Oberlin College - Hi-O-Hi Yearbook (Oberlin, OH)

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After Tom's brave attempt conversation unquestionably lagged. Madge was frankly on the verge of hysterics and even Beth's and 'l'om's spirits were cooled by the prospect of disgraceful expulsion at the end of the junior year, and the vision of stern parents in the back-ground. Dick's fertile brain was vainly trying to concoct some plan of rescue for the girls. He was about to suggest that they do something if it was only to yell and rouse the whole house, when Tom motioned to him to be still. Wl1at's that racket down town? It was still when we came up. They all listened. I believe it's a tire, Dick said. Wait a minute and I'll run out and look down the hill. In a moment he came back. Yes, it's a fire. 'l'here's the church bell. Let's all go. They'll expel us anyway, we might as well enjoy life while we can. It's an awful circus to go to a fire here. They've got a hand engine as big as a garden spray pump, and they carry water from the pond in tin pails and cups and saucers. Everybody bosses everybody else. Oh, it's a show. Come on. No. I'll not go a step, Dick, Madge said hysterically. The matter's bad enough now without making it any worse. This was almost too much for even Dick's and Beth's good naturel Nevertheless they stopped. Look up in the hall, Tom ejaculated. See the lights all over the house. I wonder if -- l1Vonder if what. Beth asked. Oh nothing. I was just going to say I wondered if the lady prin. would let the girls go, but of course she 'wouldn't. Not on your life, sir, Beth answered. She'd as soon let me go walking with her precious pug-dog. We went last year, though, didn't we? Oh, but they are coming, said Dick, just look. i Miss Dunsen herself is standing at the door to see that they're well bundled up, poor clears. Hurry girls and get in with the crowd. Nobody'll notice you and you can get back all right. It's a dis- pensation of Providence - your reward of the wicked, Betsey. We'll see you down town. 1 As they stole away under the cedars, Dick threw his arm over Tom's' shoulder. Heavens, Tom, did you ever see such an escape in your life? I tried to keep my spirits up but half an hour more would have been too much for me. The prospect of having Madge and dad both down on me at once is enough to drive a fellow to drink. When Madge and Beth, half-dazed at this almost unbelievable change of fortune, joined the rest, one of the girls called out: We went to your room, Betsey, but it was dark and I thought you were asleep. No, we weren't asleep, Betsy replied, I guess we were probably down sttirs already. How did she happen to let us go, was it all her own sweet will? Why, where in the world were you? the other girl replied. Didn't you hear Miss Dunsen say that the President just telephoned down and said since a fire is such a rare occurrence she'd better let us go? After the excitement of the fire was over Dick joined his sister. Miss Dunsen won't mind if I walk up with you, he said, since I'm only your brother and haven't seen you for as much as an hour. The strain had been too much for Madge and she was rather more irritable than Dick had expected to find her. Well, I've got one thing to tell her that'lI put her in good spirits, he thought to himself. Madge, he said, I guess I'l1 drop German. pn 32

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certainly been pleasant. The soft night wind over the lake and through the trees, the faint earthy scent of ferns and moss, the tire-flies in the tamaracks, the exquisite breath of some late wild crab-apple blossoms they had found-all were a delight enhanced by the witehery of excitement. Soon they turned silently into the yard and Dick went a little ahead to open the door. In a second he met the others. Heavens to Betsey, people, but here is a dilli- culty. I guess Patrick has proposed, and it's given Bridget a fainting fit, so she had to come back early. Anyway the door's locked. Dick, you don't mean it? 'l'he door ean't be locked? Madge gasped as she seized her brother's arm. Can't it though? Just try and see. But what shall we do ? Honest, sister, I'm awfully sorry. It's all my fault, and 'Ii0lll'S and Bridget's, for getting you girls into such a fix. Tom and I haven't made such brilliant records but that we can stand shooting through college like meteors and out again faster than we came. There isn't any place you can go, is there? We can't wake up any of the girls without having the lady prin pounce down upon us? Mercy, I should say not, Betsey added. She sleeps all dressed and with both eyes open. If a cat should sneeze down cellar, she'd hear it. 'fWe'll all be fired, Dick, and what will father say ? Madge whispered. Of course we'll be fired, Madgie, and father, he'll-he'll make remarks, Dick replied with more coolness than he felt. Come on, let's go over under those trees and do the Cato act, ponder on our immortality the night before we meet our fates. If we only had some paper we'd write a note to father and give him fair warning, so that he wouldn't be too shocked when we come tumbling in bag and baggage. Oh, Dick, don't try to be funny to keep up my spirits. You don't feel any funnier than I do, Madge said with considerable irritation. You can be just as funny as you like, Richard Cabot Burton, whispered Betsey. We shan't any of us be fired. Success is always the reward of the wicked. I've tried it all my long life and I ought to know. We'll get out of this some way. Just suggest how, Madge whispered, exasperatingly. It occurred to Tom that it was about his turn to assist Dick in keeping up the girls' spirits, so he said, Wouldn't it be a joke if Prexy should happen around the way he did the last time the fellows fired off cannon crackers uncle.-r the girls' windows ? Did he catch you? Betsey asked. Madge took no notice. Catch us, I should say. The fellows promised not to tell, but since this is a peculiar occasion, I guess I can. You know Prexy does the datliest things anyway. Well, he caught us and invited us up at five o'clock the next morning. We were all sleepy and mad at five o'clock, of course. He met us at the door of the presidential mansion and invited us in with the benignity of a grandfather. We stepped as if we were walking on eggs, for we didn't know what might be coming next. After he'd asked us to follow him through to the wood-shed, he bowed with his suavest of smiles and said, 'Gentlemen, since you have so much superfluous energy at your command I want to suggest that you pump my reservoir full. It's been cleaned and is entirely emptyf Well, there were three of us and we took turns pumping till noon. We thought we must have a whole ocean up there when he came and thanked LIS and let us go. If we didn't feel dead-tired and cheap nobody ever did. 81

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Drop German, Madge repeated, what an irrelevant remark. I should think you'd be too glad that we'rc out of this disgraceful scrape to think of anything else. Well, let me tell you a little tale, Dick continued. There was a young man, we'l1 not say who. He went to a fire, we'll not say where nor why. I-Ie with some other men, was sitting on the ridge pole of a little building next to the one which was burning, helping pass pails of water along to throw on those parts of this same little building which caught fire. just ahead of this youth was a man, somewhat fat, some- what pompous, and more than somewhat slow. The building caught fire once and this man did move with such cowardly slowness that the youth raised his athletic fist and did give him a mighty dig in the ribs and ejaculated at the time, 'Get along, you old fool,' whereat the man turned around and to the horror of the youth showed him- self to be a certain German professor who was not over fond of the said youth to start with. Now, Madge, he continued, relapsing from his stilted tone, do you think it's irrelevant when I say I think I'll drop German? Really, Dick, did you? asked Madge with a laugh which drove away her irritation. Sure I did, and here we are at the hall. Good-night. I'll see you in the morning. A moment later Madge dropped into a chair in her own room while Beth non- chalantly began to take down her hair. - NVell, I'll never, never, never do such a thing again, Madge ejaculated. Oh yes. you will, Beth replied, airily, as she turned to look at her room-mate. It did look pretty bad, but it came out all right. I told you success was the reward of the wicked. 38