North Quincy High School - Manet Yearbook (North Quincy, MA)

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13. - MANET Dave beamed all over, and settled his tie self- consciously. Then he stopped smiling and said, Say, whose cars are those out front? being a very out-spoken young man. I was putting bobby pins in in front of the hall mirror, and said over my shoulder, The blue one's Arthur Williams', and the green one 's Rick Neilson's, watching in the mirror all the time. I didn 't like the way he showed signs of going out and committing some mild crime, so I led him hastily into the living room. Elissa looked up, smiled when he came in and said, i'Oh hello, Dave. Then she and Meg got up and started for the door. You'll have to excuse us, Dave, said Mar- garet, but Arthur and Rick are taking us to the show, and it's getting late. Then she added, t'Why don 't you come along? I waited palpitatingly. Dave showed himself the good sport he was. Good idea, said he, t'Run get your coat, Jeanie, and we 'll all go. I overlooked the unceremonious way he in- vited me, and dashed upstairs to change my dress. I got 'down one he 'd never seen before, one with a strictly feminine atmosphere, with frothy ruffles around the shoulders. I took so long with my hat that- Dave was honking im- patiently for me, and the others were all set to go. We must have looked funny, all three cars streaming down the street with Rick and Elissa way in the lead, because although I hate to admit it, he had by far the best car of the three. It was a dandy show, and awfully long, be- cause it was about twelve when we got out. It had begun to drizzle, and we all stood under an awning for a minute while Rick proposed that we go down the Coffee Cup for some- thing to eat. Williams thought it was a good idea, but at the critical moment I sneezed. Mar- garet pounced on me. ttThere,?' she said, I knew you'd been com- ing down with a cold. You'd better get right home. It 's late anyhow. Elissa chiined in with something about Dad's liking me in early, and Dave settled it by say- ing that the others should go on to the 'tCoffee Vupl' and he 'd take me home. There was nothing I could do, so I just stepped on Elissa's new slipper as I went by. and apologized sweetly. Dave was as nice as he could be about it, though, and bought me a pound of penuche on the way home, most of which we de- inolished. VVhen we got home, I invited Dave in, of eourse he hesitated at first, but then said he 'd eonie in and wait for the others. So I sat him down in the front room and Mom talked to hiin while l went up and powdered my nose and smoothed iny ruffles. When I came down again Mom excused herself and explained that .linnny had got siek eating chocolates and needed looking after. Jimmy's only sixteen and he acts like an awful kid. We, Dave and I, had a dandy time waiting for Meg and Elissa, dancing to the radio and talking about this and that. We were just getting to the point where he was going to ask me to the Grange Club dance when he heard a car drive up. Sounds like Neilsonls car, said Dave, get- ting up with a look in his eye that made the Grange Club dance fade into impossibility. Yeah, said I, sounds that way. They'd beaten Williams home, of course. Conversation lagged. We waited and waited. We heard voices outside, and we could hear Elissa talking rather loudly. Then there was a long silence, followed somewhat later by the queerest noises. Dave was already seated on the very edge of the chair and I' confess it was getting me pretty jumpy, too. Then I heard a decidedly queer noise, and jumping up I ran to the window and stuck my head way out in the rain. You can imagine my horror when I saw Elissa up on the piazza roof just where her bedroom window opens out, holding something. There was a ladder up against the wall, and Rick Nielson was holding the car door open. I drew in my soaking wet head and running up to Dave I said fiercely, Elissa's eloping with Rick Nielson! My God! said Dave, making a dash for the front door, and I knew then I might just as well have not wasted my time. I followed him, blubbering like an idiot: 'tIt's all my fault! I introduced her-to Rick-and I knew he wasn't any good-but I didn 't think- and I went on in that silly fashion, because I really was scared. HYeah, growled Dave, running down the front steps, Hyou didn it think-! Vlfe ran around the corner of the house, and I could feel the soggy grass squishing under- neath my good shoes. Elissa was half-way down the ladder. Suddenly I realized that I didn 't know what to do now that I was out there. But Dave did. He walked right up to the ladder and said, with what he probably thought was a remarkable show of self-control, May I help you down, Elissa? Elissa turned around on the ladder and said, 'tMy goodness, Dave, youill get terribly wet. And Jeanie! Go get your coat. Here, Dave, hold Desdemona, will you, while I get down? The poor thing was meowing dreadfully-I' Dave broke in on her with some sort of a yell. I just stood there in the pelting rain feel- ing ridiculously supertluous. You know, it was a pretty decent thing for Elissa to climb up on that slippery roof just for Desdemona. Dave pounced on Rick. He stuck his head in the ear and yelled in Rick 's face, holding the cat 77

