Hunter College High School - Argus Yearbook (New York, NY)

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THE ARGUS I reached home still wondering where I had summed up the courage -to face the fellow. Thinkin-gi this rather amazing episode mifght make a good story for my diary, I went to my bureau drawer to fetch it. I openpeld my drawer and there, before my eyes, I saw-my watch! I thrust lmy hand into my pocket and pulled' out a watch. I gasped. I lhad never seen it before! Im.mediate1ly, I realized what had happened. I had' forgotten my -own watch in the morning and had demandeld from this strange man, with 3 supposed weapon in my hand, his watch. I burst out laughing. I had entered a new pro- fession,- I-Iighway Robbery. . Marjorie Siegel, B2' -1 Gun Eats Two opposite-bound trains pulled slowly in one misty autumn night at a little, rusty railway station. There immedi- ately ensued the bustle and confusion in the cars, the cries of the newspaper boys, the leaving and coming of passengers. Among the latter was especially noticeable, 3 young woman, about twenty-seven years old. She was tall and slim, with a pale, sad face, and a haggard look in her lifeless eyes. She sa.nk into the nearest chair and looked out of the window, seeming to take no interest in anythinsg. Suddenly, her look was arrested by a woman of her own age who was sitting near the window of the opposite train. Who could she be? thought the tall lady. She had a. vague feeling that she had seen her somewhere, that she knew her. She felt that the lady opposite had been closely connected with her own life and had played an important part in it. She looked at her again. Little by little, the other one's features began to grow dim in the tall lady's eye. Instead of her, she pictured a large class-room, she saw thirty-one awe-stricken girls and the usually kind and mild teacher now become strict and sorrowfulg she saw her friend Cora pale but steadfast stand- ing before the teacher denying the charge of having stolen six dollars and twenty-nine cents. In vain were Cora's denials and assurances that she had saved the six dollars found in her purse. The evidence was too obvious. Cora was expelled from school. Since then, everyone had lost sight of her. 45

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T H E A R GU S igighmag Illnhherg I was driving along a country road one afternoon, when I came acrolss a poor fellow in sore need of help, having twto punctures. I stopped and as I had expected, the unfortunate stranger was tickled to dwelatlhl with my offer to aid him. I took off my coat, brought a few tools and began to work. We chatted together, and as I was in no hurry, I was perfectly willing to spend the afternlofon doing a kind deed. However, the time passed rapidly and as it was growing dark and the task nearly completed, I 4thou,g1ht I had better be moving along. I put my hand in my pocket to draw out my watch when I discovered it was not in its usual pla-ce. In fact it was not in any of my pockets! During this process of pfokzket-hunting, it suddenly dawned on me Ithat my companion's idea of working on my sympathy, was a very clevwelr method of relieving me of what few possessions I had with me. I thought quickly. Wlh'at could I do? This bandit was probably anmed. I was weapon- less. At last I hit upon what proved to be a very good scheme. I turned and said to my companion. I think I have a tool in my box that will make this loads easier. I'l1 skip over and get it. My companion nodded with what seemed an abrupt Thanks, I Went two' my car and took out a tool somewhat resem- bling a pistol. It had one blunt end which I put up my sleeve, and as ilt was twilight, it could not be mistaken for anything but the wielapon I wished it to resemble. I went across the road, faced the stranger, saying as bravely as possible under the circumstances: Give me that watch and be quick about it. My arm wfas cracking from its cramped position. To my great delighlt the man, frightened to dlelath, put his hand into his pocket, pulled out the watch and handed it to me. I thrust it into my pocket, backed into my car and was off like the wind not daring to look back. 44

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THE ARGUS Years passed. Cora and the money incident were forgot- ten by everyone. But there was one who was destined never to forget it. Of her entire school life, this incident blotted out all the others and remained iixedl in her mind. It embittered her latter life and became the sole thought of her existance. If she could only find Cora and confess! And now, after an interval of fifteen years, she thought she saw Cora. She was amazed, astonished, motionless. She looked at her again and recognized her. She stopped,-wanted to cry out, Cora, when the signal was given. Cora lifted her head. She recognized her old friend. A few seconds passed before the train moved. They looked into each other's eyes through the night. They were separated by two windows. If they had reached out their hands, they could have touched each other. They were so near, yet so far. The carriages shook heavily. They were still looking at each other, the one aston- ished, the other conscience stricken, speechless. She saw Cora borne away. She saw her disappear and the train which bore her plunge into the night. Too late! R. Zuckerman, E6 Llii-i A Eleaf frnm Hiemnrg I live on the second floor. Immediately below my window there is a stationery store. When the awning is up, I am near enough to the news-stand to read the head-lineswith ease. I am very fond of standing at this window and watching the passers-by. One night, before climbing into bed, I turned out the light and pulled up the shade. I cannot imagine what mo- tive I had in thus standing bare-footed and laboriously rubbing the frost off the window-pane in order to look out. The weather was not such to tempt anybody of particular interest into the street, and as for the scenery, I long since had learned every detail of it by heart, and could have admired it much more co-mfortably in my mind's eye lying in a warm bed. I looked through the little transparent hole a moment, shivering. The empty wind-blown street looked unusually clean, the cobble-stones standinlg out almost white in the flittering light of the moon, the lines between them sharply marked. The air 46