Racine High School - Kipikawi Yearbook (Racine, WI)

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Henryls heart. Immediately he sent a message over to Seat 928 bearing this legend, Vl'ho is he, anyhow? At least he had a right to know who his rival was. Vlihen the reply came back, he read it hastily, gasped, and then read again, 'fjimmie Bartlett is president of the Freshman class. At that moment William Henry lost all desire for revenge. He wished only to die, to leave behind this cruel world with all its troubles, caused, for the most part, by women, with their wiles and cunning ways of trapping men into their snares. Never again would he fall in love. That very evening Vliilliam Henry could eat no supper, refused to talk, and for once in his life neglected to tease is younger sister. At last Klrs. Simpkins became so worried that she gave him a dose of castor oil and made him go to bed two hours earlier than usual. As Vliilliam Henry -lay in the dark with three extra covers on him to keep him from getting cold, and an ice pack on his head and neck to keep away the fever, he thought as he had never thought before. Finally, however, he found partial comfort. at least, in the fact that all really great men meet with misfortunes at one time or another in their lives. From that time on, he vowed, he would weigh his actions carefully. He would never again fall in love, he would never again do anything for the Freshies, and, furthermore, he would never, never asso- ciate with a Freshman, or even con- descend to speak to one. He would always remember his position, his diginty, and his importance to the world as a Junior. Lewis Nlkkvlckix, '21, Prospects I dearly love a smallish man, He's jolly and he's fat, He's full as broad as he is tallff Oh yes, heis all of that. He says that he will marrv me, And take me off to dwell ln .fairy land, far, far away, And welll stay there a spell. But if we ever tire of that, Viihy then we'll move away, Wie won't say where welre going to, Or where we'll maybe stay. We'll live on honey bees have brought, And drink the sparkling dew, Ur maybe just because we like, VVe'll live on love for two. Believe or not this wondrous tale, The proof is plain to me, The man who promised all these things, l'd guess is not yet three. g 7 7 JOSEPHINE VTKAGONER, 21. The tbiapssep uf a Senior Speak to me, hluse, of the delinquent senior who received only pink cards after weary years of bluff. Many hard knocks he took and many a pang he bore, while struggling through a sea of Virgil, which threatened to engulf him. Yet even so, by his zeal he did not gain a credit, for through a miscalculation he flunkedg fool, who would rather dance than cram. Of this, O master of these halls of learning, beginning where thou wilt, speak to me. As soon as the rosy-fingered dawn of childhood had disappeared, he assembled as a freshman with the untried of R. H. S. Straightway the long-faced teachers bade him study and into his gentle nature was born a deep distrust which grew and was strengthened as time went on. Through four years he wandered as one in a trance, sometimes with renewed hope at some strange freak of fortune, but al- ways with a disastrous end. Through four long years of torture was our Senior buffeted, for, by the hand of Fate, while suffering between MP and HF Clike unto

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might consent to bring true the dreams which he had cherished for months. He could not bring himself to the point of asking her, however, and so he feared he would be forced to do it by writing. The next day Wvilliam made the leap. In the assembly during the third period, when the teacher in charge was not look- ing, a note propelled by VVilliam Henry's strong right arm flew through the air and landed on Her desk. She opened it and read, Are you going to the Prom? A moment later a note Hew back along the self-same path. In feverish haste, W'illiam Henry recovered it from where it lay on the floor six feet away, and opened it. He read, turned pale, and read again, I ca:i't. Ifm a Frerhmanf' In that moment VVilliam Henry's world went black. His ideals were shattered, his ambition gone, and all desire to live was suddenly snatched away. To think that he, afunior, had been worshipping a mere Freshman! VVilliam Henry felt dazed. He remained slouched in his seat, deep in thought, until a look of determina- tion suddenly appeared on his face. Evidently his mind was completely made up. He turned in his seat and smiled at Her. She smiled back, and with that smile there came to VVilliam Henry the thought that, after all, this old world was not so bad as it might be. At the Junior class meeting which was held on the next day, the class was astonished to behold VVilliam Henry rise and tear down all the barriers he had so vigorously erected before. lN'Ir. Chairmanf' he began, after giving serious thought to the matter, I have-erh decided that I was mistaken in the views which I held last Tuesday, and I have-er- decided to withdraw them completely. I believe that the Freshmen are-er- as good as we are, and I hereby make the motion that they be allowed to attend the Junior Prom to be held on next Monday night.'7 A.. The room was so still that one might have heard a pin drop. The class was astounded. Never before had so great a Freshie Hateri' as VVilliam Henry Simp- kins made such a speech in the annals of hIelville High. The 'depth of their amazement may be better understood when it is realized that before the class woke up and became their natural selves once more, Wfilliam Henryfs motion had been voted upon and passed. Wyilliam Henry went home that night in a mood such as he had not been in for weeks. At last he could ask Her for that cherished privilege which would make all his dreams come true. He retired that evening still thinking about it, and when he arose in the morning the thought was still uppermost in his mind. Vkhen he arrived at school and walked through the halls, he found that the news of the junior meeting had spread all through the student body. VVherever VVilliam Henry walked, he was followed by the admiring gaze of several dozen Freshmen who had found a new idol to worship. That celebrity paid no heed, however, for his thoughts were centered solely upon Her. If the teacher in charge of the assembly during the third period that morning had not been so busy preparing questions for a test, she might have seen a small wad of paper, sent from seat 870, fly swiftly through the air for several feet and alight silently on the desk of seat 928, wherein sat She. She took the paper, opened it and read, Are you going to the Prom? She frowned, turned the paper over and wrote something on the back of it. Then She sent it back. Wvilliam Henry took the note, opened it hastily and read the message which shattered forever all his faith in the fair sex. Staring at him from the crumpled sheet of paper were these words, 'fYes, with Jimmie Bartlett. A longing for revenge filled Wvilliam 77

