Knox School - Rose Leaves Yearbook (Nissequogue, NY)

Page 91 text:

1 s Suddenly a great confusion over by the door caused everybody to rush in that direction, and Alice found herself quite alone on the edge of a milling, giggling crowd of women. Nothing daunted, she bravely mounted a nearby table and, clinging toa swarthy Venus de Milo which stood there, peeped eagerly over a sea of hats to the center of the mob. This, after careful scrutiny, proved to be a huge silver cup, behind which Cappy Morgan blushed and bowed. Cappy the Great! Cappy the Remarkable! were among the shouts which split the airg for, as Alice discovered after frantic inquiry, the inimitable Catherine had startled the world by her latest aquatic feat. She had set out to swim the same old beat from her end of Lake Erie to the other, but having arrived at the far end had turned, and with a cheery wave of her hand ploughed off homeward again . . . to complete a double trip and immortalize the name of C. Morgan forevermore! Composing a large and enthusiastic percentage of the crowd were the former Ruth Chadwick, plus a retinue of little Chads who pawed their Auntie Cap with toffy-coated fingers- and clamored in the most charming Boston accents to be carried for a ride in the cup. Torn from contemplation of this interesting scene by ominous creaks and groans on the part of the table beneath her, Alice hurriedly began to dismount from her position. While vaguely won- dering whatever caused her to behave so in the Foyer, she started to slip and both she and Venus were saved from an ignominious fall by Louise Starr, who had come wandering up at this moment. Alice thanked her very much and inquired politely about the Eagle's career since they had last met. It transpired that the latest edition of Eagle's Dictionary of Popular Puns, Riddles and Knock- Knock-Who's-There Series had been a remarkable success, returning to its author sufficient funds on which to relax for the rest of her days. Marne Gilbert came up just then, causing Alice to retire in some confusion, for never had she seen a more glittering, glamourous lady in all her life. She had wondered at Marne's picture in hundreds of advertisements, and had resolved that when she grew up she would certainly frame her Kolgate-brytened teeth with Fax Mactor's Moulder- Red lipstick, just as the little paragraphs ended with Marne's signature stated all properly brought-up girls did. The next arrival was Madeleine Raymond, looking very jaunty in her uni- form as instructress for the RCAF's ski-plane division. Mady was very enthusiastic about the latest version of a stem Christie which she was teaching for use on landing fields unfavorable to regular manoeuvring. Harriett Walker joined them to inquire after Alice's church savings, she was a familiar iigure about Cooperstown as she had taken practically the whole of upper New York State under her wing and was managing it with the finesse of a born community worker, caring for every detail from calling on the governor at Albany to wiping the noses of the smallest charity cases. Pat Markush also came over. She hailed direct from the haunts of Manhattan's most ghostly Cafe society, and was bubbl- ing with news about Elizabeth Marsh, whom she'd met on a slumming expedition. . . . Liz was reigning supreme in the Waldorf's kitchens, supervising everything including the manufacture of her famous toffy. Alice was hopefully wondering if Mushkush had thou'gl1t to bring some of the toffy when Ginny Pope strode up, hale and hearty as ever. Ginny had published a pamphlet called Etiquette in the Deep South, and she told Alice confidentially that she had really become rather afraid of public appearances, as her large host of readers always expected to see a demure little Georgian matron, and had several times expressed their disappointment when the well-intentioned authoress turned up with her Jolly well, old chap etc. Alice was solemnly nodding her sympathy and munching on a cookies when a remarkable fragrance tickled her nostrils, causing her to choke violently and stiffen to immediate attention. All eyes went to the door, to see . . . and to wonder. Wliat swaying, scented vision could this be? . . . Alice clutched her chairg the worshiped star, the lovely actress, the modern Veronica had come to drip her flowing locks in these humble halls .... Tedi Redfern had returned to Knoxll Several minutes later Alice ran into Renee Thebaud, whom she had met recently down at Rye where Renee makes a prosperous living taking timid gentle- men for rides on the Thunderbolt, P1ayland's most terrible roller-coaster. An exciting conversation ensued ,concerning the wonders of the Tunnel of Horrors, with which both Alice and Renee were very familiar. The next encounter was with Betty Knuttson, whose magazine The Spectre was now a going concern. This clever editor had really fulfilled her highest hopes now that Peggy Keiler had recovered from her tragic romance with an arch-duke of, as it proved, ques- tionable integrity, and was composing the poetry column with her old finesse. Dorothy Phelps was seen to enter the room at this point, amid a general buzz of consternation. Dorothy had become a topic for national discussion because of l 77

