Piedmont High School - Tris Yearbook (Piedmont, WV)

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was '1- L jfrihap the Ulbirtzentb It was Friday the thirteenth. In the assembly room of Beryl High School there was a continuous buzz. The pupils were arranged into groups and each group seemed to be keenly interested in some'enterprise. If you would have entered at this time you would no doubt have go-tten the idea that the excitement was due to the unlucky date fF'riday the thirteenthj That idea would soon vanish for the people of the twentieth century are not superstitious. If one would get near enough to catch the flow of oonveirsation one would find that it could all be summarized in the one term, The game to- night. Indeed the pupils of Beryl High had something to tell that was of interest. Due to the faithful work of their efficient coach their basket-'ball team was tied for first honors in the cihiampi-on-shiip series of the entire state. Never before in the career of the high school had they been able to boast such a victory. To-night they were going to pday for the champion- ship of the state. The winner of to-night's game would receive a ban- ner from the Athletic Club of the state. So this was the cause of the pitch of excitement in Beryl High School on Friday the thirteenth. Beryl High co-uld boast of a very good team. They had won twenty- six games in succession and their rivals of to-night, Middle I-Iigh, had like- wise Won all their games in the series. To-night these two teams would meet on the Beryl High's gymnasium. The outstanding figure on Beryl H1igh's team was their captain, Jack McRoy. Jack was a well built athlete of eighteen. He had played basket- ball from his Freshmen year and had shown remarkable skill in his .Sopho- more term. He was now at dignified Senior. In the thickest of a figkit when defeat was lurking near, Jack always kept cool and was always encourag- ing his fellow players. Never would he show :anger if by any chance one of his players would make a misplay. It was due no do-ulbt to his clean sports- manship that the boys all admired him. Df y-ou would have lo-oked over the groups in the assembly room you would have failed to point out Jack. He was not there. In sauntering through the hall towards the dormitory, there is a little piazza which faces the town. From this view point one could see the whole town and the sur- rounding country until in the distance the mountains meet the sky, thereby closing out one's range of sight. Here you find the captain. No, he was not alone-his companion was one of the fairest sex. She had light hair and when she turned her head towards Jack you would say she was not pretty. She was beautiful. She did not follow the latest fashion by lnaving her hair bobbed, but fixed it ia way that was very becoming. She was the kind of a girl that inspires a boy to do bigger and better things in life. Page ninety-four

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ff-115f.:.ff'S'-3 Q'1-1'.x:1HfT 'ij'f -'f avr-21 f'r :'1g'16'f6'wl1'1P1 5'- Fate began to play her hand that day wthen Howard Well, a successful young banker, arrived in Toronto for a two weeks' vacation. Miss Thorn- ton and Mr. Wells had attended the same sclhool about eight years previous. They were not mutually acquainted but just merely nodded in recognition. Mr. Wells took a taxi to the King Hotel and arrived just in time for din- ner. On picking up a newspaper the next day, he was a little surprised when he read that Miss Helen Thornton was visiting her aunts, the Misses Thornton. The news carried him back to the days when he had attended the Pittsburgh High School. How pl-azinly he remembered the quiet young lady whom he had admired so much. He wondered if she had clhanged. 'Ilhe Misses Thornton invited several young people to entertain Helen, and the boys land girls decided to have a skating party the next Monday evening. It just so happened that Helen had learned to skate at home and therefore was very good at the s-port. Monday drew near, everyone was so excited for they knew a good time would be had by all, but fate interfered. Monday arrived. Everybody came and witlh one of the girls was no other person than Mr. Wells. The girl introduced :him to everyone and said that she had met him through her brother, who Ehad attended the same col- lege, as the young banker. Helen and Mr. Wells chatted about their sohool days and they enjoyed each otherfs comp-any. There were to be several races that evening in which Helen was to take part. The races began with laugh.ter, but at the end tears were almost prominent. Fate had ruined the evening for the young people, for when Helen was nearing the goal her skate struck asmall stick or stone and it threw her. Her weight and heavy fall oaused the ice to break an-d with one loud scream she helplessly under the water. Everybody was dazed and nlo one seemed alble to act unrtil Mr. Wells started to run toward where the girl had disappeared. Just as he reached the spot her head and hand appeared above the water. He reached out and grasped her hand and pulled her from the water on to the ice. He tlhen picked her usp and carried her to the shore where he grabbed lat heavy ooat, placed it around her shoulderas and carried her to her aunts. He placed her on a couch where she slowly opened her eyes. They gazed at each other for albout one minute and then he kissed her for they knew they loved each other. Fate smiled shrewdly, for in her hand was the Ace, King, Queen and Jack of Hearts. LUCILLE WILTISON '24 Page ninety-three

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- jg el 5111: gf fjvffg rv ,Q-qfnlg-svn-'L - xg ew- gpg-.---1-W -5. - , . .,... . . , ,,, W One could not approach :any closer for fear of being discovered, but one could tell by Jackls expression that she was either urging him to do some- thing or else she was telling him some sad news. Sevenal times he would raise his hand in protest, but eventufally she intended to finish before she stopped. Their voices raised a little but -only a few words could be under- stood as the door was closed. Finally she must have finished for she arose, abruptly left him standing there alone. He did not attempt to stop her, but one glance at her face as she passed by could tell thart som-e dark cloud had fallen upon their young lives. Such things offten happen to lovers, Whether it is just nature, j ealously or what I will leafve for you to decide. The inside of every dark cloud has .a. silver lizning and sometimes it is sure to burst :and so it was with this one. It will be hairldy fair to tell you the name of this member of fthe fair sex. But to be unselfis-h I will tell you her given name was Loretta. When Lor- etta left J ack on the piazza she went into the class room. The remainder of the afternon dragged slowly for two especially. Middle High arrived on the 5:30 train and was conducted to the cars which were to take them to the hotel. Beryl High had taken every precaru- tion to make their visitors welcome. After the ga.me there was to be a par- ty in the school auditorium. By seven o'clock both teams were in their dressing room. The Beryl boys were almost dressed when Jack came in. He was greeted with cheers from the other boys, but Jack held up his hand for silence. Boys, I wish you the best of luck and the very best of success. Then he paused for breathg all the boys had raised to their feet. Then he continued, I am not going to play to-night. What ? cried all the bo-ys to-gether. Then they began to pry him with questions but he would give no excuse. When Jack left the dressing room the boys were worried. Who would take his place? What were they going to do? They all knew that without J ack in the game they would stand ai poor chance at winning against Mid- dle High. . What luck I cried one. The very last minute our captain throws up his hands and cries, 'Surrenderf No, that is not true, cried J oe Brandy. Jack has not surrendered although he says he will not play. There is something wrong soimewhere. Boys, did you see how down- healrted he looked ? asked little Bobby, who played as at Sl.l!b'SlZ'ltil1lZ9 some- times. We all know Jack too well to think that he would miss playing this game if there was not something wrong, said another. When the coach heard that Jack was not going to play he was angry because he would not give a siatisfafctory answer. But he tried to patch it up the best he could. He put a substitute in J ack's place .and tried to cheer the boys up the best he knew how. V Page ninrly-f-ve