Fort Worth Junior High School - Purple Yearbook (Fort Worth, TX)

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l l THELMA BY GORDON GRIMES gg WON,T marry him, and you can't force me to,', cried Thelma, rising angrily from her chair. Thelma's parents had been trying to persuade her to marry Jimmy Randall, a young doctor who was in love with her. Thelma thought she did not love Jimmy, because he was countrified. Jimmy was a little contrified, but he was a plodder and had a good future as a doctor. 'T11 marry when I get good and ready, besides, I'm tired of hearing what a good husband he'd make for me, Thelma went on. But it's for your own good, insisted her mother. Jimmy is a good boy, and it's time you were getting married to someone. Well, I don't care, stated Thelma, as she walked out of the room. That night Thelma started packing her clothes. She had determined to go to New York and support herself. She had just a few dollars more than her train fare would cost, but hgured that she could find a job before she used all her money. When Thelma arrived in New York, she rented a small room and started out looking for employment. For several weeks she worked as an extra in department stores on pay that was just barely enough to support her. Then came a time when she could get no work at all. She tried all of the stores for a week, and on Saturday evening came home discouraged. Thelma started to cry. All her money was gone and the room rent was due. She knew that Mrs. Murphy would not let her stay a day overtime. Thelma thought of going home, but decided that she would rather die than go back home and admit that she was unable to support herself. Finally Thelma made a decision. She decided to end it all and have nothing to worry about. She went to the door, locked it, and then went to the gas jet and turned the gas on. She then sat down in her chair and waited. She began to wonder how long it would be before she liecame unconscious. Soon she began to feel drowsy, and then to feel s eepy. It was then that Thelma realized that she didn't want to die, that she wanted to go back home, and, last of all, that she loved Jimmy. She tried to get to the door to open it, but it was too late. She fell back into her chair unconscious. .L .L .. 1. -i -r When Thelma opened her eyes, she was looking at a white ceiling, and, by the odor of many kinds of medicine, realized that she was in a hospital. Then she heard someone say, Thank God! She is conscious.

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Thelma turned to look, and there was Jimmy. Why-why, Jimmy! I-Iow did I get here?', Thelma asked. They brought you in last night, replied Jimmy. Your landlady found you almost dead. I happened to be on duty so I was assigned to your casef' But what are you doing in New York? Thelma inquired. I came here to look for you. I had to support myself, so I worked here in the hospital at night and looked for you in the daytime. Iguess it was a good thing you tried to commit suicide, or I never would have found you. Then you're not angry at me for running away from home, and you still love me, don't you, Jimmy? Of course I do, replied jimmy. Thais why I came to look for you, and as soon as you have recovered from that gas, we're going back home to get married. Just as you say, dear, replied Thelma as she dropped off to sleep. PICKWICK CLUB PRIZE SHORT STORY WIDQW FLANAGAN? CHICKENS BY JOHN HAMNIOND N TI-IE outskirts of a large Eastern city there lived a widow. I-Ier husband had died about a month before, leaving her in desperate straits. She was known locally as W7idow Flanaganf, and every- one admired her because of her amazing courage and thrift. Although her husband had left her penniless, the widow managed by washing clothes and sewing to earn a scanty living for herself and her eight children. One day she was on the verge of utter despair, her customers had quit her and she found it hard even to earn enough for her meals. Glancing over the paper, she saw an advertisement in large letters-'tBaby Chicks, Ten Cents Each. This set her to thinking. Her neighbor, Mrs. Mc- Carty, had made a glorious success of the poultry business, why could not she? After borrowing the money from a neighbor too kind hearted to refuse, she sent ten dollars to the chick farm. In the course of a week they arrived, a scraggly, weak and peeping bunch of chicks. Widow Flanagan was not to be discouraged by outward appearances, however, and set to work the moment they arrived, making coops, pens and feeders. Disaster soon began. Rats carried off several chicks, and the Widow Flanagan immediately set out rat poison, which failed to kill the rats, but did disastrous work on the chicks. Five of them ate it, and, as a matter of course, died. Her small son, Frank, succeeded in killing two by