Jacksonville High School - Crimson J Yearbook (Jacksonville, IL)

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The Nautilus has treated us pretty mean—gone and married another girl after all our tireless efforts to find Miss Comb.” “Well, you were best man and Helen maid of honor. What more could you wish?” said Cliff. “Why, I suppose we’ve got to disband now, and we’ve had such good times. Then, there’s our pins, too!” said Helen. “Oh, Rose, wait a minute! Your comb is falling out. Pretty, isn’t it? May I take it out a minnte? Why, look here! It is set with jeweled flowers. Oh, Walt! Jack! look here!” she almost screamed. “C. J. W. scratched on the inside corner.” “Sure,” said Walt, blankly looking at the comb. Then, suddenly glancing at Clifford, who was standing beside Rose and smiling mischievously, “Oh, you lobster! Explain this!” “Well,” said Cliff, “I always said I would choose my own bride, and I also chose to find her without any one’s assistance. I found the owner of the comb first, two years ago today, and would have apprised you all of the fact long- ago, but Rose would not give her consent. The souvenir is mine, and the lady, too. What more is there that heart could wish?” The Prize Money ELSON BAKNES “Are you going to try for the prize?” asked Gladys Mason, as she joined her friend, Margery Benton. “What prize? I do not know of any.” “Why, the two hundred dollar prize, Prof. Manton spoke of in Chapel this morning. Didn’t you hear him?’ replied Gladys. “I was late to Chapel, so did not hear about it. Won’t you walk to the car with me and tell me about it?” said Margery, never guessing that Gladys would rather be with her own friends than that “stuck up Margery Benton,” as the girls called her. “Some one, who does not wish his name known, has offered a prize of two hundred dollars to the girl or boy who writes the best essay on “Fads” and bands it to Prof. Manton within ten days. It must not have been read or corrected by any one. All who wish to compete are to hand their names to Prof. Manton before school tomorrow morning. This is my corner; so goodbye,” and, waving her hand, Gladys turned down Elm street. Margery walked on, still thinking of the prize. When she reached the house where she lived with her guardian (her parents were dead), she went right up to her room, and, removing her hat, sat down to think. “Why 14

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The Nautilus “Say, we must get emblems for this society!” “Little combs are just the thing!” exclaimed Helen. “Cliff, can you describe that comb?” “Sure. It was a shell comb artistically carved and set with tiny jewels in the shape of flowers.” “Look here; we boys can’t wear back combs with much comfort, so I move we have little stick-pins made in the shape of combs.” “That’s great!” “Cliff, you are responsible for some of this business if we find the girl.” “Oh, if you find the girl, I will be responsible for the afterpart.” “Oh! and we must have an annual banquet!” “Sure! All great societies do that.” “And give an account at that time of what we’ve done. Report success or failure, you know.” “Sure! Now, detectives, all get to work!” “The orchestra is playing ‘Home, Sweet Home,’ and we must break this meeting up, to come together again next May-day night.” “Now, Miss Rose, you’ll have to walk up to the hall with Cliff now. I won’t take you after so many snubs,” called Walt teasingly over his shoulder, as he went on with the young people who were laughing and fairly bubbling over with plans for the detective society. Rose was still standing by the syringa bush with averted face, and in the pale moonlight she looked more beautiful than ever. Clifford's heart sank. Of course, he had offended her! “Er—Miss Mayton, I hope—er—I— that is—” he began coming to where Rose stood. “I—I told that story solely because I wished you to know how I felt. I haven’t had any piece of mind since the day I first saw you.” “Indeed! You evidently wanted the others to know all about it, too!” “Oh, no, no! You misjudge me. And then you see they couldn’t possibly know that the young lady was you. I’d stake my life on that.” “Are you perfectly sure?” “Oh, perfectly sure, Rose; you’re not offended with me?” “Yes—no—I don’t know.” “Well, I’m very unhappy if you are-Rose, won’t you help me find my fairy-princess? I am very sure this severe young lady is not she. Will you. Rose?” “Oh, I don’t know. How silly!” “Won’t you, Rose?” “What nonsense—ah—er—I suppose so, yes.” Just two years from that day, on the first of May, a wedding took place at the Mayton home, and the principals were Mr. Clifford Willis and Miss Rose Mayton. At the reception after the ceremony, the Detective League held an indignation council and Walton Gray said: “As president of the Detective Society, organized for Clifford Jerome Willis’s especial benefit, I am obliged to announce that the aforesaid Willis 13

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The Nautilus should n’t I try for the prize? I am about the brightest girl in school, as Gladys says, and just think what I could do! Let’s see: I want a blue dress, like Mary’s, although I don’t really need another thing. And I should like to go to the mountains in August, but that leaves Mrs. Wilson here alone in the hottest part of the summer; and I would like to give a dinner that would outshine Ruth Clark’s, but Mrs. Wilson thinks I’m too young.” Every pleasure she thought of for herself was countermanded by discomforts to some one else, but she never thought of these very long. Just as she had decided how nice it would be to buy a riding horse and make the other girls envious of her, Mrs. Wilson, her guardian’s wife, came in. “Margery,”said Mrs. Wilson,“Mrs Laton has invited you over there this evening, and I have decided that you may go, but be home by ten, because it is not proper for young ladies to remain later.” “I should like to know what right you have to decide whether I may go or not, or liow long I shall stay. I am perfectly capable of doing that myself,” began Margery, but as she saw the look of pain cross Mrs. Wilson’s face, she cried, in instant penitence, “Oh, Mrs. Wilson, please forgive me, for I just didn’t think!” That was the trouble with Margery; she did not think of any one but herself. She was a bright and attractive girl, but, as she said, she just didn,t think of others and had grown very selfish. An entirely different scene was go ing on in the little house where Gladys lived. “Oh, Aunt Alice,” she cried, “some one has offered two hundred dollars for an essay,” and she went on to tell the story of the prize. “If I win it,” she concluded, “mother can stay in San Francisco longer, for, although she says she is getting strong, I should like to have her remain; but we cannot afford it unless I win the prize, for it took all the money we had in the bank to send her there. I am afraid she needs some new things, also!” “I hope you will win it dearie, for you deserve it for being so unselfish,” said her aunt, with an approving smile. “Nonsense, Auntie! I am not working for myself, but for mother, and any one would be unselfish with such an object.” About two weeks later, Margery, Gladys and some other girls were walking to school together. They were talking of the prize, the winn e of which was to be announced that morning. “I will be so glad when it’s over, for I have thought of it so much. The other night Aunt Alice came into my room and heard me talking about a pencil and paper to write a commencement essay. Of course, I was dreaming, but it frightened Auntie, for she thought I was making myself ill over 15