Newman Township High School - Talisman Yearbook (Newman, IL)

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I2 TI-IE. TALISMAN himself, all his friends, and his alma mater, to go with the girls some, at least. At last gaining a reluctant consent Billy ran away to put his plan into operation, before Jess backed out. Bill was not very heavy with the girls, so he went to an upper classman and stated the situation clearly. The upper classlnan was for a moment inclined to refuse, but suddenly his brow cleared and he assured Billy that he would be delighted to assist, that he knew a girl who was crazy over Jess, that .less would like her, etc. It was arranged that the upper classman have the girl on the southeast corner of the campus at 8 o'clock Friday night. Joyously, Billy returned to tell Jess of his success. As he opened the door before he could speak, Jess spoke. I won't do itf' Billy explained that it was too late to refuseg that he had the date. Jess became white as a sheet and flatly refused to be a fool, as he put it. Bill argued, begged, threatened, prayed, tried to bribe, and at last Jess was won over. Billy then went to bed wondering how long before Jess would break out again. Three days 'til Friday. Jess lost his appetite, refused to study anything but arche- ology' and oratory. Billy had told him, in answer to a question of what to say, to launch forth in a discussion of some interesting topic with a grandiloquence that would put Arthur Parr so far in the shade that he would henceforth and forever use slang. Accordingly Jess studied until upon Friday morning he could recite archeology better than Miss Rutger could English History and with more eloquence than Prof. Trinkle could command when speaking about Indiana. ' Att 5 o'clock Friday afternoon Billy and Jess began to get ready. Supper was forgotten in their interest of the big event. Jess lost his confidence in remembering his speech so he wrote out notes and pasted them on his watch face. Then he happened to think that maybe she would want to know the time and so a new set of notes had to be made. This and a number of other things delayed them so that it was 7:-15 before Jess was ready. Then for the last and seventh time Jess sat down and refused to go. Here Billy almost lost his temper. But, submitting to the stronger will, Jess allowed Billy to lead him forth. Billy was to go as far as he dared, then hide in the shrubbery and await results. As they advanced upon the campus they discerned two shadowy figures on the opposite side and with a last word of advice Billy faded away into the bushes. Jess watched a moment to see if Billy wouldn't return and then drawing a full breath started onward. His mouth was dry and his body wet with perspiration, Wliat was the matter with him? He had never felt that way on a football field. He did not have breath enough to run or voice enough to clear his throat, let alone call for Billy, so he continued toward the pair in the shadows, each step slower, shorter and less firm than the preceeding one. l1Vould he never reach them? Forty feet-thirty feet-twenty feet-ten-- 'fHello, Jess, are you drunk?i' 'Been to a firemen's ball, Jess, or going to jail? Thus he was hailed by the two figures in the shadows. The voice belonged to two classmates and Jess had mistaken the raincoat of one for a dress. He staggeredand leaned weakly against a tree gasp- ing and staring at his friends. Suddenly his body stiffened with a jerk. He whirled and ran harder than he had ever run for a touchdown. Hearing a sound behind them' his friends turned. They saw a man and, apparently, a woman, but the woman removed her hat, veil, and hair, revealing the features of the meanest, most heartless senior in the school and his beautiful bass voice rasped as he, looking after the flying figuygv Said, H, ,. Queer, isn't it? -Walter W. McCown, '14,

