Oakhurst Collegiate School - Acorn Yearbook (Cincinnati, OH)

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THE ACORN 13 iiJIM NASKER -. S JIM NASKER shambled up the main street of Barton, his lanky, ' 4 loosely-hung frame made grotesque Shadows behind him, causing i the little street boys much amusement. He had no friends, people seldom spoke to him, and Jim never spoke if he could avoid it. But although he was not given to conversing, his jaws were never- theless continually working over his tobacco. Some of the town gossips even held that Jim lichawedil in his sleep, and he was always alluded to as What good- fer-nothinl, no-account Jim Nasker. On this particular, sultry, August, afternoon he was even more absorbed with his tobacco than usual, as he walked home through the gathering twilight from the nGeneral Store, where he was general utility man. A strange thing had happened to him that day. Perhaps it would not have caused anyone else much excitement, but to the lonely, despised, friendless Jim it was an epoch in his monotonous, dreary life. A little golden-haired girl had danced into the store that morning carrying two struggling white rabbits, and while her nurse made some purchases, she kept up such a lively conversation with the clerk, between affectionate pats delivered to the rabbits, that even Jim had stopped his scrubbing to listen. Just then one of the tiny furry creatures escaped from its mistress, arms, only to fall head hrst into the scrub bucket, from which Jim had fished him, wet and wriggling, t0 the great delight of the little lady. From then until she threw him a good-bye kiss, she had directed all her attentions to Jim, and then, like that, she was gone. But all day queer chills had been running up and down his spinal column, for someone had talked to him and smiled instead 0f despising him for his ill looks and queer ways. HThe Little Lady, as he called her to himself, must be one of the summer folks at the hotel, for he knew that the Barton children were reared and kept in the right path by the threat, If you donlt behave, youill be jest like that no-account Jim Nasker. So now, as he plodded home, he wondered why it was that so sweet and dainty a little fairy should have noticed him, and somehow he felt differently towards his fellow-men sinCe that baby hand had thrown a kiss. As he prepared his nocturnal repast, he even whistlecl a lullaby his mother had sung twenty years ago. So engrossed was Jim with his reveries that he did not hear the thunder rumbling and roaring outside or see the zig-zag Hashes of lightning until he suddenly remembered that Tip, his shaggy collie, had not been fed, for he heard him scratching and whining now at the door. Jim unbared the door and Tip leaped up and licked his masterls face, but Jim could not coax him in even with food, and so he finally gave up in despair and tried to reason out why Tip was whining and cutting up such capers. uWell, I guess yer got somepin ter show me out thar in the dark, Jim said after much deep thought, and grabbing his cap and pulling it down over his eyes

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1'3 THE ACORN On reaching the hotel, Billy with great glee told of his adventures and 0f the invitation for that evening. iiSis went off into peals of laughter and promised to give him all the requisite aid in the matter of his costume and its accessories. After dinner, Billy, attired in a blue crepe, into which he had squeezed him- self after much breathing-in and grunting, his head disguised by a Huffy brown transformation, presented a passably attractive appearance. At seven-thirty Jack arrived, carrying a bouquet of sweet peas and a box of chocolates to offer at the shrine of his new iigirl -friend. Billy received them gracefully and was then carefully wrapped in his sisteris cape and helped to a waiting taxi. On arriving at the scene of the dance, Billy's popularity seemed assured and his programme was quickly tilled. In the course of the evening he remarked to Jack on Billy Sherwood's absence from both the race and the dance, and was much amused when Jack confided to him that they had hidden Sherwoodis clothesiunder the front porch of the hotel. At the close of a very merry evening, at which he acknowledged to himself that he had been quite a social success, Billy was again tenderly wrapped in his cape and installed in the taxi. When they were about to alight at the entrance to his hotel, Billy quietly removed his fluffy wig, while jack was instructing the chauffeur to wait. Jack's face, as he turned to assist his fair companion from the machine, was a study. With a horrified exclamation he stared at the trans- formed individual before him for an agonized moment or two, then gasping, Sherwood! Great Scott! he turned and tied, and the last that Billy saw of his attentive escort was a white spot in the distance. After groping about under the veranda, he fmaiiy produced a very dusty suit-case and, waving it triumphantly, dashed into the hotel lobby, and was soon rapping peremptorily on his sisteris door. iiHey, Sis, he called, come and help your debutante brother out of his trusty armor! sCHARLo'r'rE HAVEN, 1913. s SARA OLIVER, 1914.

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14 THE ACORN he plunged out into the night. Instantly the collie gave a bound towards the neighboring woods, followed closely by Jim, stumbling over fallen trees, now leaping over gullies in his mad haste to keep up with the dog; until, deep in the woods, they came upon a little girl caught by her dress under a fallen branch. It was itLittIe Lady. With a cry Jim sprang forward and tearing the dress loose, lifted the limp little bundle in his arms. As he picked his way carefully back through the woods, he saw lights approaching them and heard men shouting and calling to one another. So intent was he on the approaching figures that he did not notice particularly a sudden Hash of lightning or hear a branch snap above him, as it came crashing down. Full on the head it struck Jim and then fell to one side. He reeled and fell with his precious armful clasped tightly to his breast. itFoundl went the cry through the darkness when the agonized father stumbled unsuspectingly on his little daughter in the arms of a man lying prone on the ground. As he bent over to lift the senseless child, Jim opened his eyes and whispered softly, uLittle Ladyl'i and lay still. -KATHER1NE SCHELL, 1914. THE STORY OF LADY ANNE GRIMSTON r ADY AN N E GRIMSTON was a proud, obstinate woman who cared for nothing but worldly p1easures.She lived in a great house in - Hertfordshire and enjoyed, in a way, her friends, wealth and lands. She believed that when she was dead she would be absolutely destroyed and gone forever. And new she lay dying, surrounded by her friends, who were trying their best to make her see how terrible and impossible this belief of hers was. But in her pride and unbelief she said: nIt is as unlikely that I shall live again as that a tree will grow out of my body. And so she died and was buried in a marble tomb. One day many years later the marble slab over her grave was found to have shifted its position. It was fixed in its place again and leftl being thought qui-te secure A little while after however the slab was found cracked and was mortared up. Finally it cracked again and a little green shoot of a young tree appeared, peeping through! An iron railing was then put around the tomb to keep it from falling to pieces, but the tree grew and grew and spread and spread until there were four shoots growing, one from each corner of the grave. They burst through the marble tore up the railings and threw their roots further and further, and there now stands, in Tewin Churchyard, half an hours ride from King 5 Cross Station one of the largest trees in England growing from the heart of the grave of Lady Anne Grimston -CHARL0TTE E, MATTHEWS, 1916.