Noblesville High School - Shadow Yearbook (Noblesville, IN)

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prepared. You do not prepare them well, and they are just as beautiful as this, when the work is well done. The figure told her to do it over, ahd left her to work alone. It was hard work and she could scarcely see, but she knew it must be done. When she had finished, the figure came back and beckoned for her to fol- low again. This time it led her past terrible monsters, with fiery eyes, and claws which they stretched toward her. She was informed by her shadowy guide, that these were lies she had told. Alice shrank from them in horror and begged to be taken back home, She promised the ghost that she would never again tell a lie, no matter if it were just for fun. Neither would she break into another's conversation. She knew that she would always prepare her lessons well, if they would be just as beautiful as embroidery, when well prepared. . She heard a noise behind her, and with a start she awoke. She found her folks had returned and that she had been dreaming. But she learned a lesson which she never forgot. JOSEPHINE IRWIN, '12. I -Yv i How Ralph'Won Clara fl?-v i ERALPH and Clara had been engaged for several months, unknown to any one. After their engagement, Clara decided that she would like to marry a nobleman. She thought that after reaching this station, she ,could wear fine clothes and take many trips to foreign countries. She had a friend who had married a nobleman and was now traveling in Europe. Clara received a letter from this friend which said, Knowing your desire to marry a count, I have induced one to come to America. He has your address and will probably call on you soon. Here is his picture. The photograph was that of an almost bald-headed gentleman, with a short pointed goatee, a cork-screw mustache, and side-burns. Clara took the picture to herrfather, who could hardly keep from laughing at the strange unattractive face which gazed upon him from the piece of cardboard. He tried to convince Clara that a true American citizen would make a much better husband than a foreigner, but Clara was not to be convinced. She sent a note to Ralph, telling him not to announce their engagement as she had decided to marry a nobleman. As soon as Ralph had read the note, he took his hat and started for the home of his betrothed. Clara's father met him at the door. They went into the parlor and Ralph showed him the note, and asked for her fatheris help in winning Clara. The father promised that if he could induce his daughter to change her mind, he would do so. As a first step

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i me All Alone in the House i l NE dark winter evening, Alice sat down before the big fire-place, to think. The day had been an unusually dreary one. It had drizzled rain unceasingly, and everything looked so gloomy out of doors that one did not care to look out. There was no sign of inhabitants about the old brick house, in which we find Alice. Everything was still, and the whole building seemed to be wrapped in mystery. It is true, one could hear many mysterious noises about the big house, when everything was quiet. On'this particular evening, Alice had been left alone in the great house. She took up her French grammar and listlessly turned a few pages. Closing the book with a deep drawn sigh, she threw herself into an easy chair, In her own mind, she had received very unkind treatment. The very idea of being left alone in that big house. Why! she might see a ghost or something of that kind. ' As she sat gazing into the fire, she became conscious of the presence of some one else in the room. Looking up, she saw, standing beside her, a white robed figure. The figure moved toward the cellar door beckoning for her to follow. It never occurred to Alice that this might be one of those fearful ghosts, which no one had ever seen. The figure led her in- to the cellar, and thru a door which she did not know was there at all. They passed into a dark narrow passage, and then into a dimly lighted place, which seemed to be some kind of a room. Shadowy figures glided noiselessly past them. Scattered about on the 'floor, lay piles of em- broidery and a great pile of white thread. Upon inspecting the thread more closely, she found that it was all broken up into small bits. She could not imagine why it had been broken, so she asked her guide to explain. A These represent conversations into which you have broken, said the sepulchral voice. of her guide. 6'Before you leave this place, you must tie all' of these pieces togetherf' Her face paled at the thot, but she fell to work, and worked until it seemed as if she' could not tie another thread. She begged her guide to let her stop and go back to her home. But there were other things she had to do before she could go. Taking her to the embroidery, the guide told her to look closely at it. The patterns were beautiful, but the work had been carelessly done. Alice knew that she did not do that, for she took great pride in doing fancy' work, and was careful to take every stitchfjust in the right place. Oh, myll' she cried, 'iwho could have been so careless, and have spoiled such beautiful embroidery?'l , A HThese, said the guide, 'grepresent the lessons you have only half - X

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toward success, he called Clara, and told her that a gentleman wished to see her in the parlor. Clara, thinking it was the nobleman, came down to meet him. When she reached the parlor door, and saw who her visitor was, she started back to her room, but Ralph held her back andtold her to think carefully before she said the final word. She said she had thought long enough and had decided to break tl1e engagement. With tl1is, she left the room. Her father came into the parlor, and knew by the expression on Ralphis face that he had not succeeded. g'Cheer up, my boy,', he said, it may be that she will change her mind. They were quiet for a few moments, when the father said, I have it. We will get his picture. Ralph looked up inquiringly, and the father continued: She has his picture in her room. I will get itfand we twill go to the costumer, and have you fixed up like the picture. l This Was no sooner said than done, and they soon arrived at the shop. In less than ten minutes, Ralph was an exaott likeness of the photograph. They returned home and were met at the dotor by the servant. The father went into the parlor, and left Ralph in the library. I-Ie gave the servant a card on which was written, Count de Ballesf' Clara soon entered. They conversed on different subjects for awhile, but Ralph, who could keep his secret no longer, offered his hand. She replied that she wanted him to meet her father, so she called him, and he soon came into the library. Ralph was afraid to look at him for fear he would laugh out- right, so he simply nodded and turned his head. After awhile, Ralph asked Mr. Douglas for his daughterls hand. The father consented, but, for reasons of his own, insisted on an immediate marriage. - A few days late1', at the home of the bride, they were married. After the ceremony had been performed, Mr. Douglas said, My friend, I wish to prove something before you leave, and going to the groom, he quietly pulled off his goatee, side-burns, mustache, and false hair, at the same time saying, '6Clara, you have not married a count, but a true American citizenf' Everyone was surprised, but no one was more so than Clara. She went willingly to the arms of her husband and said that after she had promised to marry one whom she thought was a count, her thoughtsiiiew back to Ralph. But lo! the servant entered with a card: Count de Ballesfl Show him up, said Mr. Douglas. In walked a short, shriveled old gentleman. He fell on his knees before Clara, but Clara clung to Ralph. Mr. Doug- las told the servant to get him out of the way. I do not know where he was taken, but it is enough that he was never again seen in America. . RUBY RYNEARSON, '14,