Providence Technical High School - Review Yearbook (Providence, RI)

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114 THE TECH REVIEW 1928 nearby came a long, drawn-out howl, which shivered up and down his spine. He jumped to his feet, remembering the admonitions that the men of the village had given him, but again all was silent. Jim reclined once more and for a brief period of time lay meditating. 11 is mind wandered a second time from the present, and be began to think of the possibilities that were in store for him for the future. As his eyes hovered from the lire to the darkness beyond, they suddenly encount- ered a strange pair of yellow orbs glaring from the depths of the forest. As be watched, lie became aware of a black mass hurtling toward him. Jim, acting under a sudden impulse, dodged, at the same time grabbing his rifle from the ground. The intruder, wild and furious because of his first failure, leaped a second time; but Jim, now alert, stepped quickly aside, and brought the rifle down with tremend- ous force upon the animal’s skull, for the assailant was a wolf. Cray streaks were forming in the eas:- ern sky. Jim Westbrook gathered his possessions into a neat pack in prepara- tion for his departure from the woods. He had removed the shaggy pelt of the wolf to carry back with him as an im- pressive reminder. All his dreams of a restful vacation were shattered. He would go back to New York to spend the remainder of his vacation in the din of the city; but Jim was consoled by the remembrance of a little gray-haired mother who would be waiting for him, and who would be overjoyed to see him. 'I'lie thought of victory over the beast also made life appear to be worth living to Jim. The journey back to Blue Ridge, and from Blue Ridge to New York, was with- out event or accident. He was wrapped completely in his thoughts and plans for the future, and he was aware of nothing that went on about him. He telegraphed home of his return. The more he thought the more determined he became to make good his first failure. By the time that the train came in sight of the city, he had fully decided to try a second time for that height which seemed so difficult for him to attain. The grating of iron wheels on the rails brought him from his deep musing with a start as he realized that he had arrived at his destination. To a cab-driver’s “Taxi?’’ Jim responded almost mechan- ically. and ten minutes later he burst in upon his mother, who was so elated at the sight of him that she could not utter a word. After telling her all that had occurred from the time of his departure from home, and after a week of pleasure with her, he settled down to his work. One day as he was eating his breakfast, about a month after his return from Can- ada, his mother brought a letter to him which read: Dear Mr. Westbrook: Having heard of your ability in the practice of law, I wish to in- form you, at your earliest conven- ience, of a case which deserves your immediate attention. This case is one which, if successful, will mean very much to you in the future. Yours truly, H. Hopkins Burt. Jim lost no time in communicating with Mr. Burt and learned that the latter had been accused of being the leader of a gang smuggling munitions and arms into Russia. From the information Jim re- ceived from outside sources, he came to the comT.ision that H. Hopkins Burt was entirely free from guilt, and that there was sufficient testimony to establish a strong case to prove his innocence. The several ensuing months Jim spent in pre- paring the case. His investigation en- tailed travel and endless interviews, but at length, he began to feel assured that his

