Maynard High School - Screech Owl Yearbook (Maynard, MA)

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THE SCREECH OWL 11 clothes! Guess Til go out to meet Jones’ bull with this scarlet shirt — and these flannels — perfectly good pair of pants they were — Hey! for the love of, — Bob, look! What does this look like?” “It looks like — the sacred left ear of the Red Dragon ! ! !” E. Priest, ’32. JUST A KID We have read so much of George Washington as the best, the noblest, the purest among men, that it was really a relief to read of his life when he was just a kid getting into trouble, like the rest of us. Recently I ran into such an article in the Liberty Magazine, and it appealed to me so strongly that I must write of this Washington, the boy. As I remember it, George had gone swimming one sweltering summer day in the Rappahannock River. Piling his clothes on the bank he hopped in. As he was splashing around, two so- called modest town girls appeared on the scene. They took one good look at poor Georgie, giggled, stole his clothes, and returned to the village — leaving mankind’s noblest son in a most embarrassing situation. How Washington got home, the author failed to say. But I imagine he returned in a barrel. He would have reached his destination unde- tected had not Martha caught him creeping up the stairs to his room, without even a necktie on. Then the fireworks started. “Georgie,” she cried none too softly, “Come down to mother immediately. Aren’t you ashamed of yourself, roaming around the countryside like Adam himself? Come down, I say!” Young Washington came down the stairs, head lowered, his face the color of a very red frankfurt. “Mother,” he said, “You know I never told a lie in my whole life . . . Don’t you. Mother?” “Yes, son.” “Well, I went swimming today and two girls from town stole my clothes.” “They did, did they? Well we’ll see about that. And as for you, young man, you go right to bed.” “Without my supper?” “Yes.” And that night the Father of our Country went to sleep on an empty stomach, and all because of two girls with too much sense of humor. Fred Johnson, .’34. THE OLD SPRINGFIELD RIFLE As Sergeant Robert Young looked at his honorary discharge from the A.E.F., he sighed in relief. “Boy,” he exclaimed, “It surely seems good to be going back to the United States after six months in France.” He looked at his Springfield rifle and smiled. “You’ve helped me out in plenty of tight squeezes, especially that time in the Argonne Forest — .” His voice trailed off as he mused over his adventures. About eight years later, we find Mr. Young married and with two children, Robert, Jr., and Barbara. By his work as a lawyer he has be- come fairly rich and has been elected Assistant District Attorney of Illinois. Bobby, Mr. Young’s six-year-old son is at just the age at which he is interested in cowboys and gangsters. He has naturally been attracted by the Springfield rifle hanging over the fireplace and for this reason the rifle barrel has been blocked with cement. Because of his work as Assistant District Attorney, Mr. Young has, of course, made many enemies among the gangsters and rum-runners of the underworld. He has collected much information that would do a great deal of harm to certain underworld characters if it was ever published. To lessen this danger, two of “Scar- face” Moran’s henchmen have been sent to steal these papers. As one man worked to open the safe another collected the more valu- able household goods to make it seem like an ordinary robbery. Among

