Guilford High School - Rostrum Yearbook (Guilford, ME)

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THE ROSTRUM 7 tonight. He was tall, but not very heavy. He wore a brown suit, an old felt hat, and a large flashy ring on his finger. Another thing I particularly noticed was an ugly scar over his left eye. i At this, Peter trembled violently and turned pale. He started to go home, and then turned back to say, Friends, come back after supper. I have a story to tell you. With this, he hurried off. The men made a few more remarks and then they also went home. It was getting late in the evening before Peter returned. . In fact it was so late that John was getting ready to close up, and the men were about to go home when he suddenly appeared in the doorway. No one said a word. Peter, glancing up at the clock, immediately began his tale. Twelve years ago, he began, I was in different circumstances than I am now. I had been married -about eight years and had a boy of about six years. I had a steady j-ob in a factory and was doing very well. I had but one weakness, and that was for drink. I craved it night and day, but up to this time I had managed to keep it down enough so that I had not robbed the family of their necessi- ties. We lived about two miles from the village of Hamburg in Germany. Many nights after work I would go into the saloon and stay until mid- night, staggering home about one or two o'clock. But one thing I was thankful for was that I was able to control my temper while under the influence of liquor. My wife was very patient with me and tried every way she could to cure me, but all her efforts failed and I continued 'to drink. Several times she tried to get the saloon-keeper to refuse to sell me drink, but it was of no avail. To him my money was as good as the other fellow's, and he had no heart for the family. Peter paused here in his story for a few moments and ordered a drink of soda. After drinking this, he contin- ued with his story. It was a dark, stormy night in No- vember. The wind was howling through the trees and it was raining very hard. I had come home on time tonight and last night, but the crav- ing was still there. My little boy, Billy, did not feel well that night and therefore we had put him to bed ear- lier than usual that night, thinking he would be all right by morning. About midnight I was awakened by lmy wife who, with a very white face, told me Billy was very ill and I must go to the village for the doctor. I hastily dressed and started o-ut into the rain. I arrived at the village in good time, but as luck would have it, before arriving at the home of the doctor it was necessary to go by the saloon. Seeing it. brightly lighted, my thirst was greater than ever, but I decided I would conquer myself and go by for the sake of my child. The saloon-keeper saw me and called me in to have a drink. In vain I 'told him my boy was dying and I must get the doctor. It was to no avail. For two hours he kept me there and then turned me into the streets. I stag- gered over to the doctor's and man- aged to tell him the story. He took me in his carriage and with great haste we hurried 'to my home. Alas, it was too late. The doctor examined as near as he could and said it was a case of acute indigestion. The' boy had died about an hour before we ar- rived. If that saloon-keeper had on- ly listened to my story my boy would be alive today and I should be happy. In the heat of my anger and drunken- ness I -staggered back to the saloon and killed the saloon-keeper. That sobered me for good.

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'Q' -...-.......- 1 ... .. - .. .....-.,.-..--1-1-,P ! it 1 ' I I LITERARY l ! . THE TALE OF GREEN VALLEY Green Valley was the name of a progressive small town in the north- ern part of New York, the chief in- dustry being a lasts-block mill. It was just off the main road and there- fore was left much to itself. In spite of its progressive appear- ance, and its well-kept streets, one thing which was very noticeable was a vacant lot on one of its busiest cor- ners. On this lot there was ia chim- ney which was overgrown with weeds and bushes. The following is a tale of this lot which is told by the men of the town to this day. Dusk was falling in Green Valley and the men were returning home from their work. It was a warm evening late in October in nineteen hundred and two and many of them loitered at the stores to hear the news of the day. One of the chief gather- ing places on this night was the Jones' Drug Store on the corner. A stranger had arrived in town that day, and the people were eagerly dis- cussing his appearance and his reas- ons for coming to Green Valley. In this little town strangers were a rar- ity at this time of the year. Did he tell you his name, John? asked one of the men. No. replied John Jones, who was owner of the store and had talked with the stranger. He merely came into the store and ordered a drink of soda. Before he left he asked me if a man by the name of Peter Blunt lived in this town. When I told him that he lived at the end o-f this street in the brown house on the right, he sim- ply thanked me and started off in the other direction. Who is Peter Blunt and where did he come from ? asked another. Well, that, continued Jo'hn. is ga mystery to most of us. All we know is that he came from Germany two years ago. But hush! Here he comes now. We will ask him if t'he stranger visited him. Hello, Peter, called John as he approached the group. Did you have company today ? No, replied Peter in surprise. What do you mean? I 4 'Well, continued John, a stran- ger was 'here this afternoon and asked where you lived. Upon my telling him, he struck off in the other direction. Can you describe him '? asked Pe- ter, although his voice trembled slightly. Why, yes, continued John, who seemed to be the speaker of the group

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8 THE ROSTRUM That, my friends, is my story. My wife and I must again vanish. In a few days I received a letter from his brother, telling me that he would have revenge. He would fol- low me for the rest of my days. I was informed that this brother be- longed to a German Club which has representatives in all parts of the world. They all wear large, flashy rings. The stranger who was here this afternoon was a member of that club. He will return at midnight and my buildings will be burned. There is no help. If you capture him it will only add to my hardships. If the build- ings are not burned tonight, they will be soon. Good-night, friends. With this, Peter stepped out into the darkness and was never seen again. For a week men guarded the build- ings each night and then decided that Peter had been mistaken. The next night the buidings were burned. A new house was built on this site and within six months it was burned. Nothing was- left but the chimney. Since then, no one has attempted to build on that lot. M. Kimball '30 ALMOST, BUT NOT QUITE All the people up my way Get excited every day When those brave hunters return home, Tell of deer seen as they roam, Feeding in the sun so bright, Almost get one, but not quite. When my brother's at his play, Hopes to get in mother's way And 'neath her feet those tops roll, Then his ma begins to scoldg Cross her checkered skirt so bright, Almost spanked him, but n-ot quite. Chewing gum at school one day, Up my aisle she chanced to strayg Then those brave jaws ceased to chew Quickly thought of something new, Prayed she might be short of sightg Almost caught me, but not quite. I am lucky, some s-ay, nay! Don't see how they have it that way. When those brave books at me stare, I haven't studied. but I don't care, Like this poem, I get them right Almost-but not quite. P. Welts '32 HOW H. A. JONES WAS CURED Blackford had a large negro popu- lation considering the size of the town. Hiram 'Alexander Jones was considered the laziest negro in the village and he liked to tell about some of his adventures, which were, of course, highly exaggerated. Hiram Alexander's favorite occupation was fishing, but he never had very good luck. Hiram Alexander had some- thing else to take up his mind n-ow. He was very much in love. Although Sarah Jane Smith returned his love, she would not marry him. Yous gits yous a job and keeps it and saves yous money, than I will marries you, was Sarah Jane's an- swer to him. Hiram Alexander tried two differ- ent kinds of work but he soon was back to his old ways. It wasn't be- cause he was not bright, because Hi- ram Alexander was very smart fwhen he wanted to bel, but because he was just lazy. Sarah Jane had just about given up hope, but she de- cided to give him a little longer time to make good. One day Hiram Alexander Went fishing in a strange place. A storm came up and he was obliged to take shelter in an old building. The storm kept raging and Hiram knew he would have to stay there for the rest