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MAN ET 17 itor, I 1nean. She's just between Meg's age and mine, but she'd never 'own being any younger than Meg. Her first name is really Ruth, but she calls herself Elissa, her second name. She 's a gorgeous blonde, if I must say so. Great big swimming blue eyes and well, everything, but she makes me sick. From the time she comes in, to the time she goes out it's Jeanie, run get this, will you? and Jeanie, bring me in that, like a good girl. Have a chocolate? The ones with nuts on top are good. Let's see, where was I? Oh, yes. Well, she came to visit just three days after David Harrison entered the scene of con- flict. Dad came home the second night Elissa was here and brought Mr. Harrison with him. I took a good look at him from the top of the stairs before I came down and decided he wasn't much older than Meg, just a kid in fact. So I went back a11d put on my new lacy collar and came down again. I walked nonchalantly into the front room if I didn 't know there was anybody there, and stopped politely at the door. Dad came over and put his arm around me and said, 4'Hello, Jeanieli' and pulled my ear as if I were a three-year old. I sort of drew away from him, said, Hello, Dad, and wondered palpitatingly how he was going to introduce me. My worst fears were realized. He said, Oh David, this is my younger daughter. Getting to be quite a young lady, isn't she? Jeanie, this is Mr. Harrison. I was on the point of giving Dad a viscious dig in the ribs but I didn 't, so I made myself mad- der still by blushing and not being able to find anything to say except, How do you do? Then supper was announced, and we herded into the dining-room. Jimmie was late of course. He stamped in, slamming the front door behind him, walked right in and sat down and was already eating before Dad could get him introduced. After supper Dad and Mr. Harrison went into Dad 's study, and Meg said she had to go down to the library. That left Elissa and me to entertain each other. Believe me I didn it enjoy tl1e project, and when the doorbell rang I ran to the door thinking it was Ted or someone. But I got rather a shock to discover it was Rick Nielson. I hadn't seen that rat, if I may say so, for months, and didn't like his looks any better this time than before. So I didn't even open the door wide at first but just said Margaret wasn't home. Then I got the dumb idea that started everything. Have some more chocolates? Help your- self. As I said, I got my bright idea. I looked in the front room and saw Elissa sitting tuck- ing in her curls and looking inquiringly towards the door. 'tBut she 'll be right back, said I, smiling suddenly and affably. t'Won't you come in and wait? You know, Rick looks, and dresses like a gentleman, and it 's not his family's fault he 's got a shady character around here. So when I led him into the front room Elissa leaned back, tossed one arm over the back of her chair and smiled winningly. Ten minutes after the introduction Rick had forgotten all about Margaret. I went out quietly and nobody noticed me go. I discov- ered Mom and Dad in the hall looking in the other front room door, and I heard Mom! whis- pering, HI know, dear, but he 'S probably Elissa's friend, iand we canlt say anything against him. You can imagine how relieved I was, because I'd had fears of Dad's throw- ing Rick out. When Meg came home later she must have accepted Rick as Elissa's friend, too, ,cause she just put up her eyebrows and didn 't say anything. Things were going along swimmingly for about two weeks and a half. VVhen I think how swimmingly it nearly makes me weep. Dad brought Mr. Harrison home two and three times a week, and sometimes I'd meet him down the library and he ,cl walk home with me. I knew I didn 't have anything to fear from Meg's quarter because anyone can see by the way that Williams boy hangs around here that Meg is right now out of the running. But it was Elissa 's blonde wig that bothered me most. Of course my hair is naturally curly and hers isnit but I guess blonde hair with a permanent is better than reddish-brown with real curls. Let's see, where was I? Have some more chocolates. Oh yes, I was trying to tell you how well things were going. Well, Elissa was bothering me less and less. She 'd been seeing more and more of Rick, and whenever Dave comes over, that is Mr. Harrison, she was gen- erally either out or going out. Since the Wil- liams boy always claimed Meg, there wasn't much left for Dave to do but tuck little Jeanie under his arm and take her out. I bought my- self a stunning green dress that Mom said was far too sophisticated, but if I do say so myself, it looks good on me and makes me look as old as Elissa tries to look. I knew I had to work fast because if Elissa went away with things looking as they might have-if you follow me- Dave would follow her back home, 'cause she doesn't live so very far away, and desert us entirely. Then came the climax of tl1e whole affair. It was Tuesday night, and Elissa was leaving Fri- day. At eight o'clock' Dave came over looking all spruced up in a pair of new grey trousers and Haunting a new tie. Hello, Jeanie, says he, with a smile that Clark Gable could take lessons from. Hello, Dave, says I, giving my interpre- tation of a Pepsodent ad. It was then that I caught sight of the new trousers and the tie. I started to say, Gee, you look swell, but changed it into something nicer because I don 't treat Dave as I do Ted or the rest of the crowd.

