Quincy High School - Goldenrod Yearbook (Quincy, MA)

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18 THE GOLDEN-ROD my eyes, and oblivion mercifully took its place. ‘T awoke. It seemed to me that my body was one great ache. Where was I: What had happened: Then I remem- bered. I was now lying on the ground, untied. I could not see or hear a soul around me, and after a great many efforts that left me trembling, I managed to stand up. A sudden noise to my right brought my heart into my throat. I turned hastily around, thinking it was my captors. But no, it was a horse. My horse! Groping and stumbling my way toward him through the darkness, I pain- fully mounted him and resumed my jour- ney, thinking myself lucky to have escaped alive, though I felt that I should slip out of the saddle any moment. As I write this narrative, I wonder what caused the rascals to leave me unharmed and alive. Perhaps they thought that they, after all, had been mistaken and had killed an innocent traveler. Or were they frightened when they found me uncon- scious, and left me untied on the ground: I cannot fathom even to this day the reason why they left me so suddenly.” With a sigh of disappointment that so interesting a tale was ended so soon, I reluctantly but carefully placed the papers in their original place, and decided that it was time to go to bed, for the clock had just struck twelve. Isadore Richmond, June, ’24. BE A SPOUT There’s a certain little saying That we hear from time to time. No matter where we’re living, In any age or clime; It’s an age-old, kindly saying. And it fits in any rhyme— Be a Sport! At times when you are lonely, When you are feeling blue, When nothing seems exactly right. No matter what you do: Whene’er these feelings strike you, Here’s my advice to you— Be a Sport! Suppose the side you’re backing Doesn’t ever seem to win; Suppose the thing is over Before you do get in! Other folks have just such troubles: Take heed from this and grin— Be a Sport! If friends should disappoint you, Say things behind your back; If days are over-clouded, And all the world looks black; Start counting up the things you have. And not the things you lack— Be a Sport! And if a pain you harbor. You’ll find it pays to smile: If everyone should do it ’Twould soon be quite the style: It’s little things like grinning That help the long, last mile— Be a Sport! Nona West, June, ’26.

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THE GOLDEN-ROD 17 cauticn, for I had not proceeded a hun- dred yards before I heard a rough voice shout gruffly, “Halt!” and hastily pulling up my horse, I found myself gazing down the muzzle of a musket held by a redcoat. Swiftly I looked around for an avenue of escape. Vain hope! I was surrounded on all sides by what was evidently a for- aging party. “Their leader, a tall, scarred man of unprepossessing features, scrutinized me suspiciously for some moments, and then demanded my name and business. After hearing my answer, he promptly called me a liar, at which I kept a discreet silence. My calmness seemed to enrage him, for he gave an order to two of the soldiers, who violently seized me by my arms and dragged me from my mount. Then they led me none too gently to a ramshackle building. The leader called for a rope and, binding my wrists with one end, he then threw the other over a beam above my head and addressed him- self to me thus: T believe,’ said he, ‘that you know more than you pretend; so choose between giving me your informa- tion willingly or being made to tell by this,’ and he nodded his head significantly toward the rope. I glanced cautiously around me. The rest of the party were standing about in a circle, with expectant looks on their faces. During all this time I had been thinking, first, surprised at the sudden change of fate which had led me into this unexpected predicament, and secondly, wondering how long and to what end this would continue. But my mind was made up as to what course I should follow, and as I was determined to die rather than betray any information to the enemy, I knew what my fate was likely to be. “Angry and impatient at the manner in which I was delaying him, he repeated his demand with an oath. ‘Well, have you decided, Mr. Paul Aubrevr’ “ ‘I have nothing to say,’ I answered calmly. “‘Nothing, huh:’ he said with a sneer. ‘Well, my hearty, you’ll soon sing a dif- ferent tune,’ and he struck me in the face. “ ‘Go to the devil!’ I cried, and bring- ing my bound arms around in a swing, I struck him a blow that knocked him head over heels. He picked himself up, curs- ing, his face purple with rage. With a bound he seized the rope and, shouting for the others to help him, they strung me up by the wrists in a twinkling. He stood there in front of me, as I hung helpless with the rope cutting into my wrists, gloating and chuckling in great amuse- ment. “ ‘This is the thing that will make you talk, my brave rebel. It’s go ahead and be d—d to you at first, and then it’s mercy, in God’s name. Strip him, men,’ cried the enraged leader; ‘off with his coat and shoes. You’ll soon wish that you had never been born for trying any monkey- business with the King’s soldiers and for not answering when you’re spoken to. Xow, my stubborn bird,’ he concluded, ‘we shall leave you for a while,’ and, turn- ing, he went out, followed by his grinning helpers. “I heard the door close, a chain rattle, and I was alone. With the stillness my situation was brought home to me with a shock. Dazed by the rapid succession of events, I groaned in despair, cursing my misfortune. Every muscle in my body began to ache and groan with the strain, as if being pulled out from its place. The drag upon my arms made me sick as if from tossing on the sea, and a giddiness swam over me. A dryness in my throat began to choke me so that I could scarcely swallow. A numbness stole inch by inch along my legs and retreated with a thou- sand needle-pricks. The lower part of my body felt paralyzed, while my arms seemed as if they were being pulled out from their sockets. I could have raved and shouted, but half-maddened as I was from the cru- cifying pain, I was determined not to give them a chance to gloat over me if they happened to be posted outside at the door listening. A sweat sprang out upon me, trickling down my face and limbs and oozing into my clothes. Each breath my lungs drew in stabbed my vitals like a keen knife. God! How much longer must I endure this agony? I wished that I could die and end it all at once, but the throbbing of my heart grew harder and harder with each beat. My head felt as if it were bursting, everything whirled be- fore me. Then the light went out before

