Petaluma High School - Trojans Yearbook (Petaluma, CA)

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luatttpss “Well, Nancy,” said Eben ,after he had smoked thought¬ fully for several minutes, “I been athinkin’. Tbday when I tuk them sheep to Beanville I stopped at the hotel an’ I got atalkin’ to one o’them there real estate men that’s sellin’ lots ’tother side o’ Beanville. He says to me, says he, ‘Business is business.’ An’ he’s right, I been athinkin’.” “Well, nobody ain’t said—” started Nancy. But Eben went right on: “He says we oughta be mak- in’ a sight o’ money off this old farm, an’ here we be, Nancy, gettin’ along from day t’ day, never savin’ up for— well, we ain’t old yet, but—System—yes, system’s the word that man used, an’ he says that’s what we gotta have to make things run right, an’ everything ’round has gotta have its place an’ do its work. He’s right, I been athink ¬ in’; he’s right, Nancy.” “Out with it, Eben! Out with it!” Nancy eyed her husband sharply. “I know y’ got a scheme of some kind. Y’ may’s well tell me first as last. Land sakes, when will you stop gettin’ them notions in your head? Somebody has always gotta put an idee in yer head that you ain’t never thought of, and then—mercy! I’m fergettin’ to feed the cats.” Eben sat alone and smoked in silence while his wife fed seven noisy cats. She scolded them and petted them and her voice came in clear and sharp to Eben. “Well, he said to himself, “I’m goin’t’ have my way for once now, no matter what Nancy says.” “Now, you can tell me, Ebenezer Perkins, what yer Husiuras grand scheme is. What is it yer aplannin’ to do now?” Nancy demanded when she returned. “Well, as I was asayin’, I been athinkin’ that that there man was right, and as I rid home I thought that we may’s well try a plan. Now, old Dolly out there in the barn— she ain’t adoin’ no good noways, only eatin’ her head off. She’s too old for plowin’, an’—I might get rid o’ her to Parks; he buys old horses to take to Westfield. An’, Nancy, can you tell me why we must have seven cats alayin’ ’round adrinkin’ all the milk that we may’s well sell? Tom’s plenty to catch all the mice there’ll ever be around here. Them cats I could easy get rid of, an’ then there’s Don, an’ Prince, an’ Tan, an’ Rover, an’ who says one dog ain’t enough to watch this house? Now, them dogs could be sold in Beanville easy, an’ then—busi¬ ness is business, an’ we gotta run this farm accordin’ to that rule. Lord, Nancy! We’ll be hand over fist in money next year. Economy—that’s what we want.” “Eben Perkins, I’m surprised! Sell, old Dolly that we had so long? Eben, don’t y’ remember the day we was married we drove up here an’ everything was new an slick and Dolly so young and frisky-like? She’s worked for us many a long year, Eben, an—no! y’ can’t do it. An lor them cats an’ dogs—we had ’em a long time now ana they’re such comp’ny, too, when you’re gone in the day¬ time. Besides, Bessie, the darlin’, just loves ’em all.” Eben was not to be moved. His wife decided to say no more about it and allow him to carry out his own plans. 18

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Augramua As, at dawn, the softest whispered chirping, When the early crimson tints are glowing, All the stillness of the air usurping, haint at first, but slowly louder growing. Swells until the melody o’erflowing Bursts from every throat with animation, Joining nature’s mighty orchestration; So, as onward years go swiftly fleeting. Sweeter may the memory returning Of the happy days so fast retreating, Of high hopes all opposition spurning, Of deep friendships in our bosoms burning, Daily grow and fill our hearts with pleasure At our faith requited to the fullest measure. As a brooklet gently onward flowing, Over stones and fallen branches splashing, Ever bit in volume growing, Over waterfall and boulder crashing, rhrough deep valleys, smiling woodlands dashing, drains at last a calm majestic motion Sweeping forward proudly to the ocean; May our friendship thus for one another, Growing ever from a warm affection io the love of toiler for the brother Of his labors, surely find direction From the author of our high election Gaining rest, at last, in love eternal When life’s twilight melts today supernal. THEO. A. PELOQUIN. 17

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Accordingly, the next day Eben started out for Beanville with Dolly tied on the back of the wagon and the six cats in a box on the seat. The dogs were put into the wagon and tied. Nancy stood at the door grimly watch¬ ing the menagerie leave, and when they were out of sight she slammed the door with a vicious bang and returned to her work. No more was said of the plan for a while, Eben wisely choosing to keep his silence and Nancy knowing that time alone would prove she was right. Saturday was a great day at the Perkins’ farm, for on that day little Bess, their only grandchild, came with her mother from Westfield to stay over Sunday. With her smiling face and cunning ways Bess ruled the household and there was nothing on earth that her grandparents wouldn’t do for her. I guess I’ll see Dolly now,” she said as she slipped her tiny hand into her grandfather’s big one. “Dolly likes sugar, too”—and she smiled up at the old man. “Come along, Honey, come along.” Once at the barn Bess impatiently refused to have any¬ thing to do with Jack or Pet and the farm horses. It was Dolly that she wanted and finally, when Eben ex¬ plained that Dolly was “all gone,” she pouted and ate the sugar herself rather than to give it to one of the other horses. Eben glanced uneasily at the back porch where the cats had been accustomed to sleep in the sunshine. Bess tugged at his hand impatiently. “Come, kitty—come, kitty,” she called, and when no cats appeared she called again. 1 hen grandpa was obliged to explain that the kitties also were “all gone.” Bess was surprised and puzzled and poutingly declared she guessed she’d go home, but an¬ other thought struck her. Of course, she’d go and play with Don or Tan or Prince. Hesitating, Eben told her that her old playmates were “far, far away.” Now he was sure that he saw a shining little tear making its way down her rosy cheek. Poor Eben could stand no more. “Run into your mother, child,” he told her. Eben’s look of care and trouble deepened visibly hour by hour—first,because Bess avoided him, and second, because he thought he saw that Nancy was entering into his econ¬ omy plan—much to his discomfort. There had been no thick cream for his coffee that morning, for Nancy had said grimly, “Business is business, and the cream can be sold.” For lunch he hadn’t enjoyed his apple pie at all, for he dared not ask for cream to put on it. And no telling how far Nancy would carry it. Besides—she was begining to wear that fatal expression which meant cer¬ tain defeat for anyone it was aimed at. When Eben went to town next morning Nancy noticed that he took along a good sized box and some rope, but she said not a word. A few hours later Eben returned with the old horse tied on to the back of the wagon, which fairly exuded barks and meouws. Little Bess stood on the steps laughing and clapping her hands, but through the hubbub Eben heard a faint murmur from Nancy’s di¬ rection that sounded very much like “I told you so.” A. M. M., June, T4.