Hartland Academy - Ripple Yearbook (Hartland, ME)

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Gina A dark, heavy man sat alone in a tavern somewhere in Mexico. His black hair was mussed and shining with sweat, and he was reading an old, soiled letter. 'Gina'. She always signed her name that way. Not 'Love, Gina' or 'Yours, Gina,' just 'Gina'. The man was speaking to himself as though he were explaining the l'etter in detail to a child. . She never signed her true name and I never signed mine. It is strange that I should share my every thought with a person I do not even know. I wonder if she would remember the letters? It has been so long. Suddenly a cloud of anger crossed his mind. Ah, I should never have stopped writing to her when I married. But I must at least try. She was always so understanding in her letters. Francisco, F rancisco! Hearing his name, a small wiry waiter turned from the bar and walked quickly to the table. Francisco, a piece of paper and a pen for me, please. I have a letter to write , Pablo pleaded. You should see her, Pablo. No, Francisco, it would not do my pride good to go to her. No, please, the paper. Francisco returned to the bar and reached up to get a pen from a shelf. As he did, a glass fell and struck him on the head. There Pablo, do you see the trouble that you bring into my life? Now please do as I ask. Do not fear for my happiness, Pablo chuckled. I will leave you to your peace as.soon as I Hnishf' Concentration replaced the joy and he began. Dear Gina, It has been many years since I have written you. It may be that you do not remember me. Many things have happened. I married and it was bad. In your letters you were always so understanding. I would so much like to meet you. Please give me your answer soon. Pablo's face clouded and then cleared. I will sign it Dino as I always did. He then forced the letter into the envelope that Francisco had given him and left the tavern. For many weeks afterward Pablo haunted the post office. Each day he would ask, Is there no letter for me today ? And each day the postman would say, No, Pablo, are you expecting a rich uncle to die? Pablo would leave disappointed. It was raining. The kind of rain that comes and goes and leaves one with a dreadful feeling of melancholy. But Pablo went to the post oflice, for he possessed a strong faith in human beings. He was loved and trusted by many because of this faith. Is there no letter for me today? No . . . Well, there is a letter for Dino and it is your address. It is mine and many thanks to you, my friend, he said happily. Ho tore the letter open and read it with trembling hands. Dear Dino, It has been a long time. When I received your letter I did not know who this Dino was. Please do come to see me. Come to the address on the letter. He read the letter many times and started to Gina's address. The rain had passed, and the streets were shining with their new cleanliness. When he reached the right door, he knocked lightly, almost afraid of disturbing the person inside. Sponsored by SNOWFLAKE CANN IN G CO.

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Literature For the literary section of this year's Ripple, the students in Mr. Lewis's English classes were given a basic plot to develop as they chose. The four best resulting themes are published, as examples of a variety of techniques in composition. Success Is Not Everything Jefferson C. Philbrick was a young, struggling television playwright. He had been writing for several years without too much success, making just enough on which to exist. He was also a very lonely man. But he was a shy person, not at all the type to make acquaintances with members of the opposite sex. Finally through a Lonely Hearts Club he obtained thc fict.itious name of a girl who was also lonely and wanted companionship. Jefferson, using a fictitious nam.e and a general post office delivery, started corresponding with her. The two wrote to each other for several monthsg after a while the letters tended- to be romantic. Jefferson, busy with his writing, found enough companionship in the letters and didn't bother trying to learn the identity of the girl to whom he was writing. He thought that she might be disappointed if she got to know him. But as the world turns, he hnally fell in love with another girl. Jefferson became acquainted with a waitress in a small restaurant. After a courtship of several months, they were married. During their courtship, Jefferson stopped corresponding to the Lonely Hearts' Girl. Theirs was a happy marriage for about a year. They both seemed to have basically the same simple tastes. Between the two of them, they scraped up enough on which to live. About a year after the marriage one of J efferson's stories was a big success on a top television dramatic show. From this starting point, Jefferson steadily climbed to the top as one of the best television playwrights. As much as Jefferson liked the fame of being a successful writer and the benefits which it reaped, he remained basically the same simple person. His wife on the other hand became exactly the opposite. She craved the bright lights and activities that went with being the wife of a successful writer. At first Jefferson attended these parties, but as a result his writing suffered and his marriage grew weaker. As their marriage grew steadily weaker and Jefferson became increasingly unhappy, he asked for a divorce. His wife refused to grant him one. This made him angry, and for the hrst time since his marriage he remembered the Lonely Hearts' girl. He thought of how nice it would be to correspond with her again. He decided then that there was only one thing left to do. A couple of weeks later Jefferson C. Philbrick, eminent television dramatist, and his wife were involved in an automobile accident which completely demolished their car. He, remarkably, escaped with only minor cuts and bruises, but she was tragically killed. This accident made Jefferson a free man, supposedly. While going through his wife's belongings after the accident, Jefferson came across some old letters which turned out to be the ones he had written to the Lonely Hearts' girl. Suddenly Jefferson realized what had happened. At. this moment a knock was heard at the door, and a commanding voice knifed through the stillness of the room. Open up in the name of the law. SHERMAN LAUGHTON '59 X . ,

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Be patient, I am coming, a voice said. The d-oor flew open and a small woman stood- in the doorway. Pablo's mouth opened and shock danced on the ends of his nerves. You cannot be Gina, he said. The woman stood in silence and spoke with amazement.. You are Dino? H'YeS.9! Pablo, come in and sit. Pablo slowly followed her in. It was a small thing that made us quarrel, Pablo, she said when they were in the room. Yes, it was, and my pride woul-d not allow me to return to you. But now you shall come home with me and- we will be happy once more, Gina. D. His wife smiled .up at him and said, We will be happy once more, mo. - SUSAN GRIFFITH '61 Lost Lofve Dearest X3 Please forgive me for the condition this letter is in. I am writing you from an air raid shelter. The Germans are bombing us again today. As I write you, I am sad in one way and happy in another. I am sad because this will have to be my last letter. These past two years by writing to you I have had an outlet for my emotions. Eiven though I have never seen you, I know from your own description what you look like. We have been the best of friends, but, alas, our letters to each other must cease. The reason is this: a couple of months ago I met a woman whom I liked very much. We fell in love and were married. This will come as a surprise to you because it is the first time I have mentioned anything about my social life. Please don't. write to me again because I will not answer you. You may have thought I was in love with yo.u. I am a little bit. Please forgive me. Au revoir, Ya Who are you writing to, Ammond? asked Clethia, his wife, out of the semi-darkness of the shelter. Just the insurance company, dear, he replied, knowing that it was a lie. The months flew by. Ammond and Clethia grew irritable toward each other and had frequent violent lights, arguments and quarrels. One night after a quarrel, Clethia, told Ammond that she was going to leave him. Ammond was so upset that he -stormed out of the house in a blind rage. He ret.urned and found Clethia gone. He began to drink and fell into a depression. One dreary evening while he was sitting in the kitchen of his apartment, he suddenly felt sick and passed out. His eyes opened slowly. He saw that he was in a small room with a few pieces of funiture. An elderly doctor came through the door and ex- plained where he was and how he got there. He had almost. been asphyxi- ated. He had turned on the stove burner, either on purpose or by accident. He could not remember. A few days later he was back in his own apartment. I must talk to someone, he thought. Who? I wonder if X3 would write me again. He took pen in hand, wrote a lengthy letter, mailed it, and waited for an answer. Three days passed, then four, and on the fifth day a letter came. He tore Sponsored by SNOWFLAKE CANNING CO.