Prattsburgh Central High School - Franklinite Yearbook (Prattsburgh, NY)

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22 FRANKLIN ACADEMY HIGH SCHOOL ANNUAL THE ROBBERY By GAMALIEL CONINE, '25 Dick, come here quick! Our only chance is next pay day. Get me P The person that spoke was Don Fairfax, the supposedly honest clerk in the Wanamaker jewelry store. This store was right across the street from the Conklin National Bank, the only bank in the city of Andover. Its being the only bank in the city meant that a lot of money would need to be handled in this one place. Dick and Don were great chums and furthermore they were of prac- tically the same calibre, which fact did not add to the reputation of either. Dick, come over here by this window,'I have something to say to you of importance. I have waited for some months to tell you offthis plan. Do you see that short, black fellow over in the bank? just turn your eyes on that little satchel beside him. D0 you realize what it contains? It has all the employees salaries for this month in it. Tonight at ten o'clock that fellow will take that bag over to his home on Lake street. There will undoubtedly be in the neighborhood of five thousand dollars in it, and if I work it right I can get it. I will drop in at the Burnell Candy Shoppe and when he passes I'll nap him on the head and make way with the money. VVhat I want you to do is to stay down at the Gibbons landing and we will make way with the money and travel for awhile. With these words the boys parted. At nine forty-five the next night Don became a bit yellow. He wanted to back out but in spite of this nervousness he determined to carry the plan out, for he could see a good time ahead. He just made his nervous form go. On arriving at Burnell's store he did not stop at first, he waited until he heard footsteps coming. Then he ducked in the shadows of the door front. just as the bank cashier went by Don rapped him with an umbrella and then dragged him back out of sight: took the satchel and ran. livery cracking twig was a policeman: every creaking bough was a pursuer. Don began to feel uneasy. His feet were failing him. His arms didn't retain the strong hold they had First had. His head became a jumbled mass of thought. What was the trouble? He realized what might become of him if he were caught. He would probably be put in jail, hanged, or something. His pace now became a walk, his thoughts no longer of the luxurious trip he might take. He was a wreck. He could no longer carry this satchel which burnt his hand because of the small mint inside. At last he determined to throw the money into the lake, desert Dick and go home to take the consequences. Dick waited until twelve o'clock and as Don had not arrived then, he left for home, feeling, however, more at ease than Don. After Don had thrown the satchel, contents and all, in the lake he went up stairs to his room to bed. He did not sleep at all at first and when he did he dreamed of horrid things. All he could do was to toss around and sweat that cold sweat that follows nervous spells. As dawn broke he expected every footstep to be that of a policeman. Once his ITM!! N I nn i' - ran V UTA!! N PRATT

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FRANKLIN ACADEMY HIGH SCHOOL ANNUAL 21 He then went to Constantinople, also, and joined his brother. The two then enjoyed a gay life, spending their father's money. Again the father became worried and sent the third son after the water from the Fountain. This son was brave so when he came to the island, questioned the old witch and found out that the porpoise would take him where he wanted to go, he gladly accepted and climbed onto the back of the porpoise. It swam on the surface until it came to a small island which was thickly wooded. VVhen they reached the island the son saw a beautiful maiden sit- ting on the sand, combing her hair. He asked her if she would show him to the Fountain of Youth. She replied, I will if you wish. So saying she led the way through the woods to a small clearing. There, in the center of the clearing, he beheld a large fountain from which flowed a stream of water as clear as crystal. The youth then filled a flask with the precious water and hurried back to the shore where he found the porpoise waiting. Stopping only to thank the maiden, he jumped on the back of the porpoise and was carried back to the island where he boarded his ship and sailed for home. His father greeted him joyfully and drank of the water which his son had brought him and became young again. Some time later the two elder brothers came home after they had spent all the money which their father had given them. Their father was so angry with them that he sent them away, telling them never to let him see their faces again. So they complied with his wishes, going to 'Constantinople where they finally died in poverty. The youngest son was walking along the Seashore a few days after his brothers had gone away when a porpoise swam up near him. On looking more closely he saw that it was the same one that had carried him to the Fountain of Youth. The porpoise offered to take him to the island so that he might get the maiden and bring her back for his bride. The youth was delighted with this so he climbed on the back of the por- poise, as he had done before, and. after a thrilling ride, he arrived at the island, took the maiden back to his home, married her and lived ever afterwards in peace and content. VVere you in chapel QWHENZD Marion Crean didn't look as though she were holding a TCCCPUOU as her friends went by? Everybody was in time? Frances was in time? John took his right seat? Austin didn't move back three seats? We sang a song we knew? Misses Bedwin and Harris weren't' the first to stand? Prof. smiled at Miss Flaherty? -Neither were we.

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ll FUR IVIR gown K iv nan if -I I FOIIVII ULVII K Y 14875 i ...I FRANKLIN ACADEMY HIGH SCHOOL ANNUAL 23 mother came up stairs on some errand: he shrugged. Could he ever stand it? Oh how he wished he were dead. Soon after his mother came up the door-bell rang and a voice asked if Don were in. Footsteps were heard approaching Donis room. At last he was found. he thought and then he became unconscious. The visitor was Dick. In his hand he carried a newspaper with the big red headlines turned up. Dick said nothing to Don's mother but bathed Don's head with cold water until he became conscious again. What a surprise to Don to see Dick instead of the policeman. Dick's first words were, Read these headlines. They read like this: Cashier of Conklin's Bank Knocked Unconscious. Bank Satchel Stolen Containing one Dirty Collar, two Clean Shirts, a Comb, Brush, one Pair of old Shoes and a Pipe. - A TRIP ON THE PRATTSBURGH CREEK By RALPH HORTON, '26 NE day about the middle of july, myself and a friend of mine were determined to go on a fishing tripg not for the fish but for the pleasure of it. The creek had been swollen by about a week's downpour of warm rain and the roads were about six inches deep in mud. My friend had on a pair, of rubber boots while I had on only a pair of light shoes. We started out with the sun shining brightly to the right of us, and the beautiful green trees refiecting the sun like so many mir- rors. Soon we turned a corner and entered a long lane with trees on either side of us. Now and then a happy cricket would fiddle his delight at being in such a picturesque place. After walking about two and a half miles we came to what is known as the Prattsburgh creek. VVe were at the upper part, about a mile and a half north of Prattsburgh. As there was a fairly good place to fish where we were, we threw in our lines and waited for the friendly pull of some good fish who wished to reduce some human being's appetite. Hut as no Fish had such a feeling, we. being more energetic for adventure, took off our footwear, and began to wade down the creek. I had always adored the green trees and the muddy water when I saw it from a distance, but when I began to wade through its snake-frequented waters and deep bogholes I did not think so much of it. Soon. however, we came to a large swamp where the bright green reeds waved to us to keep coming and whose lily-pad' blossoms seemed to say, Come on, we will give you light. Xife did keep on and we had gone only about a rod when we sank to our chests in the muddy waters of the swamp. VVe fioundered ahead to a small island-like patch of land, where we found an old canoe which had probably been carried there in the spring. The canoe was soon turned over and fioating down the little channel between the reeds with us as its passengers. Well, it was really a pleasure during the rest of the trip for we could let the canoe float while we plucked water lilies and sang to the tune of the frog orchestra. VVhen we reached the swimming hole which is nearly opposite Prattsburgh we took a refreshing plunge in the coolness of its bush-