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

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such a privilege. Dan alone kept his eyes on his plate after the first glance. The girl felt that he was worried deeply about something. As she was doing the dishes he sauntered into the kitchen and leaning against the wall gazed at her meditatively. Do you like my hair bobbed? she asked. Yes, I guess so. Mother looks awfully well. Doesn't she? Yes Well, out with it Dan. What is the matter anyway? she asked him at last. Nothing . Don't tell me that. Cut with it right now. Well, it's Mother, he said. Put your hand in that apron pocket of yours. She did so curiously. The apron was one that her mother had worn that day. Suddenly she drew forth a brightly colored paper and gasped as she looked at it. Upon it in brilliant letters were the words, Chesf terfields. They Satisfy. It was nothing less than the empty package of cigarettes. How did you know about this? she asked him breathlessly. u. Found it in there when she asked me to hang it up for her this noon.' What does it mean? Oh, I really can't imagine, he replied sarcastically. You mustn't think of such a thing for even a moment, she exclaimed. Well, you don't look exactly happy yourself, he ventured. 'Tm not. I found something today too. I-Ialtingly, she told him of her discovery. Don't dare say a word to anyone about it, Sis, he warned. We'll do a bit of detective work and see if our Mother is-fl The sight of his mother on the porch hindered him from finishing his sentence. They worried along for a week in this way. Dan, ever watchful, discovered but one thing to convince him further of his mother's guilt. He reported this to his sister in the following words: I was walking along in the hall by the door to her room, and when Twenty-six

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a pair of silk stockings happily. Mother had never let her have them before. Some time later she encountered Dan in the hall. He seemed to be not a little surprised and even dazed. Funny, isn't it? he asked. Mother gave me some toilet water. She said that the boys in New York liked to put it on their hair. And did you see her shoes? They had high heels. She always did say that they would ruin one's feet. But then, it won't last long. It did last, however. Mother was cooking breakfast the next morn' ing in a bungalow apron with a shower of pink flowers in embroidery upon it. She had always worn gray calico before. Maxine felt instincf tively, however, that the clothes, gifts of her aunt and the result of long saving on her mother's part too, were in good taste. She looked around brightly as the girl entered. Good morning, dear. How is my little helper this morning? They talked happily together for a long while. Then, out of a clear sky, came the thunderbolt of surprise. Nearly all of the girls in New York have their hair bobbed. I have seen so much of it that I have decided, if you wish, you may bob yours, dear. Your father doesn't care. After breakfast you may get hfty cents out of my purse and go and get it done. It was a very excited girl who went to her mother's purse to get the money which she felt would change her whole future. Almost as soon as she saw the money she saw something else which caused her to jump. In the very bottom of her mother's purse lay live brightly colored cigar bands of-a well known make. To whom did they belong? Mr. Curtis never smoked, and if he did how did the bands from off them get into her mother's purse? She could not, she would not believe anything of her mother on such mere circumstantial evidence. There was probably a very simple explanation of it. Then why not ask her mother about it? She knew that this was one thing that she did not feel like asking even her mother about. Snapping the purse shut, she departed with shaking knees for the barber shop. It was almost noon when she returned from the barber's, feeling like a lamb just straight from the shearing. Her father looked at her often and her younger sister spent the time asking that she too might have Twenty-five

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I saw her in there, I thought I would ask her if I could go fishing with the fellows. She was standing in front of her dresser and when I spoke to her she stuck something into the drawer real quick and looked awful guilty. Days passed and the very worried Sherlock Holmes found no further clues. Finally he declared, We'll give her a little more time and then we'll ask her about it. The following day was a great occasion in the entire household. Mr. Dan Curtis was to celebrate his seventeenth birthday. He almost forgot about the great cloud upon his young mind as he devoured a little more than his share of the dinner and afterwards sat down in the parlor to play checkers with his father. His mother sat darning a large pile of stockings. Do you like your tie pin, Son? she asked. 'LI should say so, Mother, was the reply. NI had a terrible time to keep it hidden from you, she continued. You came into the room where I was looking at it the other day and I just had time to stick it into my dresser drawer. I bet you thought that I looked rather guilty. Oh no, he lied glibly, I didn't noice it. Over his father's head he winked at Maxine. Mrs. Curtis had taken her purse from the table and opened it. I just happened to think, she exclaimed, that Uncle Henry gave me some cigar bands for you to paste on that old jug you are covering. She handed them to her son with a smile. He accepted them with a sheepish grin and a lighter heart than he had had for days. Maxine cleared her throat loudly. Two explanations, but what of the cigarette paper? She was not to know that night, nor the next. Indeed it was three mornings later that she was walking with her mother in the front lawn. Her mother walked along slowly, her eyes upon the ground. Suddenly she stooped and picked up an empty cigarette package, remarking as she did so, If those workmen don't stop throwing their trash upon our lawn, am going to hold a private conference with them. I don't know how many I have picked up from here. I put one in my pocket one day and forgot all about it until the other day when I was in the kitchen and I Twenty-seven