Lancaster High School - Mirage Yearbook (Lancaster, OH)

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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.”

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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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“Well, could you identify those girls, whom you over- heard in the hall?” Ollie flushed. She had been dreading this question. “I did not see anyone,” she answered with a faint smile. “I see, my dear, you do not wish to tell tales and I ap- preciate your position,” said her companion. “Well, we’ll say no more about it until Professor Seaberly has been consulted. Peggy, however, will have reasons to be grate- ful to you for helping her out of what otherwise might have proved a very awkward situation.” Miss Williams went at once to the girl and released her from the confinement she had imposed upon her the prev- ious night. She explained how Ollie had come to her res- cue and Peg, who had for once been thoroughly frightened, vowed that she would take the advice of a goody-good the next time. After breakfast was over, Ollie was called to the Pro- fessor’s study to relate all she knew of the ‘racket.’ Where- upon she told just what she had told to Miss Williams. When she was through, the authorities said that they must get down to individuals, if possible. “M iss Beverly, did you recognize the voices of those two girls whom you overheard in the hall last night?” “Truth compels me to say that I did,” Ollie replied. “Their names, if you please,” commanded the Professor briefly. “I beg that you will excuse me from naming them,” she pleaded. “It is your duty to expose them, Miss Beverly. The affair is of too serious a nature to allow sentiment to thwart discipline,” returned the gentleman. “Pardon me,” she said, “but I cannot feel it my duty— at least, until—” “That is to say that you will not comply with my re- quest,” interposed the Professor, his eyes beginning to blaze. “No, sir, I could not be disrespectful,” Ollie gently re- plied. “Please allow me to say that I would not have taken any hand in the matter whatever, but for the sake of saving Peggy Currly from being blamed for the whole trouble.” “You have no right to shield the guilty ones, and I shall hold you to your duty,” responded the Professor. “May I suggest that it is the duty of offenders to con- fess their own wrong-doing?” she questioned in a respect- ful tone. “I think Miss Beverly is right, Professor Seaberly,” Miss Williams remarked. An uncomfortable silence followed, and then the Pro- fessor at last curtly observed, “Very well, let it rest for the present; but if the offenders do not come promptly forward I shall expect you to tell all you know later.” Ollie bowed and slipped quietly from the room. Peggy followed her example and then went to the recre- ation room where she could meet her fellow culprits and decide what was to be done. “So Ollie thinks it would rob us of our moral responsi- bility if she should give us away!” remarked Rose Tuttle. “That’s a novel way of looking at it, isn’t it, girls, to es- cape the fate of a telltale?” “Puts us in a tight box, though,” said Carrie Archer. “All the same I think Ollie Beverly is O. K. and I am ready to make my best bow to her.” “Well, I believe myself she is rather a fine girl. But