Mechanic Arts High School - M Yearbook (St Paul, MN)

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THE MU You're the only one who has a key to the AEagle' room besides Miss Kelland, aren't you I'm supposed to be. You were in the room when Jack and Miss Kelland counted the money, weren't you? Yes, sir. Do you know how much there was? Eh-no, sir. I was busy making up the page and didn't notice. Was anyone in the room besides you three at that time or after that? UNO, sir. No one was in the room and only Jane was in after that. The principal stopped and thought a minute. A'Bob, you've always been honest and truthful, and we've trusted you with large sums of money when you were a manager and I can't believe you're guilty. but your own testimony and some other evidence which I have been given, points very strongly toward it. Perhaps you can explain why nine dollars, the entire paper money, is missing this morning? A'Missing? Money missing- Bob turned pale. He saw his council presidency hopes shattered and foresaw himself branded as a thief. By questioning other members of the previous evening's party, the prin- cipal learned that Bob had broken a five dollar bill and had been very free with his money. At the end of the third period Bob asked if he might go to his locker. Mr. Wheeler gave permission to do so but told him that he should come back. Jane kept some of her books in Bob's locker as it was near her fourth period class. Each day at the end of third period she came to his 'locker at the be- ginning of fourth. Jane was later than usual this day and Bob thought that she wasn't coming. Finally she came down the hallgtalking and laughing with-Jack Benton. Aren't you kind of late? Bob asked her when she came to the locker. Well, I won't bother you any more, she told him curtly, I'll keep my books myself, and I don't think I can go to the dance with you tomorrow night. Bob jerked the locker open, but didn't even look inside of it. Jane reached for her books, but stopped short. Say, what's this? she asked, holding up a key. Bob and Jack jumped forward. It looks like the 'Eagle' room key, Bob said, 'ibut it can't beg I have mine. He looked into his key purse. Yes, the Eagle room key was there. 'Compare them. They look pretty much alike, Jack told Bob. Bob held them together. Yes, they were identical, A'Well, that seems mighty funny-aespecially after last night's occurrence, Jack informed him. Bob didn't have to be told that possessing a duplicate key was not going to help him any. 'Butfbut it isn't mine, he began. Aw, tell that to your grandmother, Jane called back to him as she strolled down the hall, her arm linked in Jack's, So Jane was against him, too. Bob hadn't thought that she would turn against him at a time like this. Well, he was about done for at West. Jack would become president of the Council. and Bob was sure that he would be asked to resign from the Council and from the A'Eagle staff. Everybody would be against him. Just as these thoughts were rushing through his mind Al I-Iern, his campaign manager, came up. A'Say, Bob, what's all this about your stealing the 'Eagle' money? Have you heard about it, too? Why, it's all over the school. 8,1 Page Seven

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T II E M LOYALTY By ERVIN SCHULZ, '29 Bob Atherton had a feeling that he was not in for a pleasant interview as he entered Mr. Wheeler's oiice. Bob was editor-in-chief of the Western Eagle, the student newspaper of West High School, and was one of the two leading candidates for president of the Student Council-the other was Jack Benton, the business manager of the Eagle Where were you last evening, Bob? the principal asked. Why-why I worked on the 'Eagle' until almost eight o'clock. Didn't you go home for dinner? Yes, but I came back. Was there anyone else in the 'Eagle' room with you? Why, yes, Miss Kelland was here in the afternoon, and in the evening Jane was helping me. It might be explained here that Jane Wilson was one of the most popular girls in the school, a member of the Student Council and of the Eagle staff --and one of Bob's most ardent backers in the council presidency campaign. Was Miss Kelland here until you left in the afternoon? No, sir, she left at about four o'clock and I stayed about an hour and a half longer. Did you go right home? Why, yes. 'AAre you sure? Well, I stopped at the Sheldon Printing Co. What did you do there? Why-a--I paid for the posters we're using in the campaign. How much were they? Bob was quite bewildered. I-Ie hardly knew whether to answer or not. I-Iowever he did so. 'AThree dollars. Three dollars, Why didn't you tell me right away that you stopped there instead of saying that you went right home? 'AWhy-I didn't think that you would want to know that-and+and I had almost forgotten it myself, But you went right home then?I' Yes. What did you do between the time you left school until you returned besides stopping at Sheldon's? Tell me in detail. 'AMr. Wheeler, would you please tell me why you are asking me all these questions? '4Don't you know? I'll tell you shortly. I'll answer that and any other questions you may want to ask, but first you must answer mine. Now tell me everything that happened. Well, I went home and while I was there some of the kids called up and wanted Jane and me to come-to join a-a little theater party, Jane and I were going anyway, so I told them to call for us at a quarter' to eight. Well, I stopped at Jane's and then we came up to school together. Was the door of the 'Eagle' room locked? 'AYes, sir. ' 'AI-Iad you locked it when you left? Yes, I'm pretty sure I did. And you locked it when you left in the evening? I think so. 4 4 Page S ix

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THE M Yeh? Well, I guess we might as well give up. I haven't a chance to win now. The election's tomorrow. Oh, come on, Bob. You didn't do it, did you? Well, then what we've got to do is to get busy and prove that you're innocent. But everything's against me. I paid the bill for the posters and had a five dollar bill last night, and I was the only one in the room. Well, what of it? With Jane's help we can easily put it over. That's just it. Jane's against me, too. She's, gone over to Jack's side. What? Yes, it's the truth. Gosh! Well, we'l1 have to put it over ourselves then. Come on down to the 'Eagle' room and talk it over. Say, listen, Bob! I bet that's some of Art's work. I-Ie'd be just the one to do something like that. You and he never were friends and he'd do anything in order to help Jack win. Well, he might, but what difference does it make? There's nothing to show that he did it, and it's all against me. But, gosh, Bob! You aren't going to let them get away with that stuff. are you? Oh, forget about it! I'm done, that's all. Say, Bob, we just simply can't let them do it. We've got to do some- thing about it! Well, what are we going to do? Just then the bell rang. Meet me after school and we'l1 figure it out. Bob went back to the office, but Mr. Wheeler was not there, so he sat down to wait for him. I-Ie sat alone in the office the whole period. At the beginning of the seventh period Jane came into the office. Oh, hello, Bob. Where's Mr. Wheeler? Say, listen, Bob, you aren't mad about what happened this noon, are you? Well, why shouldn't I be? Just then Mr. Wheeler came in. Did you wish to see me, Jane? Yes, sir, I did. Bob, just step into the outer ofiice a few minutes, please. No, let him stay here, Mr. Wheeler. It's about him that I want to see you. Bob didn't take that money. Bob looked up in surprise. It was Jack Berton and Art Jolsort, Jack's campaign manager. What evidence have you? Jack told me so, himself. Are you sure of that, young lady? It's a serious charge, I never knew that you and Jack were friends. We we'ren't, but this morning I got very friendly with Jack in order to make him tell. Then I snubbed Bob in front of Jack in order to make it look as if I was really mad at him. When he opened the locker, we found a duplif cate key to the 'Eagle' room-and the rest was easy. But what made you suspect Jack? I saw him sneak the key into Bob's locker through the ventilation open- ing. Bob, I want to congratulate you. I couldn't believe that you were guilty even though everything pointed toward you. And, Jane, I don't know what to say to you, but I'll always be proud to say that you were one of my students. The next evening there was a long and loud applause as Jane entered the hall with the new Council president-Bob Atherton. u U u Page Eight