Lincoln High School - Lincolnian Yearbook (Tacoma, WA)

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THE LINCOLNIAN 23 Carver 'whirled in surprise, ha-nds high. Then he started to lower them. Bah! Only a. girl! Ann Mary caught Bob's encouraging glance and held iirm. Keep your hands up, she com- manded. I may be only a girl, but this revolver doesn't know it. Bob laughed, and Carver ltept his hands up. Ann- Mary wished Donnelly would hurry. In response to 'her wish, a .strong hand took the revolver from her and Donnelly said: Suppose ye untiie the boy now, an' let him put the rope where it belongs. Here's another that may come in handy. Whilre she untied him, Bob smiled .it her. He really wouldn't have dared, you know: but, just the same, I never en- joyed a speech more than yours in my whole life. And Mary's iingers fumbled with the knots. You-you-are very brave. She wished she hadn't said thatg it was .so unnecessary-like 'praising a bird for flying. It was perfectly nat- ural for Bob to be everything good. What was he saying? , Brave? Not at all! I was so' scared that I had to talk to keep from keel- ing over. Ann. Mary smiled incredulously and stepsped aside to let him reach Carver and the other -man. The much-abused ' ankle rebelled, and, for the second time in her life, she falnted. The next two we-eks brought Ann Mary more -happiness than she had ever dreamed of. The newspapers said glowing things about her and printed 'her picture on- the front page beside Bob's3 with Donnelly's just below. Her grandfather was very proud' of her, and much concerned over her ankle, even calling in a 'famous bone specialist to make sure -that it was only sprained. Her classmates besieged her with flowers and candy and books and visits. Mr. Hun-ter and Mr. Garth call-ed to thank her in person-. Even Mr. Peters sent a huge bouquet of ex- quisite roses, and with them a note apologizing for his inconsidera.-teness in putting her to so much trouble! Be.st of all, Bob Jarvis was a daily visitor. When at last she was back in school, she was overwhelmed with unaccus- -tomed popularity--for her classmates had suddenly waked up to the fact that quiet little Ann- Mary Willett was a girl worth knowing, and they were making the most of it. As for Bob Jarvis-well, you may draw your own conclusion. Perhaps, as Bob had told kAnn Mary, Carver wouldn't have dared: but there had been a. very unpleasant possibility that he would dare, and Bobl. As I said, you may draw your own conclu- sion. GQ. . D

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22 TI-IE LINCOLNIAN a man! If Donnelly were only there! Perhaps--oh, perhaps he COULD be there, if she could only slip by with- out being no-ticed. She listened! So you're a thief, Carver? Well, I suspected something of the kind. Now that you're here, and Ilm here, what are you going to do? How are you go- ing to get the money? 'Tm going to give you just five min- utes zto tell me the combinfation of the safe. I could work it out, but I'd rather have you give it to me. And if I don't? This gat isn't empty, threatened Carver. Ann Mary held her breath, terrified. I-Ie couldn't mean it! This was La- fayette High in nineteen-tw-enty-one, not a bandlt's den in the midd-le ages. What would Bob do? He answered steadily: You wouldn't shoot-an-d I won't tell. There are four persons who know the combination of that safe. You are not one of them, and s-hall not be. You'll not tell? I will not. We'll see-in live minutes. Five minutes! How brave Bob was! Something must be done-she was the only one to do it-she must get Don- nelly-she must run-but they would 'hear her running-not if she were in -stocking feet. Quickly she took oft her shoes and crept from her hiding place. Free of the statue, she ran through the dark hall. thankful that she knew the building so wen. Her ankle hurt, but she paid -no attention to lit. Slhe must save Bob! Down to the lower floor she sped. and to the door at the back. It open-ed from the inside, and she stopped a moment to flx the catch that would hold lt open. Carver had probably taken Donnel1y's keys. But where was Donnelly? Somewhere back of the building! Could she find him in time? She called softly. A Mr. Donnelly! Mr, Donnelly! ' No answer. Hurrying farther along the walk, she called again. This time she -heard 'his voice. Who is it? Never mind. Vlfhere are you? By th-e drinkin' fountain. In an instant she was beside him, feeling for the knots in his bonds and explaining matters swiftly. Oh, we must. hurry! Have you a knife? She which ropes. Go quickly! He said only flve min- utes! Please -hurry! Not so fast, objected Donnelly. Where's that gun o' mine? Ah, here it is! I thought they -didn't throw it far. Can ye handle a revolver? I never have. Why donst you hurry? Because they'd hear me comin' an' be prepared. Now, a light little thing like you could creep upon 'em unbe- knownslt, an' hold 'em while I follow- it' ye could' hand-le the gun. ' Eagerly Ann Mary grasped the re- volver. Oh, I can, I know I can, if it's best! You'll follow quickly? I will that. Run ye, now. Ann Mary ran, even faster than she had coming out. As she neared the office she paused and listened. Un- speakable relief surged over her upon hearing Bobfs voice. She advanced more slowly. The light in the olilce had been switched on and she could see Carver reaching for the revolver which lay on a. near-by table, 'while Bob laughed dzerisively. You -don t dare, said Bob. Oh, don't I! The revolver was almost in his graspt Ann Mary stepped through the doorway, -surprised at her own stead- ines-s. Drop that and put up your hands! found one in -the pocket to 'he directed ther and cut the