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THE GOLDEN-ROD 19 “Undiscovered Gold” She wasn’t at all a bad girl, or even naughty. It was just that she possessed an everlasting desire to be “in on some- thing,” as she herself expressed it. But when the elderly portion of the female sex of Hillsdale saw most every evening that Ann Evcanson, just out of her teens, had captured another young man with a road- ster that defied all speed laws, they shook their heads and looked askance on the gay little heart-breaker. And when the much- discusscd damsel, attired in a “nifty” checked knicker suit, with her hat jammed at a dangerous angle over her bobbed curls, flapped along Dale Avenue, right past Mrs. Ramsdell’s gate, on the after- noon when that dignified person was en- tertaining the minister and the committee of the Ladies’ Auxiliary on her wide front piazza, these same worthy, elderly ladies lifted their hands and rolled their eyes in horror. But Ann did not mind them in the least. In fact, she rather enjoyed the sensation she created. 'That she might be a source of anxiety to her doting parents never entered her head. Her father had striven hard to keep his business above the water- line, in order that his only daughter might be granted her every reasonable desire. There were times now when he sat up late at night pouring over account books, but although he looked grave and trou- bled, Ann never noticed it. One evening Ann, who had been called from the living-room to the ’phone, bounced back, exclaiming: “What do you know! Dotty says that her brother has invited a perfectly wonderful friend to spend the week with him. An old college friend, it seems. He must be twenty-six or seven, at least; but that does not mat- ter if he is good-looking, and so on. By the way, I want to show Dotty the lovely- compact I bought at Sayre’s today. Guess I’ll run over for a while.” M rs. Evcanson looked as if she were .about to speak, but before she had opened her lips, Ann was bounding up the stairs to her room. A great deal of care was lavished on Ann’s make-up that evening. When she arrived at Dottv’s house, she found that Bob’s much-heralded guest had already arrived, and was conversing on the veranda with a few other young men, all of whom knew Ann intimately. For what eligible young male in Hillsdale was oblivious to that young lady’s charms.5 Richard Barnet, however, ap- peared not to be in the latter class. At first he seemed amused, but soon he ex- hibited signs of boredom at the girl’s light, inconsequential chatter. Piqued by his calm indifference, she resolved to make him take notice of her. During the week of his visit, Ann found many things important enough to be talked over with Dotty at Dotty’s house. But Richard, though studiously polite, never seemed over anxious for her com- pany on these frequent visits. On the contrary, he seemed to avoid her. On the day that he left the town, Ann realized that the conquest of this cool, self-pos- sessed man had become the greatest object of her desire. But the gentleman, appar- ently unaware of the havoc he had wrought in Ann’s heart, packed his bags and went away, promising to come again when he had a chance. And Ann tear- fully told herself that, wild as she seemed to the people of Hillsdale, she must ap- pear very unsophisticated to a man of the world like Mr. Barnet. Two weeks after Richard’s departure, the cloud which had been hanging so heavily over the Evcansons’ household burst. Mr. Eveanson’s business failed. When all debts had been paid, Mr. Eve- anson found himself homeless and with exactly ninety dollars in the world. Think- ing that an opening would present itself in a larger city sooner, Mr. Evcanson took his wife and daughter to a modest apart- ment which he had rented in X—. Then he set about looking for a position. Two days passed in which nothing presented itself, and in which their small sum of money diminished steadily. Mr. Evean- son’s shoulders dropped lower than ever; all his courage seemed to be slipping away. Yet, strangely enough, neither he nor his wife thought of asking the delicate Ann to try her luck. For what could she do? Although she had been educated in a fashionable boarding-school, she was