Petaluma High School - Trojans Yearbook (Petaluma, CA)

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(Junior Prize Story) W ITH a sigh, Barbara Winston drew her chair to the table. “Tired Barbee f” asked her mother. “Awfully tired,’’ Barbara answered. “It’s been a beastly day from start to finish.” Little Aunt Hetty looked up anxiously, “Oh dear! she ex¬ claimed, “I was afraid it would be. You remember you saw the new moon over your left shoulder yesterday.” Barbara’s frowning face relaxed and her deep dimples flashed into view. “So that’s it,” she said with a laugh. “What a relief! I was dre adfully afraid it was due to my own evil temper.” Mrs. Winston shook her head disap¬ provingly at her faded little sister-in-law. “Hetty, my dear, you are hopelessly superstitious. “Well, of course,” began Aunt Hetty defensively, “I don’t say the moon is responsible, exactly; its only a sign.” “Oh now don’t spoil it, Auntie dear,” implored Barbara, “When it’s such a relief to my feelings. I’m rested already.” Mrs. Winston sighed as Barbara kissed her good-night. Things might have been so different! It was a year now since Mr. Winston’s death and the family had been forced to give up their luxurious home for a small cottage in an unfashionable part of town. They had been able to subsist on their incomes, helped out by Barbara’s slender earnings. It was a very weary Barbara, indeed, who dropped into bed and it seemed to her that she had hardly gotten asleep when her little alarm clock woke her up to another day of work. “Oh dear!” she groaned, “and I know that plagued little clock is slow, I forgot to set it ahead. Now I shall have to hurry and that always starts me off wrong.” “Bother!” she exclaimed a few moments later, “my pet¬ ticoat’s on wrong side out.” However dimples soon took the place of frowns. “Aunt Hetty would call it a sign of good luck. 1 have half a notion to leave it that way, just for an experiment.” Certainly the day did not begin very lucky for it was raining hard and the street car was so crowded that Barbara had to stand up. The afternoon dragged slowly by. Barbara had been at the office for almost a year now, yet the work was as uncongenial ns ever to her. She could not seem to accustom herself to it. r — 27 ’—t

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THE ENTERPRISE ’20 increase the length of the radius of his life, the only other essential necessary is faith in one’s ultimate victory. With this -thought held tenaciously and intensely, one will soon see things coming his way. The positive man uses as his motto “I can,” the negative man “I can’t.” 66 Faith will move mountains.” The man who does not believe in something and believe in it with all his heart is not worth much. Orison Marden says, 6 ‘Don’t be afraid to think too highly of yourself. If the Creator made you and is not ashamed of the job, certainly you should not be.” With dissatisfaction born of ambition we will go forward and place a circumference around the outermost circle, and by daily work we will strive to keep our predominance. In doing this we will have the satisfaction of having met the thing and done our best, which after all, recalls to the mind that the chief value of a great and pro¬ longed struggle is oftener in the effort than in the achievement. EARL GRAY, ’20. • 26 —

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T HE ENTERPRISE ’2 0 About four o’clock the manager sent for her. 4 ‘Miss Winston,” he began, “I’ve been watching your work lately and I regret to say that it has not been quite up to our requirements.” ‘‘I am very sorry, Mr. Graham. I shall be glad to make way for somebody better.” Mr. Graham fingered his papers uneasily. “Well, of course, Pm very sorry—.” “I may as well go at once,” said Barbara calmly. “I have finished all T had to do today and it is Saturday.” He handed her a pay envelope without further comment. Waiting for a car, Barbara shifted her umbrella to her left hand, for it was still raining, and felt in her pocket for her purse. It was not there! In alarm she looked about her, tried to retrace her steps to remember just where she had been. In spite of her, tears sprang to her eyes as she realized that the search was hopeless. “Well any¬ way I’m glad that I spent all that I did spend. And this is my day of luck!” she exclaimed. For several blocks she tramped along in despair. Then the thought of Aunt Hetty’s face when she should tell her of her “luck” brought an irrepressible chuckle to her lips. In the midst of Bar¬ bara’s reflections a young man swung around the corner coming toward her. She recognized him as Alex Pemberton, brother of one of her old friends. She thought of turning back but it was too late as he had already seen her. “Why hello Barbara, I haven’t seen you in a coon’s age. Why in the world are you tramping around in the rain? Not to soothe an evil temper like mine, I hope?” “Is that your complaint?” she replied. “My own happens to be a job and a pocket-book lost far from home.” “A job?” he cried in astonishment. “Do you mean to say you didn’t know I had been a business woman for a year now?” she asked. “Why Barbara I never heard a word of it. You know I’ve been in Africa.” “Of course, no wonder you didn’t know.” “Let’s walk along,” said Alex, “I’m only out trying to subdue my feelings before going to a dinner party, so I can just as well go your way.” They walked several blocks when Alex re¬ marked casually. “My Aunt Lucy, you remember her, don’t you? lives in the next block. Let’s drop in for tea; there’s sure to be no one with her today.” “Of course I remember her; but you must excuse me, I couldn’t go there today.” Her face was painfully flushed. “Why not?” “Because the butler wouldn’t let me in the front door in these clothes,” said Barbara frankly. “I’ll see to that,” he — 28 —