Quincy High School - Goldenrod Yearbook (Quincy, MA)

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THE OOLDEN-ROD urally disappointed over it and declared that one class at least would graduate from Rockridge with no reception by the junior class. It was to beheld the Friday after the meeting, which oc- curred Monday. Before the dance a basket ball captain was elected. The team consisted of Whitmarsh captain, Ricker, Brown, Paul, and Raynor. Of these five Raynor was the only Junior, and so when the dance was held they all attended but him. Being a fine dancer and popular he was angry because of this and because of the slight offered his class by the seniors. Another incident made matters a great deal worse. Whitmarsh took with him a girl whom Raynor secretly admired very much. Thus was ill feeling aroused between friends and also be- tween the two classes. Two weeks after the dance everybody was full of enthusiasm, for the team had won five games by large scores. At least all were happy but the trainer. He looked worried. For he was afraid that with all this wining the team would become careless. And that is what happened. Being scheduled to play what they thought was an easy game with Weston High, Ricker attended a dance and Brown played for the Y.M. C. A. the night before. The next day they left the floor with their first defeat against them. Immediately the two offenders were sent for by McCraigan. Hot words were exchanged and Ricker was told not to report for practice until he came to the trainer and apologized. The team continued without him, despite the protests of the players to McCraigan and Mr. Brooks. Nevertheless they had lost only, two games when the time came for the big game with Wiliston Academy. During this time, however, discord on the team had been gathering greater force. Having steadily fallen off in his playing Brown had been replaced in many cases by Dryer and the team had to suffer for it. But there was more serious trouble than this. Raynor was becoming more and more hostile to Whitmarsh owing to the latter’s continued attention to the girl he had taken to the dance. Whitmarsh was ignorant of his chum’s cause for being angry and walking home with him one day he endeavored to find out the reason. “Say, Dick,” he said, “what ails you? Tell me what I have done to make you unfriendly. I wouldn’t ask it only as your chum I think you should tell me. Won’t you?” “You, my chum!” burst out Raynor, “ you! you dirty sneak. I will tell you nothing, only mind your own business.” Whitmarsh clenched his fists and his face reddened, but remembering that the meeting was of his own seeking he simply said, “I am sorry I bothered you Good night.” Thus,taken all together things looked dubious the day before the game and a feeling of gloom settled on the whole school, which no amount of work by the cheer leaders could dispel. McCraigain was sitting alone in his office. It wasonly a matter of hours before the two schools met and on the outcome depended to a great ex- tent his reputation. He was thinking how he had come there full of hope and ideas for building in the school a system which would make the school a big factor in athletics; how he had met disappointment after disappointment and now the only obstacle which stood in his way was a boy’s apology. He knew that without Ricker there was no chance of winning and he also knew that there was about as much chance of Ricker’s apologizing. Absorbed in his thoughts he did not hear the door open and was startled to hear some one close to him say, “Mr. McCraigain.” He turned and saw standing near him, the object of his thoughts. Ricker went on rapidly in his deep Southern drawl, “Mr. McCraigan, I’m sorry for anything I’ve done or said against you this past winter.” In a second the trainer was on his feet and al- though he said nothing, the silent, firm hand grasp spoke more than words and bridged a whole gulf of misunderstanding which had here- tofore existed between them. In another mo- ment the door had closed on the boy, but McCraigan still stood where he had left him. The worried look was gone from his faee and in its place was a smile. Slowly sitting down again he said, “We’ll do it. Bud.” At 10 o’clock that night, two hours earlier than his usual time for turning in, a boy threw himself on his bed. Just as his eyes closed they caught a gleam of moonlight on a photograph decked with blue and white ribbons and lie nuir-

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1T1E GOLDEN-ROD Lieutenant M. Antony, P. C. First Prize, J. L. MURRAY On account of the limited size of the Golden-Rod it is impossible to print this story. Bud Ricker’s Apology Second Prize P. 11. MARDEN NOTICE All those desiring to form a school basket ball team will meet in Room 1 at the close of school today. McCraigan TTHIS NOTICE posted on the school bulletin attracted much attention throughout the day and at one-thirty a number of fellows gath- ered in room one to hear what the trainer had to say concerning basket ball. When McCraigan stepped into the room it was nearly filled and he immediately opened the discussion. He told them that they had a splen- did chance for a basket ball team in a school such as theirs, with a new gymnasium and a name for clean sports; and that there were at least six fellows in the school who had played before with Y. M. C. A. teams. In the end he asked those desiring to form a team to stand. Everybody stood. As the crowd slowly dispersed, it was easy to discern the most prominent fellows. Standing near the door, a tall well built fellow was slowly filling his pipe, at the same time keeping his eye on the door through which the trainer had passed Seated near him was a short, stocky lad, whose face would suddenly expand into an enormous smile, and as suddenly return to its former look of soberness as though ashamed of its hilarity. At the other side of the room was a fellow with light hair and blue eyes, whose bearing was athletic to say the least. This was Whitmarsh. Ricker, having filled his pipe to his satisfaction passed out with Raynor, and soon the rest dis- persed to their homes. Some explanation should be made here as to conditions at Rockridge High School at this time. A new gym. had just been presented to the pupils by a wealthy man of the town. They had raised enough money to hire a phy- sical director, and had obtained a young fellow by the name of McCraigan. Previous to this the only basket ball team was the Y. M. C. A. team which was really a high school team. The school committee, however, would not recognize a school team on their floor. But now, with a gym. of their own, a physical director and several good men to pick from, everything pointed to a successful winter. The day following the meeting in room one saw the first piactice. For a time things went smoothly, McCraigan criticising and helping each player. In his playing, Ricker had a pe- culiarstyle which the trainer very much objected to. He showed Ricker how to remedy it. After a few tries, however, he would return to his old style of shooting. McCraigan would immediate- ly remind him, however, and at last Ricker turned and swore at him. The trainer’s eyes flashed, but with scarcely a pause in his work he ordered him to leave the floor and to report to Mr. Brooks, the head master. This he did but not before he had given his opinion of the trainer to any one who would listen. Practice over, the players returned to their locker rooms and there, secure from the trainer’s ears, they talked over the events of the after- noon. Many were of the opinion that Bud, as Ricker was called, had gotton no more than he deserved. Conspicuous among these was Whit- marsh. Some of the others led by Raynor de- clared that McCraigon was too hasty and that anyone would have sworn under the circumstan- ces. Thus, opinion was pretty well divided. During the next week, at a class meeting, the seniors decided to hold a class party. In doing this they broke a custom of years and failed to give the juniors a dance. The juniors were nat-

