Newport News High School - Anchor Yearbook (Newport News, VA)

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28 THE BEACON years old (tho he looked seventy) and would with doubt have thirty years more in which to increase this wealth. With mock gallantry, he insisted that all other passengers and even the sailors should proceed him in mounting the rope ladder. His gray hair shading his gleam- ing, calculating eyes, his clothes clinging wetly to his body, he mounted joyously near the top, he turned for a last defiant look at the sea. That look was his destruction. He had counted his success too soon. His foot slipped and he fell headlong into the foaming deep never to reappear. (B) THE LURE OF SCIENCE HARRY GREEN February ’22. The last rays of the setting sun streamed through the window of the sequestered room. Casting its golden rays upon the walls, it seemed to set the room aglow with fire. Along the walls could be seen bottles and tubes. Tables were strewn with generators and distilling apparatus. In fact, there was in evidence all the paraphernalia necessary to equip a labratory for the scientific and experimental work of the great scientist and chemist, Dr. McBorough Jarl. Dr. Jarl had wonderful persever- ance of character, calm, cool and aus- tere. The perspiration stood out upon his forehead. The weather had been extremely warm and he had laboured continuously for thirty-six hours without leaving his laboratory. These hours of long, hard labor had produced in him periods of insanity. In the ecstacy of his madness he had come upon the solution of the prob- lem for which he had striven. “Now, I can do as I wish,” he mum- bled. Immediately he examined the dreadful solution and poured it into a little vial and put that in a curi- ously shaped Chinese trinket, having a secret opening. K nowing that the new discovery was dangerous he care- fully hid the formula, to prevent any- one ever learning the nature of the dreadful menace. Having concluded his work, he went into his library chuckling hoarsely to himself and muttering in an undertone. His spell had again taken him into its clutches and he audibly said, “At last, at last, I am the first one to find it. They will fear me, they will learn who I am. This continued until, at last, tired and gaint from overwork he fell into a deep slumber. When he awoke he went to his laboratory to see whether he had left anything incomplete, and it was then that he discovered, to his amazement, this his treasured vial was missing, vanished as if it had gone off into space. He was perplexed by this but feared to say anything, knowing that he would be given a long term in pris- on for creating and allowing this deadly menace to escape into society. The next week found the city of Chicago in the clutches of one of the most perplexing and unheard of dis- eases in the history of science and medicine. It astounded the greatest professors and doctors in the. city. Every method and means was tried to check the disease, but failed. Steadily and rapidly the death rate increased until the inhabitants began to die by the hundreds and thousands. This aroused the police and everyone tried to find the cause or nature of this malady. One day in the Chinese quarter of i, city, a lone detective, O’Riley by

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REMORSE HELEN BRULLE February ’22. Panic reigned aboard the “Eu- gania.” Half-dressed people were frantically struggling to gain the life- boats. Frightened children were cling- ing to their mothers’ hands; while the crew was vainly attempting to best the fire. A stooped, gray-haired man, fear stamped indelibly upon his wrinkled face, was pushed along by the force of the throng. He heeded neither the women’s groans nor the children’s screams. He was face to face with Death and all his past life stood plainly before him, for he was sure his day of reckoning had come. Oh! that he could meet his Fate with a simple, trusting heart! Alas! he knew too well he could not. A life spent in wrenching hard earned money from helpless widows and in piling up all other kinds of ill-gotten wealth pre- vented that. He had been a grasping, lawless, criminal, and now he would get his just deserts. Oh! he was sure of that. Had not his mother taught him that from his earliest infancy? If she had not died— But she had died, and willingly he had broken every rule she had laid for his guidance. God! how he regretted it all. His last chance gone, he could make no retribution. A hand upon his shoulder roused the old man from his trance. “You may get in this life-boat,” said the Captain, kindly, “All women and children have been provided for.” A ray of hope shot thru the man’s brain. Would he after all be saved? An instant later, crouched with many others in the little boat Z.i h « ' bravely breasted the sea, he snook )J-» orv head desparingly. The little boat was tossed terribly by the huge waves. Frequently, a great breaker entered the boat; and he had to bail con- stantly. His fear of death was very great; his trembling was not due to the cold. Several women, diverted for the moment from their own troubles watched him covertly. “ ‘Tis the millionaire Swinson,” whispered one. “Ay,” said another, “He may well tremble at the thought of his tainted millions. In times like these, a body is glad to be poor and honest.” Mr. Swinson heard this and de- voutly wished that he was poor and honest. “Oh, God!” he murmured again and again, “give me one more chance, I’ll pay it all back. I’ll never get another penny dishonestly.” But deep down in his heart, some- thing small but vital whispered, “You wouldn’t, you couldn’t, so beggar yourself. Every cent you have was gained by shady practices.” His reverie was broken by joyous cries from his fellow passengers. A cruiser was in sight! Steadily and surely the little boat approached safety. Suddenly all fear left the man. He would be saved! If there was a God (as his mother had told him) he had deceived that God seem- ing repentance. For now with safety in sight, he knew that he could never, never give up the money he had been forty years in amassing. It was too i i ' ch to expect. He was only fifty

