Quincy High School - Goldenrod Yearbook (Quincy, MA)

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18 THE GOLDEN-ROD red night-cap was on one ear. His near- sighted eyes were straining to see better. And his old-fashioned nightgown dis- closed his ankles which were getting blue from the cold. As he moved slowly on, he occasionally stopped to shake one foot and then the other to get the snow off, in much the same manner as a cat does when it is wet. When the hidden Rose The day dawned cold and clear. The snow glistened in the light from the ris- ing sun. The clock in the belfry of the little village church chimed seven as Rose Marie lifted her tousled, curly head from a much rumpled pillow. A yawn was stifled by a pretty hand which was leis- urely withdrawn as she reluctantly opened her big, lustrous brown eyes. “What time is it Fanchette?” she drawled sleepily. “It is seven o’clock, madamoiselle. Your bath is ready,” she added. “Oh! I must get right up this min- ute !” She was wide awake and, as she hopped out of bed, she said, “You know our great winter carnival is coming off this afternoon.” She gazed out of the window toward the hills which sloped up to meet the sky. Rose Marie was the last of a long line of sturdy Frcnch-Canadian stock. Her paternal grandfather had become very wealthy from his vast timber lands, and the last two generations had lived in luxuries that their frugal forefathers had never dreamed possible. Rose Marie, though reared tenderly for a few years by a gentle mother and educated care- fully by the faithful nuns in a picturesque old convent, was nevertheless passion- ately fond of all kinds of outdoor sports. When her father had bought a vast estate among the northern hills, she enjoyed herself to her heart’s content with swim- ming, fishing, and hiking in the summer, and in the winter, skating, coasting, and Mutt and Jeff looked upon this scene, they were convulsed with laughter. As they feared being seen, they ran for their rooms, leaving the absent-minded professor lecturing John Harvard on the bad example he was setting for the students. Walter Riberdy. Marie skiing. In the latter sport she had be- come most proficient and she liked it best; both because of the feeling of free- dom and of the unhampered bird-like motion through the air. She had been practicing jumping for two months for the annual carnival which was to be held that afternoon. This carnival was an- ticipated with great zest by the most ex- pert of the lovers of winter sports. At the last year’s carnival Rose Alarie had won second place in the great ski-jump- ing contest. It was her fondest hope that she might win this year. She turned from the window and ceased her day dreaming. She dressed hurriedly and hastened down to her breakfast so that she might have as much time as possible with her little “charges” before her guests for the afternoon, ar- rived. Her “charges” were the two motherless children of the gate keeper ot the estate. Little Eloise was five years old. She had light golden curly hair and big blue eyes. She was a sweet little thing who won the heart of everyone who saw her. Jean was seven, and a sturdier lad for his age was not to be found for miles around. On her arrival from the convent, Rose Marie, having been motherless herself for many years, had opened her heart and home to the two little semi-orphans. They responded to her loving care with all the affection and adoration of which their little souls were capable. It was their daily custom to accompany her to the skiing platform where they would stand and watch her jump off, and hold their breath until they

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THE GOLDEN-ROD 17 John Harvard’s Holiday Mutt and Jeff, as they were called by their friends, returned to their rooms in the Y.,.M. C. A. on Huntington Ave- nue, Boston. They had just been dis- missed from Harvard for the Christmas vacation, and because of the fact that they lived so far away, were not planning to go home for the holidays. Their real names were not Mutt and Jeff, of course, but they were called that by their friends because of the great difference in height between the two young men. John Watkins, alias Mutt, was six feet two inches in his stocking feet. He was dark-complexioned and always dressed in dark clothes. He did not dress that way because he was in mourning, but merely because he was of a retiring na- ture, and did not like to attract atten- tion. Despite his clothes, he was always playing jokes on some one, and in turn could appreciate one, even on himself. His friend, Morris Stoughton alias Jeff, was different from Mutt in every respect, except that he too, was forever playing jokes. He stood barely five feet four, with his shoes on. His hair was a bright red and his complexion nearly matched it. Instead of dressing like his friend, he assumed the loudest clothes imaginable and was, therefore, aped by all the “cake-eaters” who came in con- tact with him. However, Mutt and Jeff were the best of friends, and in Jeff’s room at the Y they were both occupied with their own thoughts. Finally Jeff broke the silence with, “Say, Mutt, let’s think of a way to get back at old Skeezicks, who bawled me out for putting a little glue in his ink yesterday.” Skeezicks was none other than Profes- sor Hopkins, the Greek instructor at the college. “Yes, and I would like to give him a Christmas present that isn’t all honey, too,” replied his friend. “Listen,” continued Mutt, “YVe will both think of a way to get back at him.” So for a few minutes they both thought, and then they compared ideas. Mutt told his plan, which was at once picked apart by Jeff. “Well, if you think that you are so clever, let’s hear yours,” said the dis- gusted Mutt. Jeff then unfolded hjs plan, and although it hurt to do so, Mutt had to admit that it sounded good. The two friends then went to eat, after which they went down town to buy some things which were necessary to carry out Jeff’s plan. They came back to their rooms carrying a long coffin- like box, which would have been in- spected by the police at any other time except Christmas. For the next five days they were continually plotting in whispers, and laughing whenever their eyes fell upon Jeff’s closed closet where the mysterious bundle was hidden. f inally Christmas evening came, and the two friends dressed up in the oldest clothes they could find and, taking their bundles, started in the direction of the campus. Next morning Professor Hopkins awoke with a start. He had heard four shots directly beneath his window. Jump- ing out of bed, his feet striking the ice- cold floor, he uttered a howl of agony. Just as he started back for bed he heard two more shots, so, overcoming his de- sire for the warm bed, he rushed to the window. To his dismay it was frosted tight and he could not see through it. Just then three more shots sounded, and the professor, thinking that someone was being murdered on his door step, rushed down a flight of cold stairs to the front door. He then stuck his night-capped head cautiously out of the front door. Upon seeing nothing dangerous he came outside and looked around. At first he saw nothing, but then advancing farther, his near-sighted eyes saw John Plarvard, the founder of the University, drinking from a bottle, while in his other hand he carried an old blunderbuss. The pro- fessor, as he approached ankle-deep in the snow, was a most curious sight. His