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1928 THE TECH REVIEW 113 The Career of Jim Westbrook Frank C. Helm, '28 It was growing dusk as Jim Westbrook swung down from one of the coaches of a long, black train. He was no sooner clear of his car than the engine started puffing and growling on its way deeper into the Canadian forests. To him the journey had been long and tedious, hut he had at last arrived at Blue Ridge, a French-Canadian village in the forests of Ontario. The small railroad platform was built on the highest point in the town, and. as he stood there and gazed about, he was soothed by the tranquility and serenity. It was such a contrast to New York, the noisy metropolis he had left several days previous. 'Flic silence gave him an inward feeling of satisfaction, as he breathed the cool, crisp air. Jim whistled meditatively, and then exclaimed, “What a dandy place for a vacation!” Gathering his luggage, he walked to the only store in the town, and upon stepping inside found a group of Canadians sur- rounding a small stove in the center of the room. They smiled when they saw him, some of them returning his smile, and others smiling at his tenderfoot ap- pearance. Jim faced the store-keeper and asked, “Do you know of any place I could put up for the night ?” To this query, the man replied abruptly, “There ees a room over dees store. You can have heem.” “That suits me,” said Jim, feeling lucky that he had obtained quarters. On the following morning he rose very early, went down to the store, and found some of the men he had seen the night before. As he ordered provisions in quantities to last about five days, the trappers began to jabber among them- selves. His order completed. Jim turned to leave when one of the men motioned to him. In broken English the Canadian asked, “You go camj) een woods? “Expect to,” Jim replied. “De wolf, he ees ver’ had,” said the stranger. “No food dees dime of year. Me warn you.” At this warning Jim laughed. Hadn’t he been in the woods this time last year? Had he had any trouble with wolves at any time previous? Surely this man was trying to make him the object of a joke. Jim had tramped hours, resting at in- tervals, and choosing the trails which seemed most inviting, when he came sud- denly to a small clearing surrounded by dense brush and trees. As the forests were becoming dim with the setting sun, he decided to make this spot his camp. He dropped his pack and proceeded to gather fire-wood in preparation for the night. Presently he had a fire crackling. Then taking utensils from his knapsack, he pre- pared several strips of bacon and toasted some slices of bread over the flames. He drank two cups of strong cofi'ee to com- plete the crude meal. The night had grown black; Jim sat before the fluttering fire smoking a briar pipe. Through his mind ran reminis- cences of past events that had taken place during his struggles for a livelihood in “the big city.” In a campaign for State Representative he had been defeated—by a slight margin—by his friend and rival of long standing, Alden Kay. The contest had been long and bitter, and Jim had been the loser. Suddenly from a ridge

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1928 THE TECH REVIEW 115 client had reasonable chances of being cleared. Each day brought with it some- thing new for him to strengthen the proof which he was carefully constructing. As the time for the hearing of the case ap- proached, he had collected quantities of evidence for Mr. Burt and against his adversaries, all of which had meant searching inquiries and unremitting toil for Jim. Now he knew that if he could give the testimony in a forceful and effect- ive manner success would crown his ef- forts. He realized how much the winning of this case meant to his future achieve- ments in his life work, as the entire city had been aroused by this accusation against Mr. Burt, whose popularity as an honest business man was far-reaching. Jim was spurred on all the while by his mother, and the victory seemed so in- evitable that he labored all the more for its success; so that when the case was heard before the court, the jury gave the verdict of “not guilty” within fifteen min- utes of the time that they had left the box. Jim’s victory had been so complete, and the offensive had been so humiliated, that the “Herald” devoted a front head- line, together with two columns, to the case. “Jim Westbrook” was on the tip of everyone’s tongue, and he was the sub- ject of conversation everywhere, lie shared the triumph with his mother. Jim had but one thought in mind now—that ---------O Harry Huntington went into a con- fectionery store. After waiting about ten minutes he grew impatient and called. “Here, young lady, who waits on the nuts?” Where is the population of this country most dense? Above the shoulders. he had overwhelmingly won the case which would mean so much in his next campaign for office. Jim sat in an easy chair “listening in,” patiently waiting to hear the results of the election which were to be broadcast. He had won numerous cases in rapid succes- sion after his first great accomplishment, and it was apparent that he was the most popular candidate for State Representa- tive in New York. Everywhere lie went, people noticed and respected him because of his earnestness and sincerity in co- operating for their welfare. Through H. Hopkins Burt’s influence he had become intimate with many of the leading men of New York. Amid all this popularity, however, praise had not turned his head, although his mind was more free in many respects. Suddenly, the radio announcer asked for attention, for he was about to give the final returns of the entire election. Jim sat forward in rigid suspense as he heard: “James Westbrook, Republican, 63,811 votes; Alden Kay, Democrat, 11,226 votes; Henry . . .” Then the ringing of the telephone hell interrupted and Jim received the first congratulation for his victory. To his profound satis- faction, the voice which he heard upon lifting the receiver was none other than that of his rival, Alden Kay. Flynn: “Do you know Adolph, the butcher boy? Well, he just dropped sixty feet.” Jones: “Sixty feet! Did it kill him?’ Harry: “No, they were pig’s feet.” Bob: “Do you play golf?” Frenchy: “Oh, dear no. I don't even know how to hold a caddie.”