Lancaster High School - Mirage Yearbook (Lancaster, OH)

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laying a nervous hand upon her arm. “There is going to be something doing pretty soon. Oh, you will soon know- all about it. You see,” began Peggy again, more nervous than ever, “the girls think you are such a goody-good that they wouldn’t tell you anything about it. Say, aren’t you breaking rules too?” “No, I have come from Miss Reynolds’ room.” “Well, I am going to see this thing through, now I’ve started it. I have had to pinch myself for the last two hours, though, to keep awake, and I am not going to miss the racket after all that bother,” declared the girl. “Well,” said Ollie, after listening a moment, “I must go on to my room, and my advice to you is to return with me. Good-night,” and leaving the willful ‘racket’-lover to her fate, she stole softly away. She paused at the foot of the stairs to listen again, for she heard a whisper which she immediately recognized: “Be sure and tie your end tight, Rose.” Ollie moved lightly up a step or two and heard the an- swer. “I have; now Carrie, you scud up to the next floor and give the signal, while I go for my cymbals,” and a smoth- ered laugh was heard. Not wishing to get involved in mischief, she went on softly up the stairs and slowly turned the handle of her door and slipped inside. Scarcely had a moment elapsed after she had closed and locked it, when there came a deafening crash and bang, mingled with the blowing of whistles, horns and cornets, that seemed sufficient to awaken the ‘Seven Sleepers’ in their cavern of refuge. Presently steps were heard on the stairs, whereupon Ollie opened her door a little way and saw the watchman with his lantern, just mounting into view. Then the voices of the teachers rang out excitedly, while they vainly tugged at their doors which had been connected with the ones opposite by pieces of clothesline. “Young ladies, what is the meaning of this outrage?” came all the voices at once. “Release us immediately.” Looking farther down the hall, Ollie saw an assortment of tin pans, covers and plates lying in a heap upon the floor, all telling their own story regarding the recent crash. There w as not a person in sight save the watchman. lie had been making his rounds as was his custom at midnight, hence his appearance upon the scene just in time to release the indignant teachers. On being released, they immediately bestirred themselves to find out the culprits; but of course everybody was inno- cent ami as eager as they to ascertain who could have been guilty of so daring an act at that hour of the night. Poor Peggy, however, was destined to pay the penalty for her temerity. A moment or two after Ollie left her, she also had stolen cautiously up-stairs, but on moving farther down the hall, she had run against one of the ropes. Like a flash she knew that she had fallen over the signal rope. Then the crash and bang followed. Peggy shrank into a closet at the end of the hall. But she was not quick enough, for the watchman saw her shadow. Here Peggy waited with eager cars and bated breath, wondering what was to come next. When it came, however, she heartily wished she was anywhere else in the world. But there was nothing to do