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THE GOLDEN-ROD 19 saw her land safely, on both feet, over a hundred and fifty feet below. This morning they were putting on their caps and mufflers as she came down the broad snowy driveway toward them. They rushed toward her and reached up for their morning kiss. All three went laughing and skipping toward the lowest of the hills, dragging a great sled behind them. They coasted and slid and snow-balled each other until they heard, during one of their rests, the chimes of the village church ring out twelve o’clock. Rose Marie seated them securely on the sled and started off toward home. As she swung along through the crisp air, she decided to take the children home to lunch with her. They all had hearty appetites after their morning in the open and thoroughly enjoyed their excellent luncheon; after which the children were taken upstairs and put to nap in Rose Marie’s sanctum. When she saw them sound asleep, she quietly left the room and prepared to meet her guests. Later—Having left word with Fan- chettc to take care of the children when they should awaken from their nap, Rose Marie departed in high spirits, with her many guests, some on skiis, some on snowshoes. They were passed by many sleighs laden with parties from the neighboring towns and villages. On the hill all was excitement and bustle. Rose Marie was greeted on all sides by friends and fellow participants. A gong sounded and all eyes were fo- cused on the toboggan race which was to open the carnival. The gaily-colored caps and scarfs gave a festive air to the scene. The rising laughter of the boys and the excited screams of the girls as they jogged over the bumps on the course gave a happy thrill to all. The height of the excitement was reached when the time came for the great ski race. Rose Marie’s turn came last and she took great interest in watching the start- ing and landing of the many other con- testants. To be sure, she had the ad- vantage of knowing the course thorough- ly but, after all, she was yet but a slight girl in comparison with the many husky woodsmen who were competing with her. All went well during the first two trials. Xo one had as yet reached her farthest jump. In the third trial, however, one of the Canadian experts soared up and out over the course and landed far be- yond her last mark. This meant, to win the event, she must beat her own record. She had never felt in better condition to do it than she did at present. She men- tally gathered together all her forces as she coolly calculated just what distance she must cover to exceed the farthest dis- tance. As she stood looking like a great scarlet-and-white bird, poised ready for flight, her eye was suddenly caught by the movement of a very tiny object ad- vancing swiftly toward that portion of the course where the last jumper had made his landing. As she leaped out from the run, she noticed that the small body had reached the course and was sliding quickly toward the mark which she had set for her final landing. As she came nearer to it she recognized the bright woolly suit which had been one of her Christmas gifts to little Eloise. What should she do? If she continued on her course she feared she should strike the baby, who had almost reached her goal. Her only alternative was to grow limp at once and fall, but this meant losing the event and no one knew what else! Without a moment’s hesitation, with all the strength of her will, she made herself relax, and as she suddenly fell to the icy ground she noticed with great relief that dear little Eloise had safely reached the level space at the end of the course. When she regained consciousness she was lying on the huge divan in front of a roaring fire in the great living room. A pair of soft, little hands were gently patting her check. As she opened her eyes, the baby girl threw her arms around Rose Marie’s neck and whispered: “I wuv ’oo, Wose Mawie.” And she felt fully repaid for her sac- rifice. Alice C. Waite, June, ’25.