Page 90 text:

. if SENIGR CLASS PROPHECY Furfher Advenfures of Alice LICE had been sitting on the lake bank for a long while, watching the sun on the water, and wondering vaguely if it wasn't nearly time for tea, when she heard someone passing behind her. She looked up just in time to see Lois Oaks, brandishing a large pocket watch and looking very Hustered. Alice, noting to herself that this was rather strange as Lois, a member of the Class of '42, had long since left Cooperstown to become conhdential secretary to the First Lady, scram- bled after her just in time to her her mutter, Oh dear, oh dear, I shall be late: and Eleanor without her notes! Alice ran as fast as she could but Lois had vanished and the next thing she knew she was entering the Foyer at a precipitous rate, to find herself in a group which surrounded . . . and again Alice thought it strange . . . Marilyn Menkin. Marilyn was telling a long tale of her woes con- tracted as a result of the modern trend against sweet and sentimental VVestern Union messages, and the subsequent collapse of her thriving business of compos- ing them. Sue Stever was at her side, and Alice was much relieved to hear her complete an arrangement for the distraught Marilyn to receive a month's concen- trated rest-cure at the famous Suzy's Sanctuary, a mountain-top refuge for the Bewildered Bereft, which Steve has run with great proht for several years. Alice had glimpsed a tea-table through the crowd and she started towards it, her eye on a solitary chocolate cookie which reposed there. She was just about to reach out when a very brown hand closed over it, and whose face should she look up into but Penny McCullough'sl Penny, as Alice had recently heard, was living out on Montauk ,and in the course of conversation it was revealed that in the past month she had rescued twenty-seven lost mariners, not to mention several other species of stray males who had wandered under the guiding ray of her friendly lighthouse beam. Alice had noticed a commotion behind the tea-table and when she went over to see what it was she almost fancied herself arriving at the Mad I-Iatter's tea-party again. However this turned out to be but Helen Gilbert and Betty Semmes having tea, with Pumpy Redlich sound asleep between them! Alice had read in the papers only that morning of Helen's having been voted National Campfire Girl, and she felt elated to be meeting her in person. Betty runs a prosperous crocodile farm in Savannah, and sells reptiles of all ages and sizes into kind and providential homes. Needless to say Alice was fascinated by this strange occupation and was eagerly questioning Betty, when the Dor- mouse began to emit weird little noises that sounded strangely like, Lean-hup . . . lean-hup! just before she woke up. Poor Pumpy was terribly worn out now that the crew season had set in, as her job as professional coxswain kept her rushing continually among the various rivers and lakes. Alice turned next to Robin Hill and Mary Heisey fshe had grown quite used to meeting these long-departed people, and no longer thought this other than an ordinary day-in-the-life-of-Knoxj. Robin was busily relating the details of a proposed voyage to Australia in her Star boat, and Tigger, when she could get a word in edgewise, was protesting feebly that she couldn't possibly get away from her duties as housemother at her Ohio State fraternity, all the time looking so frightened at the very idea that Alice longed to go and comfort her. However her good intentions were halted by the arrival of a very tanned and flourishing Ducky, who caused Alice to forget all but her interest in this famed and versatile character. It turned out that nothing much had been going on since Ducky had won the ladies Welterweight boxing championship, except for a few minor debates in which she easily maintained her standing as the deputy of all young people in their struggle for Freedom from Parental Restrictions. At this point Ruth Freihofer joined them and while listening to the conversation between the new- comer and Ducky Qwho had suddenly adopted a vivid Brazilian accent . . . to make everyone feel at home, Alice supposedj our small heroine gathered that poor Ruchie was having a simply terrible time trying to decide between her suitors, Bob and Ted, who were by this time getting very insistent. Alice hap- pened to look across the Foyer just then, to be suddenly and strangely reminded of her old friend, the Cheshire Cat. But it was really none other than Judy Seaton approaching, evidently much pleased with herself. She carefully deposited a load of immense Latin volumes on the floor before she began to tell the won- derful news . . . she had just signed a contract with a foreign missionary associa- tion and was about to leave for the Fiji Islands to preach the beauties and advan- tages of a classical education Qmore especially Ciceroj to the poor heathens. - 76

