Milford High School - Oak Lily and Ivy Yearbook (Milford, MA)

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THE OAK, LILY AND IVY. 27 TREASURE MAD. His lordship, the Earl of Ashton, strode back and forth impatiently in his magnificent and well kept study. Tonight, together with his step-brother, he was to seek his ancestor’s treasure. Confound John, he thought. Why should he, the Earl of Ashton, share the treasure with one that had no real claim to it? He tried to thrust aside the thought that it had been John who had accidentally come upon the documents that had given the clue. An evil thought entered the head of his lordship. Why not? No one would be the wiser. He started guiltily at the sound of a laughing voice. “A penny for your thoughts, old fellow! No, no,” John said still laugh¬ ing, “you don’t have to tell me, I bet you were thinking of the treasure. You could have knocked me down with a feather when I discovered that gold was buried in our cellar, I mean, your cellar,” he hastily corrected. “Oh yes, I own up that I was thinking about it,” said the Earl slowly, sur¬ veying his brother at the same time. Strange, he thought, that he should hate such a cleancut and frank young man. but he knew the reason deep down in his heart. Wasn’t it John who al¬ ways attracted the ladies? Wasn’t it John who was the better horseman? John would look handsome even in a coffin, he thought ironically. “Say, if those documents we found are true,” John was saying, “that an¬ cestor of ours must of been a rummy old fellow. Just think of any one sacking Spanish treasure ships under the very eyes of their protectors!” “Yes, he must have been a remarkable fellow,” put in the other less en¬ thusiastically. “I think we have done enough talking, John. It is time that we go seek it.” “I’m all ready, I have my flashlight. I guess that’s all we’ll need.” “I believe we will need a crow-bar for the night’s work.” “You’re right. Lordy, old boy, it’s just like you not to over-look minor details.” John reappeared a few minutes later with a short crow-bar. “I’m sorry but that’s the best I could find. Since you sent the servants to town, I can’t find a blessed thing in this place.” “I’ll take the crow-bar, John. It will serve the purpose.” “All right, Lordy. I’ll lead the way into the haunted cellar. Make sure you don’t disturb ghosts and goblins,” he said jestingly. Curse the fellow, thought the other, always making light of everything. Why should John share in the treasure? Money meant nothing to him. He would no doubt give his share to some grasping orphan’s home. The evil thought had taken root and would not be shaken. Yes, he would go on with it. All this time they had been slowly traversing the winding and musty cor- riders in the cellar of Ashton Castle. For once John Ashton was awed. “Just think, Lordy, how many were butchered in these walls.” His lordship did not deign a reply. He was too busy with his own thoughts. John came to a stop at the head of a flight of stairs. “According to the documents, the treasure lies buried at the foot of these steps. Give me the crow-bar, Lordy.” “You shall have it, you fool, you shall have it!” came the choked words of the other. Too late the other turned—A crash. A falling body—a clanking sound—a rolling beam of light. Silence.