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24 THE LINCOLNIAN Cfhe lllanclerlust Down by the railroad tracks was a small fresh water slough known far and wide as the Mud Hole. Farmers cursed its very existence, 'hogs on their way -to the slaughter house bathed 'there .for the last time. Stray ours here got rid of their abundant fleas. But best of all, it was known to the small boys of Hookersville and the hoboes. These Wandering vagabouds stopped in a hollow near the slough and after a swim in the Mud Hole, a doze on the bank, and a meal of mul- 1igan or some other stolen provender they went their merry and purposeless ways. No one knew where they came from or 'wrhere --they went. But they were always there-filling us -boys with tales of other climes, of sudden death of pals, of drunks they had been on. An ill-ass-orted rough-looking bunchg some -almost clean, some sad-eye-i, some dirty to the point of filthinessg a, few fugitives from justice: yet they wfl-t:h their wild life infected us with their own dlisease, or blessing, the Wanderlust. It was thus thalt I first met the two pals, Wrecks and Cfhas. Of course these were not their real namesg those were forgotten long ago. W1'6CkS was shrewd-eyed' ill-kempt, lean, square- jawed, an-d, as he :privately informed me, he had formerly been a crook. With his mighty -body he could 'trassle down any 'bo i.n the outfit. Chas. was different. He had the neatness, the clean-cut perfect Eng- lish, and poise of a college graduate. To look at .him no one could sense that he was not born a tramlp. Unconscious- ly one ffelt xthat at :heart and' in 'breed- ing he was a gentleman. And this voice, a pure young tenor, was as clear and sweet. as the tinkle of a .silver bell. When he sang, lowly, Home, Sweet Home, it made the other hos stop their loud brawling talk-ing and listen silently. It was Chas. who advised us never to .take to the road. You'l1 see things, yes, -but how you'll pay for them. A wan- derer on the face of the earth, without a single friend. Here, when all else is gone, when all the World goes back on you, you've got a hlome. You can always 'go to your hlome. I was going to ask him where his -home was, why he 'had left it, bult the sudden huski- ness of his voice made me refrain from it. The bo -seldom, if ever, uses the same path twice. Though, every day, all through the long, hot, lazy, sum- mer -days the Mud 'Hole was always crowded, there Were very few we saw more than once. Here and there about the country, about the World they went, stopping but a few hours in one spot. A blind, senseless course it seems, fbut they had nothing to guide 'them but that flickering deceitful will 0' the wispt the wanderlu-st.' I saw Wrecks once more six years later, but I 'hardly kn-ew the man. He was alone. 'Dhe head he had carried so high before was now down on his