Page 92 text:

her spectacular renunciation of a promising career with the Metropolitan Opera, in favor of a little cottage on a hill in Cuba . . . a home and family life, of all things! , An animated group across the Foyer caught Alice's attention then, and she went 'oger to find Lucinda Darby, Gale Hamilton and Ginny Savoye heatedly explaining to Anne Counts the many reasons for forgetting about her childhood ambition to be an honest-to-goodness Army Wife. Of course she should accept the marvelous offer of a job with Pudont! fThis was made as a result of Anne's having been presented the Mobile Prize for eminence in chemistry . . . she had developed a formula whereby a truly aromatic perfume could be obtained from the very common substance of tobacco.J Cindy, as Alice discovered, made a nice little side income having her hands photographed by the Klux Gentle Dish Soap Company before and after washing the dinner dishes with their mar- velous product. Cindy believed sincerely in Klux Soap's ability to keep hands soft and white, and always had a box handy in her kitchen cupboard. Alice had to look twice to recognize Gale Hamilton in the exotic lady who reclined so gracefully in an armchair, a long jade cigarette holder balanced effortlessly in one hand, While the other hung listlessly among the folds of her black velvet cape. It transpired that Gale had become one of the cleverest members of the FBI's new International Ladies Division, and had fallen so deeply into her new character that she seldom relaxed even from the office. Ginny Savoye was sitting on the sofa, clutching a large bag of popcorn . . . a plump and smiling example of How to Eat and Like It. Alice had noticed a very dashing uniform by the desk, and she hastened over to discover Joyce Raley in all her splendid paraphernalia as only woman Cavalry officer in the United States Army. Joyce and Alice were discussing the sad fate of Joyce's old mount Babe, who had her last fling when she kicked out at a passing truckload of high explosives, when they were joined by another of Knox's outstanding equestriennes. Susy Ward wore a huge sombrero, a brilliant plaid satin shirt, and flapping leather chaps on her gently bowed legs, all of which left no doubt that our sissy Eastern style riding had fallen far by the wayside. Soon afterwards Alice met Dottie Baum, looking just the same except for a becomingly different green tinge in her hair. Dottie had risen to an important position in the hair-dye industry, and was now the nation's foremost tester. Having trained her hair carefully in her youth she was now possessed of a peculiarly hardy brand, and nothing short of nitric acid had been found that could affect it. Doris Neuber was with Dottie, and Alice was glad to hear that Doris' business of designing and dealing in Class Day dresses was profiting well and that she would of course fill in this year's order. Annette Clark came up from downstairs just then, busily wiping flour and sugar from her hands. She had arrived earlier in the day, she said, and had baked a large batch of cookies down in the domestic science depart- ment for the party this afternoon. Alice was thinking sadly of the delightful chance to lick the saucepan she had missed, when the sight of an awesomely dig- nified nun entering the Foyer took her whole attention. This proved to be Prue Field, who had taken the veil in deepest grief soon after the senior dance of 1942, when, Alice had heard, some little Knox minx had stolen her beloved date away forever, and left her tragically deserted .... In the trail of the nun came Sally Sinnott, who made her way directly to Miss Robison. When Alice joined them Sally was begging Miss Robison to lend her some of her Be Better Than The Average signs . . . it seemed that Sally's formerly prosperous School of Charm had been suffering dire relapses and she felt that the morale of the employees needed stimulation. Suddenly a violent clatter sounded from the drive, and Alice ran to the win- dow in time to see an ancient '42 Ford bounce loudly up to the door, its rusty sides emblazoned with such subtleties as JACKSON TO COOPERSTOWN OR BUST!! and CLASS REUNION HERE WE COME!!! The elegant vehicle grad- ually ceased its vibrations, and Judy Ryerson descended, swathed in an artistically paint-smeared smock and carrying on her person everything from palettes and brushes to an easel and a camp-stool. Alice dashed up in a wild attempt to be helpful, tripped on the door-sill, and clutched desperately at protruding parts of the easel. There was a resounding crash as a rain of paint tubes, ink wells and art-gum erasers descended on her head. Poor Alice shrieked and jumped . . . to find herself sitting bolt upright on the lake bank, quite alone except for a handful of dead leaves which had blown into her face and startled her into crying out. She was still vaguely wondering how she'd arrived here when her friend Dug came up, asking whatever she was screaming about. Alice eagerly pulled her down on the bank and told her all about her strange adventures, and Dug, think- ing you might be interested ,has put them down for you here. 78