browning at Gerald's grouchy head. Shut up and stop mumbling. I'm about all in from worrying over this old English. Gee, I guess we're in wrong and theres no way out. VVe never can make up all our work. XV e always have a devil of a time but I guess we'll pay fo-r this special one. But sayf' and Philip's face brightened and he threw himself at length upon the bed and con- tinued between spasms of laughter, HI wonder if it wasn't almost worth our coming graduation disgrace! A whole two weeks behind the scenes with that palmist show! Didn't we do some fool stunts, though? It just gave me Hin-- ternal laughitisn to watch the gaping, staring audience when it thought we were in the spirit world a la hypnotism. But say, Gerald, do you know once or twice I felt as if I was going under the spell of that dark fellow's evil eye. No joking, he'd have got me sure if he'd kept at me a little longer. How about you ? ' f'Me? Oh, I could hypnotize a whole carload of people-I believe I could, ali ight. At least I could get away with it as well as Monsieur Bardini did----- and get away with a lot of cash too. Phil blew a cloud of blue smoke rings and watched them float upward and disappear. His face was clouded in deep thought. Gerald knew a big hunch was gripping his chum. just as he was ready to speak, Phil came off the bed with a bound, and real inspiration transfigured his face. y 'WVe can't graduate unless the unforeseen happens. So let's cut it all and start a show of our own. VVe can disguise and you can take the hypnotizing and I'll do the palm reading. Let's try it for a little while. I suppose our blood is wild to think of such a stunt. But just concentrate your mind's eye upon those two empty rooms in the Greyton building--imagine weird curtains and tapestry with palm-prints, crescent moons and stars and all sorts of spooky decorations. Get into your mind a view of those rooms-all wierdly fantastic with subdued green and yellow lights-making the atmosphere fairly reek with occult sensations and spirit presences, Lord! Gerald, the idea's got me completely-it's in my blood. Be a sport and take a dive into unknown realms with me. So this is how Greenburg was set agog by the sudden opening of The 18

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Medium Parlors. This town could not understand how the two white- bearded. black-gowned old mediums could strike it rightu every time and actually tell the people's past lives, and hinted some mighty true things that had come to pass. VVhy, they had told Mrs. Gray not to worry over her sou, Gerald, and his chum, Philip Hardin. Saying that they were on a little hike to the Exposition and would be back in time to graduate. Qne night, three days later, the two boys sat in full disguise and talked earnestly. VVe're sure making some easy cash and having all kinds of sport. Gee, it's a circus and I'd not have one twinge of conscience or a single regret for all the lies I've told, if we could go back and graduate, Phil. Do you know that Marjorie will turn me down cold if I don't graduate? Heavens, she may even get to care for that junior, Thornton, who sticks around her half the time. And I'll bet a gold nugget you wonit have such a smooth sailing with Grace if you flunk out like an ordinary yap. VVhy that Graeme gink may beat your time a mile. Well it'll be his last mile--I've got to see him do it first. Somethings got to happen tonight so we can go back to college. I'm not afraid to face an ex. in anything except English, and I guess the Physics is all that has got your goat. Something must happen and happen in a hurry. And something did happen. Gerald almost lost his beard in his effort to get out of sight and Phil's throat was so dry he couldn't say a Word for a moment as the boys spied two figures approaching their mysterious realm from different directions. Ye gods! It's Miss Benton, my English teacher, and Mr. Hampton, your Physics prof.l Oh, ye evil spirits come to our aid, in this, our trying hour l gulped Philip. But Gerald grabbed him and made excited Phil do a few hesitations and one-steps as he cried. Luck's coming our way. Wlioa, boy, steady now, and we'll drive to graduation with colors flying! Kid, do you remember what that old Mrs. Davis told us about the broken romance between Mr. Hampton and Miss Benton? lfVe'd never have found that out if it hadn't been for that old gossip. The gods are with us! Now we know where, when, and why their quarrel took place and what was said-thanks to Mrs. Davis' eavesdropping. When you spring it all on Miss Benton and I hand that packagel' of information to Hampton and we tell them it is ordained in the realm of the unknown that their love is to bloom again, say old man, they'll both be so addled we can get an E and a double plus on our reports. Nothing to it. XVe'll give them each a lecture on foolish pride and stubbornness and we'll exact a promise from each to go in the moonlight tonight to the old place where they quar- reled. Make the time eight o'clock. Of course they'll meet and the moon- light will do the rest. Eight, Phil, remember. Now I'll receive him in here and you engineer her into your realm in the other room. Neither will know the other is here. And after it is all over and they've made up, we'll suddenly 19