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THE GOLDEN-ROI) inured. “For you and Rockridge, Bee.” The next afternoon found a large crowd assembled in the High School gym. The blue and white of Rockridge was everywhere evident except in one corner where about fifty Wilistor fellows shook their black and yellow banners and kept the High .School crowd busy answering their yelling and singing. At three forty five the referee’s whistle sound- ed and the teams lined up. Again the whistle blew, the ball shot into the air and the game was on. There was no scoring for the first five min- utes. Then Whitmarsh getting the ball, in the centre, tried for a goal and caged it. A wild shout from the High School crowd was almost immediately followed by a roar from Wiliston. for Drake, the right forward, re- ceiving the ball dodged Raynor and shot a goal. In a few minutes Drake scored again and Wilis- ton continued to score until at the end of the first half the score stood 12 to 2 in their favor. At the start of the second half McCraigan’s coaching showed itself, for the high school players started in with a rush and for a few moments all was confusion. About this time,however, Whit- marsh began to see that something was wrong. He noticed that the other team seemed to know just what every play was going to be. He called time and under pretence of tying his shoe string, whispered a few instructions to Ricker. A sig- nificant gesture as he passed to his position let the other members of the team understand the change in signals. The game went on. Bud raised his hand to the leftside of his neck. The ball was tossed and all the opposing players rushed to the right as before, but the ball shot to the left and Whitmarsh passed it back to Ricker who caged it. Again it was tried and two more points were added. The score stood twelve to six and seven minutes to play. Could they get three more and tie, or four and win? A foul gave them another point. Six minutes to play. Another foul by Paul and the score stood 12 to 8 against them. Only three minutes to play. There was a mix-up in the centre, the ball was passed down to Brown who twisted it out of his hands just as Drake his opponent crashed into him. They fell to the floor while the ball fairly twisting its way upward to the bas- ket, struck the edge, hesitated, started out and gently dropped back through the net to the wait- ing arms beneath. The shouting had not ceased however, before Paul dashing down the floor, caught the ball from the tipp off and while in the air shot. The ball went into the basket clean and the score stood 12 to 12. The stamping and yelling now made it impossible to hear the rush of the players and they appeared as so many machines gliding noiselessly over the floor. There was one minute left and the straining players were nerved to the last notch of endurance for this final sixty seconds. Suddenly the ball went whirling through the air and hitting the bank dropped through the basket. Rockridge had won, and it had remained for Bud Ricker to complete the most sensational of games, with by far the best play of the day. He had wrested the ball from the opposing centre and duck- ing under his arm shot one handed from his position at centre. Bud Ricker ap- pologi .ed, the game had been won, and it now remained for Whitmarsh to find the person who had betrayed their signals. That night, a crazy, cheering, body of students returned to Rockridge to celebrate, and for a time the incident of the signals was driven from the captains mind. The next day. however, meeting Raynor at recess, Whitmarsh told him bluntly, that he thought he had done it because of his continued animosity toward him. He got no satisfaction from him and they left each other, Whitmarsh unconvinced, and Raynor exceedingly angry at being suspected A week later the whole school assembled at a reception to the victorious five. Dancing was in full swing and everyone seemed to be enjoying himself. Toward the end of the evening, Whit- marsh was standing alone in a cool dimly lighted hall.when he heard footsteps. Arriving opposite him, they ceased and in the half gloom he rec- ognized Raynor. “Say, Jack,” began Raynor, “I have something to say to you. I have been a fool and hope you’ll be generous enough to let it pass. I have found out how those signals reached Wiliston. You know that girl you took to the dance a few weeks ago? It was about her that I was so unreasonably jealous. Well, Drake who played forward on the Wiliston team, has been keeping company with her. I was up at