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Scylla and Charybdisl, he was pronounced incorrigible. From then on, his suffering was intense. Several times he visited the land of the dead and had deep discussions with its king, but always he was recalled by changes in teachers and circumstances. Thrice, while in the storm of many lessons, he nearly expired and always perspired, but fortune was not good to him, and he lived on. Then a great plague swept the region and our senior was sore stricken. To the gods this disease was known as spring fever, to the people, as the hook- worm. The dread disease passed but re- cuperation was slow. Finally, with a groan he realized that the time had come to return to his native elements. So his sad countenance was seen once more at the Hades of R. H. S. As he, wailing, besought an excuse, he was recognized by certain well-known looks upon his face. Receiving the temporary,,' he with- drew from this room of shadows, but, upon her who had given the excuse so grudg- ingly, fell the gloom of darksome death when she beheld this senior twenty days absent. Then came the trial, the trial of brains and genius at the semesterls end. Five days of tortuous tests! O ye godsl The bitterness of itl lmmediately he prayed to every god of the council of Olympus and to many others for assistance. His need of help was great, therefore many gods were appealed to. One would not do. The tests passed, but with what dire results! Be it known that this roving senior had wasted away, at this crisis, almost beyond recognition. Fearing and still praying he received his cards. Slowly he looked at them one after another. Slowly he absorbed their contents. Then his mighty spirit broke and he wept in agony. His splendid effort had been wasted. The gods held council and it was forced into his lifeless eranium that he was a failure. The decision was that he spend one more year at R. H. S. Sadly A.. he began the period of rest and peace which would last but ten short weeks, with only the loyalty of the junior class to spur him on. Even as Penelope had waited for the long-wandering Odysseus, this class had waited with fond ex- pectancy to call this wondering senior its own, looking forward to days and nights of frolicking with this fun-loving, seldom- worried, delinquent senior. W11.M1zR Davis, TZZ. just a Miniature Betty turned abruptly from the low kitchen window, upsetting a crock of milk in her excitement. ':0hl he is coming, I see a great big cloud of dust with a little yellow speck in the middle down by the clump of poplarsf' 'fWell, now don't be upsettin' every- thing in my kitchen. ltis about time he was comin' anyhow! exclaimed Aunt Sadie in her sour fashion as she turned from the old black cook stove. Betty Dugan had lived with her ill- tempered Aunt Sadie and indulgent Uncle Jim ever since her parents were killed when she was but five years old. As Tfncle Jim trudged into the kitchen Aunt Sadie greeted him, c'Did you get that bread and flour? '4Yes, I got it,', answered Tfncle Jim, and as his glance fell upon Betty his face lighted up and he added, Hand something for my pet too.'7 As he stood fumbling in his pocket Aunt Sadie handed a mop to Betty and began, 'fBetty,clean up that mess, and Jim, don't stand there with the door open all dayf You do more chasini around in that good fer nothin' flivver than any- thing else, and l never could see why you had it painted that yaller color, and besides l canlt see what you two want with those fool pitchers anyhowln 'WY'-ll as long as Betty and l likes ,em 77