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

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that he was going home early because mama won't let me stay very late. Polly gave a merry cry. 'AI have a name for you nowf' she said, I Will call you 'Mamals Little Peachf At last the dance drew to a close and when Polly started for home the youth was on deck, as foolish as ever. This is what he said: Thou lead and I'll follow, For I know not where you bideg Or, if you would rather I'll saunter at your side. He was sure that this wonderful display of originality would raise him greatly in her esteem, and so it did. He escorted her home and parted only after a promise to write her a longer, better piece of mentality, as he termed it. Tiue to his promise, the vain youth at his earliest opportunity wrote the following and mailed it to Polly: DEAR POLLY. 'Twas by a lucky chance I met you at a Rio Dell dance, And, though 1 seldom or never roam, I had the nerve to take you home. I'd never seen you 'fore, And may never see you more, But I wonder who goes to see you As I would like to do. X Oh, nothing would give more joy To this bashful little boy! And though this message may never Never to its destination reach, I hope that youill remember Mama's Little Peach V' 5 Time rolled on and several weeks came and went. Then the youth, at a Fourth of July celebration, caught sight of Polly among the dancers on an outdoor dancing floor. He caught her eye, and she, held by his gaze, nearly fell over herself and everybody else to get to him and tell him what a beau- tiful piece of poetry he had written, praising him, as is the way of women, and he was led on, as is the way of men. Now Polly, though charming, was deceitful, for she had come to the 'dance with another young man, a suitor as it were, and yet she led the vain 'youth on to such an extent that he spent most of the day with her and re- turned tro the dance that night in hope of furthering his suit. He was sorely disappointed to find her other suitor before him, while Polly was listening attentively to the -words he spoke to her. At the earliest possible chance, -when that other suitor's attention was elsewhere, the youth led Polly forth 30

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REVENGE IS SWEET. The music began with a roar and the couples went swinging gracefully around the hall. The strange youth stood and Watched them as they whirled merrily past. He wondered if by some chance there might be some acquaint- ance of his at the dance in this small town, so many miles away from home. But look as he would, he espied no familiar face amongst the dancers. Through several dances the youth stood and watched. Then, as the music started again on a good old waltz, he saw the floor-manager approach- ing him. VVould you like a partner for this dance ? asked the man. I should be very much pleased if you can find a girl that's agreeable, replied the youth. You see I'm not very well acquainted around here, he added as an after thought, as he turned to follow the man. He was led across the hall and presented to a girl who smiled a sweet little smile, extended graciously a neat little hand, and, as it seemed to the youth, lifted an adoring pair of eyes to his. After the usual 4'Pleased to meet you, Delighted, I'm sure, etc., they were in each others' arms in the thickest of the dancers. The youth was amazed, but delighted, to find that in spite of being rather heavily built the maiden was unusually light on her feet and he hastened to apologize for his own clumsiness. However, she as- sured him that he was doing nicely, as is the way of women, and he wias fool enough to be led on, as is the way of men. Thus was started the little ro- mance with which this story deals. The early hours of the evening passed and midnight, the hour of rest and refreshments, approached. The youth was in an ecstacy of delight, for she had promised him the supper dance. Accordingly he swung into step with unusual zeal, and, as he held her tenderly, yet firmly, it suddenly dawned on him that he had been so charmed with her that he had not noticed her name when the floor manager presented him to her. Upon inquiry he found the girl in the same sad state. i My name is Pauline, she told him when he asked, but everybody calls me Polly. You may do so if you wish. And now, she added, I have the privilege of asking yoursf, That would be telling. he replied, 'but perhaps you may find one for me before the evening is over. Thus they raved on until the music stopped and then they crossed the street to the cafe where a dainty lunch had been prepared. They sat at one end of a long table, gaily chatting and laughing with the rest of the crowd, little dreaming what would be the outcome of their hasty attachment. And still she led him on, and still he was fool enough to follow. They finally rose from the table and, with a sense of pure happiness, he escorted her back to the hall where they sat the rest of the hour. It was while he sat there. enjoying the maidenls sweet presence that he remarked jestingly 29

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to dance and demanded an explanation, and when she told how sorry she was and attempted to make him believe that she was now angry with the other fellow, he thought that he had a glimpse of a nature which hung in the scales of duplicity. This saddened his heretofore happy mind and home he went, caring little what happened to him. In this saddened state he wrote another page of rambling thoughts and rhyme which, hoWeve1', is too long to quote here. It is enough to say that: There comes to me an inspiration Of that rip-snorting, red-blooded, he-man, celebration At Scotia on the fourth of july, VJ here my fondest hopes were blown sky high By the appearance of another guy. Etc., etc. On and on he ranibled and came to: 'Tm not much of a poet, But for you I'd be glad To write till H1-l freezes over, And Heaven goes to the bad. He wrote and wrote some more and finally ended up with: And when I pine away and die I hope you'll come and cry, And surely you'll be kind enough to save A few tear drops to water the flowers at my grave. This much I do beseech That you shall do for 'fMama's Little Peachf, Thus he wrote hoping, as is the way of men, to make her sympathize with him, and she, as is the way of Women was only too sympathetic. - Such were the indications when the youth received a notice in the mail. It read: A dance will be held at Schueler's Hall, Rio Dell, july 16. Be sure to come. POLLY, A smile spread over the face of the youth. Dear Polly, he said, you have not forsaken me after all. And then there came a remembrance of that other guy and the smile died aWay. I'll get evenj' he said. I'll show up at the dance with another girl. And anyway she will not take it seriously but only consider it a joke, and then she will have nothing on me. I'll be even. Accordingly he planned his evening and asked a girl to aid him in his joke. She, being agreeable, accompanied him to the dance Where he learned his lesson. For, having danced the first dance with the other girl, he asked Polly for the next. She turned away with a sob, but presently she looked at him again and with a different look than he had ever seen before. He says he cannot forget the ice-cold glance he got, and he never dreamed that such 31