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THE BEACON 29 name, chanced to pass by a curious and low shaped oriental shop. In the hopes of finding some clue, he enter- ed and appeared to gaze at the orna- ments and trinkets nonchalantly. Im- mediately the Chinaman inquired what he wanted. In order to assume an unsuspecting appearance he asked for an article. The clerk, hobbled to the rear of the store and brought forth a curious trinket. “Me sellum cheep, me no likee keepe him, sellem for $1.50.” He ex- amined the article and saw no imme- diate need for it, but the chinaman persisted, “Me buyee for $2.00, no neede him, buyee laste week.” At once O’Riley became interested and noticed that the Chinaman seemed anxious to sell it, just to get rid of it. He bought it and upon reaching his quarters he immediately placed the trinket under an X-ray. He was amused, or rather very much interest- ed, for inside lay a vial which contain- ed a small amount of liquid in which could be seen tiny organisms in mo- tion. Becoming perplexed he decided to take this to the police headquar- ters. Upon arriving there he explained his experience and the leading scien- tist was summoned, who was given the details of the exploits of O’Riley. Having difficulty in determining what the nature of the contents of the vial might be, he summoned several other leading scientists and chemists. They were also unable to come to any di- rect or imported conclusion. “We must call the attention of Dr. Mc-Borough Jarl to this. He surely will be able to explain these myste- rious germs,” said one scientist, and upon his advice they set out to inform Dr. McBorough Jarl of this vial, for which they could find no immediate or comprehensive solution. Dr. McBorough Jarl was working in his laboratory when they called and upon explaining the detective’s story and showing his trinket, he almost succumbed to his fears by crying out. How they had found his Chinese or- nament, for it had gotten away from him, and how it had spread contagion to the community killing so many people, were questions which he was unable to answer. They asked him to explain it and he did so, due to the fact that he had discovered it, but he refused further explanation until they had found the Chinaman and brought him to court. The newspapers all over Chicago, and in fact all over the country were overflowing with the account of this wonderful discovery. As the day for the court session opened, crowds waited to gain their entrance and hear what the world famous scientist, McBoroughjarl, had to say. Finally, the session began. There sat the Chink, in one corner, shrunken with fear and before the jury box sat Dr. Jarl, gazing stead- fastly and serenely into space. He knew his time had come and the truth would be known sooner or later, mak- ing him a disgraced and well, he would be tarred and feathered, — nay, even worse than that. As he pictured all this he shuddered. He was brought back to himself as the judge rapped for order. The Chinaman explained all that he knew, saying that a man had sold the trinket to him and as he needed money, persuaded the detective to buy it. Dr. McBorough Jarl testified next, suddenly as if an eruption had taken place, everybody in the court began shouting, “Dr. Jarl! Dr. Jarl! let’s hear what he has to say, he can prevent all this;” Then, when the peo- ple grew quiet and order was restor- ed, he began. “This disease is very deadly and practically incurable. In the body of the rat family, there is a certain sort of fluid, which creates germs, these germs are what I hold in my