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MANET 19 in one hand, Did you let Miss James climb up there--on that ladder, at this time of night- for that cat? Rick blustered something about he told her not to bother with it, and he wasn't breaking his neck for any darn cat. Elissa broke in at this point with some pleasant little remark as to the effect that the world at large would benefit by his breaking his neck. They had a verbal battle royal until Dave picked up the cat around the middle and taking Elissa by the arm led her into the house. I favored Rick with n1y most specially dirty look, and plodded in after them. I went up in my room and cried myself into a still soggier bundle. Wlien Elissa came upstairs later with Meg, I heard her say that Dave was taking her to the Grange Club dance. ' VVell, have some more chocolates, and tell me some news while I'm getting dressed. I'm going to the Grange Club dance tonight with Ted and the crowd. BEFORE AND AFTER By Anne Donovan, 12-3 The last bell rang, the class quieted down and Joe bounced joyfully to his seat. He was the ordinary boy at North, neatly dressed, with a happy-go-lucky expression on his visage and an overdeveloped sense of humor. School commenced, and likewise confusion, for Joe hunted frantically through his desk for a pencil and after chewing his nails thought- fully, he leaned across the way to inform his erstwhile neighbor that there were Hchiselers in the room, who pinched things. Gathering his dilapidated manuals of scholas- tic training in his lanky arms, this specimen of manhood sauntered off to his English class. There he lackadaisically reviewed the scant knowledge of modern essays which miracu- lously stuck by him after one whole week-end of neglect. Mr. Knowall, a gentleman of the old school and a friend of satire, looked sar- donically around at his victims. Sure enough he Pounced upon the unfortunate garcon and proceeded to put him through the third degree. By this time Joe slowly, very slowly began to wilt about the freshly starched collar. He looked distractedly at the stolid, self- satisfied back of Jimmy and prayed for mental telegraphy. But all in vain. A grim, ironic chuckle slipped from the professor, closely fol- lowed by a sarcastic comment and Joe was aware that the class was snickering. Fifty-five minutes of this torture was endured, then once more the poor, freckle-faced, disillusioned lad tried to pass jovially through the crowded cor- ridors to U. S. history. After the first few minutes Joe decided hon- esty is the best policy, so down banged the pencil and a very much over-practiced gesture of resignation accompanied this action. By some uncanny trick of fate the nicely combed locks of this misunderstood offspring were fast becoming one touseled mass of knots which stood up rigidly all over the head, reminding one of a haystack in the month of August. Joe decided to work the old gag of looking ambitious in French class, but no sooner was he seated than a verbal attack of shrill French bombarded his sensitive, shell-like ears. Joe looked reproachfully at the temperamental Mademoiselle, but in vain. His name was added to the inevitable list to report at two- thirty because he owed time. The next period was one of drowsy reflection and delicious daydreaming. The first fifteen minutes of the study period were spent in ab- sorbing contest of the Htic tac toe between the hero left and right hand. But this proved far too strenuous and was abandoned for the more relaxing pastime of counting the freckles on his nose surface. Realizing the disastrous effect upon the eyes, Joe gave himself up to inhaling the tantalizing smell off cooking, waft- ing up thorugh the ventilator from the cafe- teria. Joe returned to his fifth period pleased with the world and with just the right degree of nausea, due to the diet of two eskimo pies, and hard-boiled egg sandwiches all nicely washed down with chocolate milk. True, there was a black smudge of terra firma across the noble forehead and perhaps his pants were a little abused looking from too many snowballs, but at any rate the imruly mop of hair was care- fully plastered down with old reliable HQO. Heavens! He just remembered that George had borrowed his sneakers and the fifth period was Gym. Joe raced madly up to the third floor and desperately pleaded for a pair of ijiber footwear any size from nine on. Slam! Bang! Slam went all the locker doors as Joe very indignantly searched his pals' lockers. But finally Bill came up with a pair of, let us say sneakers of the past. It took just two minutes for the lad to disrobe and appear for roll call all rigged out in gorgeous borrowed orange and white striped running ll-r1I1kS, a dingy top which might safely be. des- cribed as mauve or egg shell, and the dilapi- dated footwear which had seen better days. The perspiration literally rolled down Joe's face as he faithfully mixed up the eskimo pies by doing a few fancy turns on the parallel bars. Could it be that he was getting soft? No! Never! At the fini two pals helped rush him into the locker room where they proceeded to untangle the walls and floors from the ceil- mg for their ailing brother, But peace was not yet in sight, for was there not Latin last period? Dangerously Joe tried to devour Vergil while climbing the endless