Polytechnic High School - Caerulea Yearbook (Long Beach, CA)

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Victory. that kind of bshavior is inexcusable in a girl of your age. said Mr. Turner. Victory iooked ashamed and embarrassed. it wasn't her fault. i was bothering her. spoke up Ted. hYou may both see me after school, announced Mr. Turner. The school would have laughed if it had daredo but the teaCher's forbidding frown restrained it. Aftu dismiss- ing school. Turner called Ted and Victory to his desk, Ciearr ing his throat and frowning. he, said. Ted. you are too old to be pulling girls. hair. it disturbs our lessons and is en- tirEIY Ungentiemanly. Victory. any girl of your age should have ermugh dignity not to giggle. Don't do it. it is one of the worst habits of your sex and the one most hatcd by the men. 1 hope in future your behavior will he more womanly. You may 30. Victory Flushed and hung her head as she and Ted left the master's desk, uDon't let that grouchy old bachelor make you feel bad. Victory, whispered Ted comfortingly a! they neared the door. ui'm sorry i pulled your hair. Here. let me carry your book; and waik home with you. Hi-mdon't thinkA-youid better. she answered shyly. Well, all right, I won't if you say so. he said. The next morning; Ted seemed to have forgotten how Victory had received his attentions the night before. He looked at her more than ever. in various ways showing that he was much interested in her. At noon, Miranda and Susie did not ask Victory to eat lunch with them. but walked past her and sat down my der a tree by themselves. Oh, dear, thoughi Victory. nlt'a horrid to have Ted like me. It makes all the girls mad at me Well. if they're that kind, they can stay mad. i Well. Susie. what do you think of the way Ted's act- ing about Victory? i've been nice to him and smiled at him ever since I've been in this here school an he's never paid the least attention to me and then that silly iiitle red headed snip comes along an' he stands up for her in school and talks to hex all the time. I can't understand what he sees in heri said Miranda indignanliy. Don't won'y about that. Goin' with her shows what poor taste he has, rejoined Susie. On a log across the road. the boys were eating heartily and leasing Ted between bites. Pete Green, a bare legged urchin. said inquiringiy. Ted. i thought you didn't like girls. You used to say all you wanted was a good place to fish, an' a swimmin' hole. an' a pony. an' a shot gun. on iTwentyr 1 in

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you: curiosity Concerning the new member Of our BCIIDOI. I may tell you that her name is Victory Jones and she came from the city. Now. let us return to our work. One boy, Ted Jackson. could not center his thoughts on the voyages of Columbus, although they would ordinarily have interested him. He was just a tanned. ordinary looking fourteen-year-old boy, with dark hair and twininng eyes. He was looking at Victory and thinking, She's a mighty nice Iooking girl. Red hair is awful pretty on some people. I wish I knew her. She s diEercnt from Susie and Miranda. I wish I could walk home with her; I wonder if she'd let me? Over in another corner of the room. another boy, Bill Summers, was thinking similarly. He was a large over- grown boy with a big head and a matted crown of dusty colored hair above an unintelligent fact. When school was dismissed. both boys thought of waIk- ing home with Victory and both were too bashful to ask her. The young lady in queation soon unconsciously settled the- matter by departing. swinging her hat on her arm. During the day, she had learned the names of all her schoolmates and become slightly acquainted with them. I don't like Miranda. She's too inquisitive and conceited, she thought as she waIkecI along the road. Susie seems to be a nice little thing. Bill's too big for his age and I don't think he knows much. However. Ted is interesting and not bad looking. He looked at me 30 queerIy when I was about to come home. I hope he likes me. The next day Ted became a little boldert He often looked at Victory admiringly and in the middle of the after noon had the impudence to wink at her. She turned up her nose at him, then hi6 her face in her book and laughed to herselfl Soon the teacher called the eighth grade to recite gram- mar. Billy, Miranda. Susie, Victory and Ted filed up and took their seats on the long bench in front of the master's desk. In the middle of Miranda's recitation. Ted reached over the back of the bench and pulled VictoryIs hair, caus- ing her to giggle. Ted. give the principal parts of the verb drink, or dared Mr. Turner. Ted's hand took a firmer grasp on Victory's hair. HPresent. drink: tyank want his hancU past. drank: tyanlq past participle. drunk. he said glibly, while a giggling ouch escaped from Victory. The principal parts of think, Victory, said the teacher. Present. think; past. thank; past participle, thunk, said Victory demurely. followed by the laughter of the class. g'rwuutyrwuun

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wasn't goin' to have any girl in yours, and now you've got one. I don't see how it happened. uVil'ell, she's diHeIent from the real. said Ted. by way of explanation. Is she awful nice? asked a boy With a freckled face and a missing front tooth. Of course she's nice. I wouldn't notice her if she wasn't. was the reply. Bill Summers. who had been silent during this conver nation, now spoke up. She'a nice, in she? Well. not to my idea. She's got carrot hair an' cat eyes. nHer hair isn't carrot colored. replied Tad gallantiy. it's red gold: and her eyes are emerald colored. Well. as 1 have said. she isn't good looking an' what's more, she's a half wilted idiot. UWH'IO said Eu? cried Ted. iiI did. Well, you show what little sense you have by saying so. You know well enough that anybody that says 'think. thank. thunk' like she did, hasn't got much sense, Bill per- Eisted. Yes, but that was my fault, replied Ted. His face Hushed and he was keeping his tamper with an effort. Well, I repeat, said Bill, that she's a homely idiot. It's a lie. I woni! hear another word from you. Quit talking and stand up and Fight like a man if you can. ' th, interposed Pete Green. You can't light here at school. Old Turner '11 lick both of you. Fightin' ain't H! for girls to see. anywayi Wait till after school when you're goin' hams. Ted saw the: wisdom of Pete's speech, Well. I won't Fight now. but we'll go up to the little meadow after schonl. If you'll take back what you said awhile ago, I wonit fight at an. uVVeli, i won't do it, You re scared to fight What I say. I stand by. uA11 right, we'il see how you stand by it after school, answerld Ted. Soon Mr. Turner called the boys and girls in for the afternoon session. The two boys went ini but each silently determined that he would get the best of the other. While the grammar class was reciting. T:d whispered to Victory. Say. Victoryt I'm awfully sorry, but I can't walk home with you tonight. I have to do a little strand in the opposite direction from whete you live. Hm, thought Victory, who wants you to walk home fTwL-nly-Hixl