Quincy High School - Goldenrod Yearbook (Quincy, MA)

Page 21 text:

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

Page 20 text:

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.

Page 22 text:

20 THE GOLDEN-ROD fitted for no responsible position. . And Ann herself: When the third day had come and gone, and with it no signs of work for her father, she began to think seriously. She knew that she could not do secretarial work. She might be able to become a clerk, but where: The next morning Ann slipped out of the house after breakfast. She had be- come very grave in these last few days. Life seemed to have shown that work was to be done everywhere; there was no time to be fooled away. But where: Again that discouraging word. It is doubtful if the elderly female population of Hillsdale would have recognized, at first glance, the pale, sober, little lady who walked quickly down the busy street that morning. From one employment office to another she wandered for the greater part of the day. But nowhere did she meet with success. Late in the afternoon, Ann wended her way back disconsolately. If she could not obtain work and her father was equally unsuccessful, what were they to do: She turned a corner and was jostled roughly by a stout woman. Looking up, she dis- covered that she was standing before a theatre. And above the ticket office her startled gaze fell upon a sign: “Girl Wanted” Her heart jumped, and then she began to consider. Her pride would not allow her to take that sort of job. What if some of her former associates should see her sitting in this little box, like so many of the painted girls she had seen, dealing out tickets to a pleasure-seeking crowd: Her thoughts suddenly turned to Richard Bar- net. She could almost see the amused expression which she fancied would come over his face if he saw her here and com- pared her with the girl she had been when he saw her in Hillsdale. She wanted to move on, but something compelled her to enter the building. As if in a dream, she found herself in the manager’s office, an- swering questions and finally being told to report for work the following morning. Both Mr. and Mrs. Eveanson greeted the announcement of Ann’s decision to work with unbounded astonishment, and not a little gladness. Surely this revealed a new and formerly undiscovered trait in their daughter’s character. One evening Ann, tearing off tickets and making change as rapidly as her tired fingers would permit, heard a low ex- clamation of amazement from outside the booth. She looked up, to see a woman turning away. In a few days the inevitable happened. As Ann was walking through the brightly- lighted street after leaving the office for the evening, a low, strangely familiar voice sounded in her ear. Turning quick- ly, she looked up into the eyes of Richard Barnet. A flood of color rushed into her cheeks, and a sudden desire to run away surged through her. But the young man, boldly drawing her hand through his arm, led her, dumbfounded, into the street. “I left a taxi waiting at the next cor- ner,” he said. This awakened her. “Where are you taking me?” she demanded. “Why, home. I promised your mother—” “My mother! You have visited my mother: But—why—how did you find—” “Oh, easily enough! One of your for- mer friends in Hillsdale happened to see you here working at the theatre, and kind- ly spread it all over town. Dotty wrote to me, telling me all,—your father’s fail- ure and—everything. So you have awak- ened at last, Ann?” “Awakened?” repeated Ann blankly. “Awakened? Why, for the last week or two I have felt as if I were in a strange dream. If you thought me dull and mon- otonous back in Hillsdale, how can you think me otherwise now, of all times?” One of Richard’s big hands closed over the small one resting on his arm. “Dull and monotonous? Why, I thought you were a little too ‘fast’ for me, and determined to forget you. You see, I didn’t think this earnestness was in you. I—Oh, the dickens! What am I raving this way for, when there is really only one thing to say? I saw your parents tonight and received permission to tell you— something—and—and—ask you some- thing, Ann!” Ann’s heart was thumping madly. A wild sense of delicious joy ran like quick- silver through her veins. “Ann!” Richard was looking anxiously into her face.