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tendency towards perpetual motion and which are some- times described as organs that are hung in the middle and wag at both ends—schoolgirls’ tongues. Meanwhile Peg had taken Ollie to her room. “So you are a Sophomore, are you?” asked Ollie. “Yes, I am a Soph, but I am not here as you are. I am a working stu- dent.” She said this with a rising flush and a defiant toss of her pert little head. “A working student?” repeated Ollie. “That’s what I said. I can’t afford to pay full tuition, so I wait on the Professor and his wife and do other kinds of work to make up the rest. Do you under- stand ?” “Yes, I understand, and think you are a dear brave girl to do it,” said Ollie. “Do you, truly?” queried Peg. “My! I believe I feel two inches taller for that. You’ve given me a lift that I shan’t forget. Well, Ollie—may 1 call you that?” “Yes, I should like it better,” replied Ollie with a smile. “And of course I can call you Peggy.” “I must run along or the girls will think I have deserted them.” “Thank you for coming up with me,” said Ollie, holding out a detaining hand. Peggy rushed back to the recreation room. There she found all the Sophomores waiting her return. “Oh, girls, we must not let her get hold of this racket that is to be pulled off Monday evening, for—oh, she is the dearest thing and it is a shame too, for she will be the only Soph left out. Do you suppose we ought to tell her about it? Well, I’ll tell you, let’s vote and whichever way it comes out we’ll do. Now girls get a piece of paper and write on it ‘yes or ‘no.’ ” This Peg said without stopping to take a whole breath. In looking over the papers it was found that Ollie should not be told anything about the racket. Monday evening, after study hours were over, Ollie was in her teacher’s room. She had been just a little back in her mathematics and had asked the teacher if she would help her after study hour. They became so absorbed that they took no account of time until the clock struck the half-hour after eleven. “Why,” Ollie exclaimed and started to her feet, “if you were not a teacher I should he guilty of flagrant disobed ience in being out of my room at this hour.” “Dear child, I have been very thoughtless to keep you so long,” said the teacher regretfully, “but I certainly had no idea of time.” Miss Reynolds’ room was located on the second floor of the east wing, and Ollie roomed in the west wing; conse- quently she was obliged to go down a flight of stairs, across the main or central hall, and up another flight to gain her own quarters. The lights were all out, hut the moon was full, coming in through the windows with a soft radiance. Thus she had no difficulty in finding her way. She had crossed the main hall, and just entered a short passage leading to the west wing, when she came suddenly upon someone who ap- peared to be trying to shrink out of sight into a corner. “Why, who is it?” she cried. “Sh! Sh! keep mum!” was the warning response as the figure drew near. “Peggy,” Ollie whispered amazed, “what are you doing here at this unearthly hour of the night?” “Hush, don’t give me away for the world,” said the girl,

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except to wait quietly in her place of concealment until the breeze blew over. So she shrank closer into her corner and stood motionless, hoping no one would think of looking there. It was a vain hope, however, for Miss Williams, having closely questioned various ones without gaining any satisfaction, asked the night watchman if he had seen any- body. “Yes, ma’am,” he replied, “I saw a shadow near the door over there.” Miss Williams then walked straight to the closet and opened the door, letting the light from her candle fall di- rectly upon Peggy’s white, frightened face and shrinking figure. “Oh! Miss Peggy Currly! So you are implicated in this disgraceful act!” the teacher sternly exclaimed. “What was your object and who were your accomplices, for of course you could not have carried it out alone,” she con- cluded sharply. “I am the only one,” stammered Peggy, almost overcome with fright. “Don’t tell me that! It is impossible that you conceive such a plot and execute it without help. But I think we shall defer further investigations until tomorrow. Peggy, go to vour room at once and stay there until I come for you.” Peg sped away without one backward glance. Miss Wil- liams then turned to the watchman and observed more calmly, “Mr. Johnson, it seems we were all more frightened than hurt. I am glad you were at hand to help reassure us.” “Ye were in a rather ticklish box, mum; fur, by the powers, it were like a pan-dom-i-num let loose,” he replied. 20 “But what shall we do with all the truck?” he added, glancing at the pile of tinware on the floor. “Oil, leave it there until morning and the maids will take care of it,” Miss Clark suggested. Then the teachers also went to their rooms. Peggy resolved after she had gone to her room that she would not tell on anyone else, knowing that if she did, they would all be expelled. So she decided to take all the blame and be the only one to receive punishment. The next morning Ollie arose at the first stroke of the rising bell, performed her small duties with what dispatch she could and then sought Miss Williams shortly before the breakfast hour. The teacher greeted her with a smile and inquired, “Were you nearly frightened out of your senses last night with the rest of us, Miss Beverly?” “Oh, no, but perhaps I might have been if I had been asleep. I know something about the affair, Miss Williams, and I have come to talk it over with you,” Ollie explained. “Oh,” and the woman looked both astonished and inter- ested. Ollie then proceeded to tell all that she knew about the matter, but without revealing the names of the ringleaders. “Well! this certainly docs put an entirely different aspect upon the affair,” Miss Williams replied after Ollie had concluded. “I am more than glad, too, because I am interested in Peggy in spite of her tendency to bubble over now and then. She certainly is guilty of disobedience, though.” “Yes,” assented Ollie, “but not quite so much as you thought she was.”