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26 THE OAK, LILY AND IVY. plane. The plane was pursued. The pursuers saw X pull a lever, and then— the plane absolutely disappeared. It was true! There was a fourth dimension! But who had the secret of it? An insane fool who believed that money was the root of all evil. The whole world was terrified. Everywhere people were withdrawing their money from the banks. Thousands of banks were failing. The police admitted defeat. X had made three more successful raids. Twice he had been seen and chased, but had escaped through the fourth dimension. Every member of the force was on duty night and day. Even Inspector Merriwell, who might very well have directed the campaign from his desk at headquarters, was gone for days at a time in his speedy pursuit plane. Fred Burton was thinking of all this as he sped along through the night on his way from Chicago to Washington. Suddenly he looked around. There was no one in sight, but he could have sworn he heard the sound of propellors. Then, far below him, he saw a vague shape, suspended by its helicoptors, slowly set¬ tling to earth. His heart gave a leap. Now was his chance. X must be trying to steal some of Major Strong’s plans. And how easy it would be. The Major, an eccentric inventor, rarely left his work-room and cared little for what was happening in the world. Quickly Fred glided earthward. As he came nearer he could see that X had not used his fourth-dimension tube, but had evidently entered the house through an unlocked window. “If I could only get into the plane,” he thought, “I would have X trapped.” Landing, he sent a code message to headquarters. Then, taking a heavy wrench from his tool kit, he climbed the long rope ladder to the cabin of the mysterious plane. As he had feared, the entrance was locked, but he climbed to one of the windows and, with all his strength, struck it with the wrench. As he was about to enter, his foot slipped. He grasped the nearest support, the lever of the fourth dimension. It yielded to his pull. As he fell, he saw the plane disappear, and his last thoughts before he struck were that he had sent the mystery plane, unpiloted, where no one could ever reach it again. When Burton became conscious, he saw another plane landing. Out of it sprang three patrolmen. They told him that the Inspector had been out on one of his long scouting trips when the message arrived, but they had all started to come without orders. Fred reported what had happened, and they all started for the house. Once inside, they followed the sound of voices to an upstairs room. There, with his back toward them, sat X. They recognized him by his queer leather jacket. Across the table was Major Strong, while between them lay the stolen gold and securities. “But you promised me twice that amount for the use of the plane!” the Major was complaining. “I’ll pay you after a few more raids,” came X’s reply. “Hands up!” shouted Fred. The Major sank weakly into his chair. X sprang to his feet and whirled to confront the speaker. There was a deathlike silence. The suddenness of his movement had swept the mask from his face. X, the unknown, was not Hilton, the insane inventor, but—Inspector Merriwell! Robert Billings, ’ 28 .

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28 THE OAK, LILY AND IVY. Dazed, his lordship, tried to pierce the inky blackness. The foul deed was done. The treasure was his, all his! Midway down the long treacherous steps he perceived the band of light. Strange, he thought, that the bulb had not been shattered to fragments. Slowly and carefully he descended the stairs. Just one more step and the light would be his and then for the—Suddenly and without warning he stumbled over the unseen crow-bar, and was pitched into space. A blood-curdling scream rent the air—a sickening thud—silence. Samuel Ianzito, ’ 28 . FEAR. The wind whistled through the struts of the plane with a high shrill scream. The ship plunged and staggered on its way, but kept its nose into the wind. The pilot peered into the darkness of the storm with his haggard tired eyes. “Jove” he whispered, “if I go into a tailspin. Oh, those tailspins!” He shook his head as if trying to clear his mind of the horrible thought. A strong blast at this moment almost ripped the plane apart. The roar of the wind drowned the sound of the motor. He struggled with the control stick, glanced at his instruments, and shook his head. “I can never make it,” he murmured. “I can never make it.” As he battled with the wind and rain, he pictured his dear old mother safe and warm by the fire. Dear mother, she didn’t want him to take up aviation, but it was in his blood. He could picture her as she was when he had broken the news of his first flight, tearful, but yet with a proud light shining in her eyes. He saw also the family doctor, their most faithful friend, who had warned him that same fateful day. He could remember vividly his words, “My boy, some day your heart will get you yet. High altitudes are not for you.” But overpowering these thoughts was his great inherent fear. “If I go into a tailspin,” he murmured, “if I go into a tailspin!” He resolutely chased the subject from his mind, and bent his will to the task of bringing the plane safely down. The violence of the wind increased. I he rain drove like hailstones against the plane and froze on the wings. It was a terrible night for flying, enough to make the strongest bend under the load. The boy, however, flew resolutely onward. “For Billy,” he said. “I’ll do it for Billy.” He thought of the blue-eyed, dusky haired maiden for whom he had risked his life. He saw her stretching out her arm toward him, welcoming him, when he arrived at her house. Tomorrow was her twenty-first birthday, and she dearly loved diamonds. I here was no jewelry stores in Dover that had jewels fit for his girl. Say, but wouldn’t it be worth the struggle to watch her eyes shine, and to see her lovely dimples when she saw that diamond? He clasped his hand over the bulge in his coat, and grinned from sheer delight. But then the terrible thought again crept into his mind. A tailspin,” he muttered. “If I ever go into a tailspin.” He clenched his teeth and bowed his head as the wind howled over the cock¬ pit. He forgot his mother, he forgot the doctor, and even forgot Billy as he trembled violently from fear, and prayed with all his strength.