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10 THE SCREE CH OWL six or seven fellows, men of the Order of the Red Dragon, gathered there. He called them together and explained in a few words what he wanted of them. Their enthusiasm was evident, and when Bob left the room a few minutes later he took two of them with him. The others waited until half an hour later the telephone rang, and a short conversation ensued. “They’ve got him — but we’ll have to make it snappy because he’s im- patient to get home and study.” A few minutes afterwards they were standing before Andy Howe’s house, which was in total darkness. Two of the boys went in — the others kept watch outside. The beam of a flashlight moved about in an upstairs room — a quarter of an hour passed before the two returned, disappointed. “No go — it wasn’t anywhere in the room.” “Perhaps he’s destroyed it.” When they returned to the club room. Bob was already there. At their story, he looked round at them. “There’s only one thing we can do — call a special council meeting to- morrow evening — I’ve a plan.” When Bob got back to Dave’s house, Dave was lying on the couch that Bob had left a few hours before. Evi- dently he had given up thought of studying. He looked up inquiringly as Bob came in. “Where have you been ?— pal?” “Seaching for excitement. Took Andy Howe out for a college ice.” Dave looked at him in amazement. “You did “what?” “Took our friend Andy out for some ice cream. And had a nice little chat with him — All right! Wait a minute! I took him downtown to get him out of the way while Ken and a couple of the fellows went in and searched his room — his folks are out of town this week. We didn’t find anything.” “You didn’t think you would, did you? Of all the clever little boys — ” “Well, it might’ve been a good idea — would’ve been good, if it had worked. But I’ve got another good one.” “If it’s like the rest of your — ” “Quiet! It’s a swell idea — can’t help but work. I’ve called a council meeting for tomorrow night. We’re going to have a substitute ear made — it’ll be just like the other. We’ll keep it quiet, and no one can say it isn’t the real thing, because if anyone does, he’ll be the one who knows where the ear is. How’s that for an idea?” “Why didn’t we think of it before? Great, son, simply marvelous. The only trouble is that we may not have time to get our voters alive to the fact that I’m in the run again.” “We’ll begin right away — every- thing’ll be easy.” The meeting was duly held, and Bob’s plan met with instant approval. The news that the ear had been found spread thru the school like the wind and Dave’s friends regained their old enthusiasm one hundred fold. The new ear was eventually smuggled into the sanctum and fitted into the dragon’s head. With special ceremony it was handed over to Dave and once again he was a candidate. Elections were held — Dave Mars- den won by ten votes. Football season passed, basketball came and went, baseball reigned at Semple Academy — still, the stolen dragon’s ear was missing. On the second of May, Bob w?s again reclining on Dave’s couch while Dave sat at the desk trying to shake money out of his bank. “Did you hang any May baskets, Davey ?” “Yeah — only about uh — two dozen — uh — Didn’t have time for more.” “LAUNDRY!” “Gosh, I almost forgot — laundry man — be back in a minute.” Dave re-entered the room a couple of minutes later, carrying his laundry bag over his shoulder. “Guess I’ll sort this out — Well — will you look at this ! Those laundries ought to know better than to put colored things in with the white

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12 THE SCREE CH OWL these was the old rifle which hap- pened to catch the robber’s eye. Luckily for Mr. Young, the burglars were frightened by a noise from up- stairs and escaped without the papers. There was now only one way for the gangsters to protect themselves. That was to “get” Mr. Young. As their intended victim was walking to the corner for a taxicab another taxi drew up to the sidewalk. As Mr. Young walked over to the taxi a man leaned out with a rifle in his hands and aimed it at Young. As he pulled the trigger a terrific explosion came from the gun as it burst, severely injuring the man in the taxicab. As Mr. Young recovered from the shock, he picked up the pieces of the gun and smiled as he noticed some pieces of cement in it. “Well,” he exclaimed, “I thought you saved my life for the last time back in 1918 by shooting at others, but here you save my life while pointed at me. That’s surely a new trick to me.” Roy Lent, ’35. ALLEGORICAL CHARACTERS 1. The breezes The future 2. Roses Pleasures of life 3. Thorns Hardships of life 4. Lad Faith 5. Mary Devotion 6. Mrs. Svlvester Religion 7. Mr. Sylvester Disbelief Lad Summer had come and a faint breeze stirred in the trees of the Sylvester garden. It was a beautiful garden, filled with roses of every description. There were gay yellow roses, bold red roses, shy pink roses, and even white roses — all beautiful — and all with thorns. The breeze left the beautiful garden and for one restive moment floated across the face of a boy in a wheel- chair, carrying with it the scent of the flowers. A smile flashed across the lad’s countenance. “Mary,” he said, “take me into the garden. The roses are in bloom!” The girl addressed was about nine years old and with her golden hair and blue eyes she showed a marked resemblance to the boy in the wheel- chair. They were brother and sister. Mary pushed the ugly wheelchair through the arbor and into the garden. For several minutes, then, she watched her brother, happy be- cause he seemed happy. At last she said, “We had better go now. Lad. Dinner will be ready and you know how father hates us to be late.” “Let me pick a rose first.” “Oh, Lad, I’ll pick one for you or get a pair of scissors. You may get pricked. There are thorns, you know.” Lad said, “Thanks, Mary, but if one really loves roses he is willing to endure the thorns. The roses them- selves seem so much nicer because of the thorns.” On the way to the house Lad asked Mary, “Why do you wheel me about? You don’t have to. The nurse would do it.” “But I like to,” was the reply. “You’re a good sister, Mary. But you won’t have to wheel me about much longer. I am going to get well soon. I feel it.” At the dinner table that evening Mrs. Sylvester remarked to her hus- band, “Have you read about the miracles occurring at Notre Dame? Crippled children have walked up the stairs of the church, praying on each step and have come down well!” Mrs. Sylvester was a pretty woman, though she was old, and she was dressed in white — pure white. Her husband answered, in a depre- cating manner, “I really don’t believe that those miracles occur. There is something underhanded somewhere.” “Oh, don’t you? I was thinking of sending Lad there.” A heated argument ensued. Or rather it was no argument, for Mr.