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TI-IE TALISIVIAN ll very fair, just the type of a girl Jack had always admired. She was quite congenial and an awful talker. It would be quite safe to say that Jack never had to worry once about what they would talk about next. As the boys said, she never runs down. The evening proved quite an enjoyable one for him, as he committed none of those serious blunders he had so feared, he, more than any one else, enjoyed E'red's misfortune in getting the bottomless chair, he responded to his toast with unusual wit and humor, he also received many compliments on his dancing. A few days after, Fred began to notice .lack had taken to walking by himself a great dealg and several times had caught him day-dreaming and at last one night he found him gone. I-Ie felt sure he knew what the trouble was, but feared to say any- thing to him for fear of breaking the charm. Finally the other fellows began to notice this unusual state of affairs, but they, too, feared to mention it. One night Jack invited the fellows all in, a still more unheard of thing. They all felt something was surely going to happen, yet they dared not say a word. After the eats had all disappeared, Jack suggested each one give some advice, as a parting word. - XVhen Jack's turn came, they all sat in silent' expectation. But he, as usual, started by telling them how much more they should be getting out of school and how they could do this. They were all very much disappointed. They feared he was going to turn back into his old path, but suddenly he launched forth on Miss Evans and her wondrous traits, and startled them by announcing his marriage to her two days previous. He extended his most sincere thanks to them for making this possible and invited them all to see him when they should get settled in their new apartments. He concluded, Yes, books are fine, fellowsg but life isn't all in books. VVell, you certainly are an apt pupil, here you've won the girl in six weeks weve all been courting these four years, slowly remarked Fred. -Anna Coolley, 'l5. UL QUEER, ISN'T IT? If Billy wasn't as awkward as Jess it was because he didn't have 'so much to be awkward with, especially feet. Bill was short, fat and awkward: oh, so awkward. Now some people are fat and graceful, but when a fat person is awkward there is only one type of humanity that can be more awkward and of that type was Jess. Tall, large of frame and with feet larger and more ungainly than Ross Winkler. Roommates at college Billy and Jess were as unseparable as Mutt and Jeff. What Jess liked Billy seemed to have a fondness for. Jess, with his hundred and eighty pounds of bone and brawn, made a guard on the varsity. lt was difficult for Jess to move without throwing a teammate off side, but no opposing team ever gained ground through him. For his prowess and much to his embarassrnent, he was very much adored by all the girls. One evening at their room, Billy and Jess were discussing things in generalg that is, Billy was discussing and Jess listening, when Billy broached the subject of girls: and as Billy could talk more and say less than anybody else Comitting Hughes B. Smithj, it was fully five minutes before Jess could tell him that he didn't care for girls, didu't know any girls at school, and didn't want to know any. Peculiar, wasn't it? At the finality in Jess' remark, Billy opened his eyes and silently resolved to make Jess go with the girls a little at least. When Billy started to do a ithing it was hard to make him quit. When Jess said no it was hard to make him change it to yes. So here we have al chance for a struggle. Aside from this Billy liked girls and didn't know any so he thought that maybe if Jess started there would be a chance for him, at least to meet a few. After two hours' hard talking Billy convinced Jess that he owed it to the girls,

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THE TALISIVIAN I3 WHY THIRTY WAS LATE. The C. I. 8: X. tracks paralleled those of the R. H. QQ D. thru nearly a hundred miles of picturesque mountain scenery. The reason for this was entirely physicalg the engineer of each road, finding the route chosen to be the best available without great expense for cuts, fills, etc. Besides passing thru a very lucrative grazing and mining country, making con- siderable freight business, the roads were the favorites with the crowds of tourists passing thru the country each year, and hence each road bid heavily for its share of the traffic. A To bear out the glowing statements of the traffic departments in their advertise- ments, the transportation departments of both roads provided unusually modern and luxurious passenger equipment. The boast of the C. I. QQ X. was the Meteor, which surely bore out its name when handled by the unerring engineers, Davis and Hawley. The crack train of the mountain division of the R. ll. Q D. was the Sierra Limited, known to the railroaders as the 30. Now it happened that each road was very desirous of getting the mail contract from the government. Since all things were so nearly equal on the two roads, Uncle Sam decided to give the contract to the road that had the best passenger record for one month. The month was up on the day of which we are writing. The records of the roads were nearly equal but very slightly in favor of the R. H. 85 D. Much that day depended on the behavior of the two trains, the Meteor and the Sierra Limited. As Engineer Hawley slowly brought engine 736 up to the head of the waiting Meteor she looked like some mighty steed anxious to be up and off down the two hundred and ten miles that was her day's run. Presently the conductor strolled up with the orders, went back to his train and waved his hand. The bell began to ring, the seven-foot drivers began to roll and the Meteor was on its way. The first stop, thirty miles distant, was made on time. So was the second and the third. The last stop before the division end was reached they were five minutes late, but Engineer Hawley know how to get all the speed possible out of the big Pacific and they made the last forty miles of the division in record time. They rolled into the terminal ex- actly on the minute. The superintendent, trainmaster and the general manager of the road were all on the station platform with watches in their hands. They complimented the train crew and again for the liundredth time hoped that the Sierra Limited would be late. If she was on time the contract would go to the R. H. Q D. The 30 was due to leave the eastern terminal just one hour after the Meteor, but on this occasion the train pulled in from the prairie division fifteen minutes lateg no time was lost in changing engines and in less than five minutes the 30 was ready to go wth engine 3003 at its head and Engineer Dawes, the best on the road, at the throttle. Engineer and fireman coaxed and petted in every known way the 3003, so that the train would go thru on time. In places where the track was good Dawes opened the throttle wide and hooped up the lever until by the time the third stop was reached, one hundred ten miles down the line, they were 1'eported exactly on time. Division and general officers at the terminal took heart. There was only one bad grade on the whole mountain division but the 3003 took it cheerfully and at good speed. However, by the time they were nearly to the top of the hill they were not going more than twenty miles per hour. Just at this time the engineer noticed a man suspended in midair not far from the right-of-way. Dawes did some quick thinking. The man might be a criminal and deserve death, precious minutes would be lost and the mail contract go to the other road. But he argued that a mants life is worth more than any old mail contract on earth. Decidedly he