Madison High School - Bulldog Yearbook (Madison, ME)

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THE BOUNCER 3 of the bed. ' It was a splendid leap, worthy of an athlete, but the consequences were dis- astrous. There was a crash, slam! bang! and then complete silence. The silence was soon broken by mingled cries of terror and laughter from the girls. Horror was plainly written on all their faces. Mary became so amazed that she held her tumbler upside down without perceiving the difference. Gertrude, being the least concerned, soon broke the terrible silence with, The bed has bust. Whereupon she went into shrieks of laughter, all soon joined in, that is, all except Mildred. Bust, cried Mildred, I should say it had it's not only busted it's smashed, and so it had, tl1e head board was off, the slats out, the side boards down. Well, said Katie, between shrieks of laughter, I suppose we'd better fix it. I rather guess we, had, responded Ethel, that bed belongs to Mildred and meg do you think we'll sleep. on the floor! Here girls, continued Mildred, come out of it now and help fix this, it may strike you as funny but I say its no laughing matter. Let's get to work. Oh, Gene Crene!! I can't my back is so lame lamented Gertrude. Lame, what do you think of me, said Mary, why, I've got five blisters on one foot. VVhile they were discussing aches and pains the others set to work. Both mat- tresses were pulled olf and about adozen pillows which were tucked in around the edges. Gracious, Ethel cried, those things must be stuffed with lead, l'1l bet they weigh two ton. Cheer up, said Gertrude from her comfortable position on the other bed, you'l1 get some dirt out of them and then they will be lighter. She was quickly subdued by angry words from the workers. Now all together girls and we'll get it. Come, Mary and Gertrude, you've got to help, I guess youlll both survive, said Mildred. There! Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, we've got it 110W and if we can only get those blamed old mattresses on we'll be alright. But they were not fated to get the mattresses on, for just then someone moved the table which was proping up the foot board and smash! the whole thing went down again. Gertrude, who was the one luckless enough ta move the table, fairly trembled under the storm of anger. Katie seemed ready to burst, Heavens Gertrude, if youkl worked about ten hours Hxing a bed Iguess you'd be more careful. You can just set it up yourself now, I won't! Get some of tl1e boys to come in and fix it, timidly suggested Gertrude. Gee and do you think Miss Wilber would let us have boys in here at this time of night? Most people would have more sense Mildred observed sarcastic- ally. I'll go ask her, said Katie, seeing that a quarrel was brewing, perhaps she will let us. After Katie had gone the room was

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2 THE BOUNCER Mildred, from the next stateroom, rude- ly punctuated all their remarks with, 'Shut up, please.' At about one o'clock Mary was hungry and decided to have some lunch. She made Lucy get out of her berth to find her something eatable evidently the thought of eating made Gertrude sea- sick for she imagined she was going to die. She opened the door of her state- room to go into Katie's room after a lemon, but what was her surprise to find a :nan asleep before her door, and look- ing down the corridor she saw many more men asleep on the floor. This terrified her so that she forget her sea- sickness and began to sing which called a reprimand, from Ethel, down on her shoulders. Prowling around the room, she found some life preservers under the berth and wanted to kllOW if Mary didn't think she'd be safer if she put one on. Mary replied that they were more safe than comfortable but if she wished to put one on she could. She decided to take her chances with the rest and at last went back to bed. just then Halley's comet began to act out and I had to spank it. When I re- turned to the boat I found that Mary had told Gertrude and Lucy that if they wished to see the harbor they had better get up because it was six o'clock. They tumbled out of their berths and started to dress, but thru some mismanagement Gertrude found her watch and saw that it was only two o'clock, so they went back to bed very disgusted. They pun- ished Mary for her fun by poking her thru the bottom of her berth. They spent the rest of the morning in talking and laughing much to the dis- gust of their neighbors. I can tell you what I saw while they were in Wash.- just then my mother entered the room and sent me to bed. I have never had an opportunity to hear the moon finish his last remark but sometime I shall and I hope to hear how we acted in Wash- ington, and to see myself as others saw me. M. B. P. '10 A Broken Bed in Washington. T WAS between one and two A. M. one night in Washington. The greater part of the large city was slum- bering. In the hotel, Regent, where tourists were staying, only a stray light could be seen thruout the building. However, if one had passed in and taken the elavator up to room 222, third floor, front, they would have seen no signs of slumber. The room was brilliantly lightedg five girls in kirnonas were talk- ing and laughing, no signs of going to bed were visible. Katie and Ethel were stretched out on one bed, eating chocolate almonds and talking. Mary was picturesquely bal- anced on the foot-board, with candy in one hand and a glass of water in the other, Gertrude was standing idle order- ing everyone to look for her pocket book: Mildred had just finished combing her hair for the night. Suddenly she turned and with the warning cry, Look out, 1,111 coming girls, landed in the middle

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4 THE BOUNCER still, glaring glances were cast at each other but no one quite dared to break the awful silence. Five minutes passed and Katie was heard returning. Everyone looked at her in expectation but they were met with a black frown and Plague it all, she won't let us have any boys in here. Why not? snapped Mildred. I Oh, continued Katie, she asked if our costumes were appropriate, and fgigglingl I said we could go in the clothes press while they were here. She said we could get a porter tho. I'll ring, said Mary promptly, placing her hand on the bell. No you don't, Mildred sprang up in alarm, 'ido you suppose I'll have that porter up here and have him charge me eight or ten dollars for a bed when I've only got thirty-three cents to get to Madison on? We'll nx it ourselves and you'll help. Come get busy now. Everyone did get busy, except Ger- trude and fifteen minutes of long, hard labor ensued. Sharp words new in every direction, nobody dared venture a joking remark. ' At last, it was put together, after a fashion, by placing a large chair and table against the foot board. Everyone was too tired to say any- thing. Ethel heaving a sigh climbed in- to the bed and sang out, good-night.' Mary and Katie got into their bed. Gertrude and Mildred were left up. Where in the world will I sleep, in- quired Mildred, I don't dare get into that bed again. Oh, I have it, I'1l sleep in the big chair. Here Ethel, give mea blanket and pillow. In spite of all protestations Mildred settled down in the big chair. Soon the room was still and in darkness. Mil- dred's sleepy voice from the chair re- marked, Gee, but I'm comfortablef' In the morning good humor was com- pletely restored and everyone, even Mil- dred, was ready to pass on the story of the broken bed, as a great joke. Dressing was a short affair and they rushed out to tell the rest of the crowd. Mary, however, not being ready was left behind. Soon the chamber-maid came in. Good mornings, were ex- changed and the maid approached the luckless bed. VVhy, she cried, 'ithis down! Do Down! ' you can't see I came she dashed bed looks as tho it had been you know anything about it? exclaimed Mary, 'iwhy-er, prove anything by nie, you in late last evening, and down the corridor. E. M. B. '10 Arlington. LL who wished to go to Arlington were to leave Hotel Regent at four o'clock. For some reason, some of the crowd went ahead, so at the appointed time there were only four who wished to go. We boarded a car, went to the end of the line, transferred to Acqueduct Bridge where' we bought our tickets to Arlington. When we entered the car, we found the others who had started ahead of us, and had had to wait until