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

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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

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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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20 p MANET g stairs to the second fioor. But, alas, when called on in class, he sputtered and blushed and was very softly told to seat himself and in the vernacular of the day consider himself t'squelched. The left foot slowly rubbed the right leg and a murderous glint came into the childlike eyes. VVhen Joe reached home at four oiclock des- pite the weakening pangs of hunger, he made a fierce attack on the refrigerator and began to absorb nourishment as fast- as it was humanly possible to do so without producing a conges- tion of the aesophagus. To his mother he pre- sented this appearance: His hair was a stringy mass of brown fringe which stood at permanent attention all over his head. and this gave the usually bland face a fierce and warlike appearance. The collar of his shirt was open and had flatly refused to stand up any longer-thus it languidly sagged around the neck. Joe's pants looked like a product of the seventh grade sewing class with just enough folds at the wrong places. He was the ordinary boy at North after a day of work -tired, famished, and rebellious. but always victorious I UNCERTAIN VENTURE By Wlyllian Krause, 12-1 This is a story, which. though rather deficient in plot value. is smoothly. expressively and understand- ingly w1'itten. The story shows thought and purpose, and. in addition. makes interesting reading. Hi, Hollie! called the Brute. Claud Hol- lidge was glad the fellows had stopped calling him 'tFreshman. HBrute Clonder was the grid captain, the one who was responsible for the accounts of how 'tLandon High over- whelmed Milder Prep, smothered C. H. S., and had a walkaway in the tilt with Every High School. Claud had known him only five months, having for the past three years asso- ciated only with the intellectuals He re- garded his education with the utmost serious- ness. and was generally the ideal student. Now, entering his last year at Landon, he saw his position in a different. light. As a senior he observed certain obligations which were not evident before. He was a stranger to the social and athletic life of Landon from preference, but decided to line up with his fellow classmen in the interests of the Alma Mater. In short, he would create an illusion. Thus the end of the season brought him an HL and the inevitable Qold replica. In addi- tion to the points which he had scored he had won the recognition of the fellows. Here was their spokesman coming to the point in his usual abrupt manner: 'tYou played a grand game this season. and we 'd like to know why you hibernated for three years! Don 't tell us you weren't interested in athletics, because a born athlete just doesn't say that and mean it. VVhat were you really doing all that time?7' As a matter of fact, Brute, my studies-H f'Sure. Hollie. Vile all know youive been shut up like a clam with those tomes, and that you 'll probably save us all from the valedictory, but the school would appreciate you as its social leader, too. First, we want you to handle the sports in a paper we 're starting. You will cover all the games, and run a page in the 'Chatterboxl Of course you 'll have help and plenty of time outside for chem and law. How about it? Thanks, Brute: it sounds great! I'll have a chance to apply what I get in journalism. and enjoy it as well. Tell me about this paperf' The Chatterbox became the representa- tive of the students at Landon, and Hollie be- came the star reporter. He learned to take the viewpoint of each type of reader, and wrote his stories to satisfy each. Holliei' was the equal to them. Them are dusty, little soft signature at the end of the most amusing stories. the most skillful character sketches. the most commanding cases, cases that never failed to bring satisfactory action from the council. Hollie reached the point of popularity where he was in danger of seeing Landon not as some- thing to instill awe as he had seen it in his freshman year, but as a foreign minister might see it. Strangely enough he kept his feet on the floors of Landon 's corridors even when he ate the cake which would seem to make his head emerge from the chimney. The faculty may have wondered how Claud Hollidge could produce such vivid accounts of how the explosion occurred in the lab before the exam, and of how the prof located his camel hair coat and mahogany cane in the pos- session of HM12 Bones. The explanation might have been simpler had the authorities remem- bered that chemistry and biology were in the curriculum of the Chatterbox staff. Claud learned that there are cabbages and kings, and decided that for three years he had been a Brussels Sprout. Behind the illu- sion, however, there was the student Claud, the real Claud. In the seclusion of his room, in the sympathetic rays of a reading lamp, he was a student of psychology, a research worker. His findings were a part of the theses and classes of a detached life, but they would not be discontinued. There was a goal. January and mid-year exams. On the 22nd Claud wrote for three hours on the principles of law. Afterward he met Clonder outside. How are you, Brute? Did you throw that one? Sure thing, Hollie! I want to be in the spring practice. Any more exams today?