Lincoln High School - Lincolnian Yearbook (Tacoma, WA)

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22 THE LINCOLNIAN showered her with compliments. This was'the Anna they would cherish as a companion, the girl whom they had never known in truth. Introduc- tions, filling out of programs, conver- Anna stepped lightly off to the musi- cal rhythm she was more happy than words can tell. So was Elinor. So were the girls. So was Mrs. Walters. Like the little gray mouse, Anna had before been always timid, but nation, and punch filled up the brief now ,he had blossomed out into B period of intermission, and when brilliant flower. 0350 Fishing By ARGEWA DUNLAP UNSHINE, 5 wide lake Clear, smooth water, perfectly still, Blue in the middle, blue as tame violets, Fish elusive, graceful, just a hint of silver, A darkening of the water beneath a log. Stately trees, squatty trees, Happy green or sombre. A sloping bank just the place, You throw your line and wait, You cast again, again no bite. How inviting that bank! You sit down and gaze dreamily across the lakeg The sun is warm, and the fish are not biting. You succumb, and lie clown, Rod on the ground, your hands clasped under your head. How still it isl . How warm the sun on your elbow. Your eyes close. A bee buzzes near: never mind, he goes off. A leaf rustles, a voice sounds far off. The sun is hotter on your elbow. The world recedes, you are asleep. No fish today.

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THE LINCOLNIAN W 2l turesquei scene. Here again was the same crowd of girls, this time with their boy escorts. They had collect- ed and were engaged in a mile-a- minute chatter when Elinor entered with Bud Fisher. Immediately the conversation turned to her, but at this moment the orchestra began a catchy rhythm which set the dance in motion. Before Tot Meredith be- gan, however, she managed to whis- per in Elinor's ear: .. . . .. Your dress is one winner. At the end of the first number Christie Thompson remarked to Eli- nor: nl see Alice Mathew didn't bring her friend, the Doctor. lt looks as if he isn't'coming. said Edith Locke, because all the girls in town seem to be here al- ready. An amused twinkle lit up Elinor's eyes. The second selection soon started the whirl of dancers gliding over the Hoor. Presently a newly-arrived couple swung into step and mingled with the crowd. Several people nodded to them and then watched them quizzi- cally. But when Christie Thompson caught a glimpse of them she recog- nized one and was mystified at the other. There's Doctor Richards, she said, but who is that girl with him? She could not see distinctly under the dim lights any distinguishing fea- ture in the doctor's partner. But Christie did see that she was a most capable dancer. ln another corner of the ballroom Edith Locke also rested her wonder- ing eyes curiously on the same cou- ple. Say, Ran. look at that fellow dancing with a girl in a yellowish colored dress, Edith mentioned to her partner. Can you see them? They are just passing the main door- way. Who are they? ' Search me. He looks a little fa- miliar, but l don't think l have seen her before. Randall Nicholson re- plied. Oh, she drawled out, I-het it's Doctor Richards. That's just who it is. But who in the world is that with him? And at this moment Tot Meredith stepped on her partner's feet and embarrassed him still more by caus- ing a collision with a dignified old couple who were trying to navigate gracefully ot the punch bowl. Jack, she gulped, and ,then in order to avoid being conspicuous she struggled to get in step again. What is ,the matter? the boy questioned. jack, she said, did you see what l saw? Oh, quit your 'kiddingf Tot. What did you see now? Was-that Doc. Richards and Anna Walters who just swung by? Tot asked incredulously. Where? Jack Porter looked around in startled surprise. Here, as the music of the second selection ended, Mary Strathmore caught Tot by the arm. Did you see Anna with the Doc- tor? she excitedly asked. lt was she, was it? Why, l was so surprised. l step- ped in all directions. Eight young people from several different parts of the hall looked eagerly, as the crowd separated, in search for the doctor and Anna. Fi- nally they saw them. They were standing with Elinor and Bud and gaily talking. What a changed and beautiful girl Anna was, radiantly de- lightful in her new gown! She felt a little shy at first, but she had no time to think of this as the group of happy girls bore down upon her and

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The Soldier Speaks T last it is over and we have come homel It has been a mighty experience--one that a will never forget, but which stand out in his mind, to his fortune or misfortune, a towering crag above the uninteresting plane of the commonplace. l was a drafted man. Not for the reason that l was uninterested in progress or that l was necessarily a coward fl was really a very average young fellowj, but because l had 111811 must some dependents relying on me and was deeply engrossed in my own al- fairs. But after l had registered and when my questionnaire arrived l cheerfully signed away all claim to exemption and waited, not entirely without eagerness, for my call to the service. There is something about it that grips men's souls. It is not the kill- ing nor the being killed, but it is the thought that one is doing his bit in the great sacrifice: that he is helping out a great ideal. You feel the com- raddship of all the nations and the friendship of every person as you meet them. lt seems that one is making humanity his debtor instead of being always the creditor, and it is a great feeling. And so we went ot the camps. The life there was far from easy: it was grim work, deadly business: and to watch the men drill with the rifles bayoneting the dummies gave me a ghastly feeling of the realistic. But l was used to the rough life. I had been raised in the hills and the long hikes and tiring toil held few terrors for me. l would finish up a day's drill in fresh good spirits when many another less fortunate youth was in the last stages of exhaustion. l was no Hercules, but l really had remark- able endurance for a young fellow of my age. Those months of drill changed me but very little. l was more quick to execute an order and probably more mechanically smooth in execution, but l had still the same youthful mind, the easy cheerfulness and lack of re- sponsibility which had been my early characteristic. Now and then an uncomfortable thought would lodge itself in my brain that whispered that possibly l should never come back. It stuck presistently several times, but l would throw all that to the winds and try to occupy myself with work. On Saturdays we would always flock into town and liven things up a trilie. We did not want to think, the general feeling of the young fellows was to see some life now, really live, for soon it might be too late. T The older men were mostly more quiet and thoughtful than we. They were not afraid to think as we were and the men with families were often silent and grim. A few were unruly and were not pleased with the situa- tion, and it was rumored that there had been an execution of one too independent an unfortunate. l re- member, also, a few who called them- selves conscientious objectorsn-the officers said they were merely pro- German or just afraid to get into the great mix. One grave, strong-faced man l remember who refused even to work in a military capacity. He was court-marshaled and given twenty years in a federal prison as an ex- ample. just before he started on his term he was offered a last chance to come back, but he refused it. l saw him just before he left to serve his term and there was a strange luster in his eyes and it struck me that he did not look like a man to be afraid. We younger fellows, however, just laughed and bucked in: it seemed to