R J Reynolds High School - Black and Gold Yearbook (Winston Salem, NC)

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38 THE BLACK AND GOLD. none but the wearer of the magic glasses could read the book. Taking advantage of this opportunity, I turned to the first page, an-d began with breathless interest to devour the con- tents of the pages which had sealed in them the fates of my frien-ds. The first page gave an interesting -account of a trial in the court -room of a large city in Wyoming. I was surprised to see the names -of some of my old school fellows playing the most promiinent part of the trial. Judge William Pell presided on the bench, while Lawyer Howard Godfrey airdently cross- ques-tioned the prisoner, Paul Walker, who was up for break- ing the spe-ed limit in his newly invented automo-bile. The next page gave the astonfishing news that Mamie Wall had gone on the stiage, making a speciality of performing in vaudevilles, that Ida Matlock was wielding the rod as a coun- try school-ma'am5 Sudie Self was suing for a 'divorce from her third husband, while Robert Vaughn, think of it: was circuit ri-der in the fifth Arkansas district. On t'he top of the next page was inscribed these w-ords, Lat- est Thing in Electric Flesh-Reducers. The remnainder of the page seemed at first glace, blank, but as I looked more intent- ly, -a tent rose before my view. Outside the tent, on a small platform, was seate-d a familiar figure, which I recognized as my former classmate, Daisy Yates, advertised as a 'sample of the result -of the Flesh-Reducer. Then the tent flapped open, and Within was Lessie Penry sea.ted -on the electric chair, ready to be transformed, while Glenn Davis, the wonderful inventor, waited upon her. I was still staring amazed, when all at 0-nce the picture faded away-and I found myself reading a most touching sto-ry. In front of -a small house in a distant state, a great cr-owd had gathered, for the house was to be sold at auction. It happened in this way: Two old maids, whose names were Ernestine Lo-tt and Anna Dell Neal, lived a .solitary life in this cottage, and were supporting themselves by writing lo-ve sto-ries. Their ho-me was mnortgage-d to 'Squire James Roddick, who, when they could no-t meet it, foreclosed the

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THE BLACK AND GOLD. 37 0112155 lgrnphrrg nf 1911 Almia Hauser. - Tip-top, sounded the spring rain with gentle persistency. Rock, rock, unconsciously my chair kept time to the dripping on the roof. Hip-tap, write--write, the rain seemed to say. But what should I write? My thouglitfs Were troubled and confessed. No clear vision could I get, and yet, only fifteen days till commencement-our commencement, and the class of .1911 was de-pending on me ior its vision of the future. Oh, dear, I siglied, 'tif only some sibyl wouhl come to me with the books -of the Wise, I--H: but what was that met my s-tartled gaze? A vvoman, ol-d and bent, quaintly dressed in the garb of long ago carrying in her wrinkled hand a li-ttle book, quaint and old like herself. Take it, she said., holding the book before me, read what the Wise have to say of the class of 19l1. Unconsciously I took the little bo-ok, but as I turned its pages, they were 'blank, and no Writing could I see at all. PshaW, I said, and looked up impatiently, but the little old Woman had disappeared as mysteriously as -she had come. My curiosity Was thoroughly aroused. Who was the Woman, and Why had she given me the book? I turned again to the mys- terious blank pages. In a -tiny pocket on the last page, I found a pair -of gold spectacles. Putting them on, I found o-n looking at the book, that the seemingly blank pages Were closely Writ-ten. As I turned the leaves I recognized, one by one, each member of my class. Such vivi-d pictures Were brought before my mind, that my eyes immediately filled With tears at the thought of my schoo-ldays. Taking -off the glasses to Wipe my eyes, I coul-d again see nothing. Then the truth dawned upon me. This book Was sent in order that I might know the future of my classmates, an-d it Was so arranged that

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THE BLACK AND GCLD. 39 mortgage, and ofere-d to sell the home at public auction. When the energetic little auctioneer began the s-ale, a 'deep voice sud- denly bid highest, and the property wa.s bought and presented to the thankful old maids by a bachelor who had the reputa- tion of being mighty in heart a.s well as pocketbook, David Crawford. With eyes full of tears, the next. page carried me to a more joyful scene. A beautiful church wedding was soon to be celebrated in New York, and the bride and groom-to-be were none but my old friends, Fay Naylor and Velsor Langley. On the next page, I learned the interesting news that Donna Henry had gone as a missionary to China, and th-at Harry Dalton, the silver tongued orator of High School Days, had just been appointed Minister Plenipotentiary to Turkey and was soon to sail with his fair bride, Margaret Gray. Next was the life-sized picture of Ernest Hedgecock, chief of professional ballplayers, the pride of VVinstfon-Sialem. He was ahead of Ty Cobb himself, and every -small boy longed to possess his picture, which was obtained from smoking tobacco packages. As I turned the next page, the flaming letters of Martin and Mill-oway's Great Circus caught my eye. Slowly a gre-at tent came into my view, where all the wonders of the world were being exhibited. Among them the famous lady, bare-back rider, Mary Horton, and the professi-onal lion-tamer, Percy Garner, attracted the most attention. It was a scene in New York that next caught my attention. Thousands of women were par-ading the streets under flaming banners proclaimiing, Woman's Rights and Suffrage forever! to my horror, I recognized two of my class-mates leading the procession, Grace Bynum and May Norman. On the next page, I learned that it was owing to the fiery speeche-s of that ardent womanfs Rights advocate, the Honor- able Luther Ferrell, th-at these girls had become co-nverfted to the movement. But alas, as I read further down tlhe page, I learned that poor Luther wa-s already repenting his elo-