Rangeley High School - Tattler Yearbook (Rangeley, ME)

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Tl-IE TATTLER 11 AQATERARY THE GUARD'S STORY The new doctor, scarcely out of college, but who, because of exceptional ability along certain lines, had secured an appoint- ment as an assistant at a large insane asylum, arrived at his new quarters very early Monday morning. This early ar1'ival was due to his wish to make good on his Iirst job. Ot course this was to be only a temporary job, but a good record would help toward getting another and better posi- tion. His knock was answered by a man of middle age, who proved to be one of the guards, and seemed to be the only person awake. The guard told him that he would have nearly an hour before it would be ne- bessary to report for work, and he offered to show him around the building, The of- fer was quickly accepted, and the guard proved to be better informed on a number ot things than anyone else around the asyl- um. Nearly halt an hour had passed in this manner, when they were startled by a scream, and heard someone, a man, plead- ing and threatening in some language which the doctor could not understand, The guard told him to remain where he was and that he would nne out what was the trouble and return. The doctor was as curious as most people would be in such a case, and follow- ed his guide to the front of the house. He found the guard and another guard in the hall, holding between them a strange man. From the man's actions, the doctor took him for an inmate who had been allowed a cer- tain amount of freedom. The eyes of the man were fixed on the overcoat and suitcase that the doctor had left in the hall. He was very much frightened about something, and although he was not speaking English, the doctor understood that he was pleading with his guards to do something, changing at times to a warning, or threatening tone. The guards took the man away and soon the guard returned. That is rather an unusual case, he said, and perhaps you would like to hear his story. Without waiting for the doctor to agree, he began: I can't pronounce his name. He's from some heathen country, Russia probably. How he got into the United States I don't know, for he can't speak a Word of English -at least he couldn-'t when he came here. A police officer brought him here, and I got most of his story from him. It seems that they were about to raid a certain district, and had men posted about to prevent anyone entering or leaving, when this man came along with suitcase They didn't want him to go into the place, and as it was too early for the raid, they placed a guard over him. When they led him away he left his suitcase, but one of the oilicers noticed it, and he was forced to take it to avoid suspicion. He tried to bribe the otlicers but it only made them more suspic- ions. I-Ie seemed to be in a hurry to get away and kept looking at his watch. After he made sf-veral attempts to get away, the ollioers took the straps from his suitcase and bound his wrists and ankles, and then one had to sit on him to keep him quiet. I-lis excitement grew, and he began to shout, making so much noise they had to gag him. I-le did not stop struggling until ten o'clock struck, Then he lay still until they took him to the station house, along with several others seized in the raid. Because of his queer behavior, he was examined by a doc- tor and found to be insane. In the suitcase was found an infernal machine, composed at a large amount of dynamite, and so Hxed that it would explode when the hand of an enclosed clock reached 10:01. Luckily for the policemen guarding him, the clock was

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THE TATTLER 1926 BASKETBALL TEAM 1926 BASEBALL TEAM

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V 4 12 THE T old and ineffective, and had stopped at 9:55. Whether the strain of expecting to be blown up any instant after 10 o'clock unbalanced his mind, or whether he was insane and made the bomb to accomplish his object, I don't know, but either way he got what was coming to him. This last attack was caus- ed by his seeing your suitcase while he was sweeping this morning. It is probably like the one he used. One of the doctors at the asylum ap- proached, and the guard moved off about his duties, which included collecting strange and unusual stories that he loved to tell to whoever would listen. A. L. L. '26 . 0.-l- TH E OUTCAST He was an outcast, a lonely old man with ragged, dirty clothes, shoes whose taps were so thin that every step he took on the hard road resulted in agony. His face was that of a man who had once enjoyed wealth and all the pleasures of life. His shoulders were now stooped, and his face was grey and haggard, but it was still noticeable that he had been very handsome. He was walking toward a large, bare- looking house which had a. sign on the front side- Rooms For Rent. He put his hand into his pocket and slowly drew forth a few dirty coins clutched in his fingers. He looked at them and laughed scornfully --he who handled millions. Why not? He was so tired, so hungry, so miserable. He made his way up to the front door and rang the hell. After a short pause, he was admitted by a young and very beautiful girl, very shabbily dressed. She smiled at him-the first smile that had been cast his way for many months. He asked for a room, and after mounting a flight of stairs, he was shown into a large, hare room. Ly- ing down on the bed, he was soon fast asleep. When he awoke the day was nearly gone. He muttered to himself that he must go on, somewhere-anywhere to get away from that horrible thing that was chasing him. Why had he permitted himself to be fooled? -to be led into that terrible plot from which there was no escape? ATTLER He slowly got up from the bed, leeling more rested in body, but not in mind, and made his way toward the door. He remem- bered that he had seen a window in the hall, and opening the door, he went to it. He looked out, and there in the street, coming directly toward the house, was his shadow, his follower, who had dogged his steps for months. Was there no escape? The door bell rang loudly and he listened breathlessly. He heard a light step in the hall and soon the door was opened. Has an old, dirty, ragged fool been here? a harsh voice demanded. The girl replied in a cold tone, No! no- body ever comes here. Why should they come to such an old, ramshackle house as this? This is just where he would come, the man replied. ' I am not in the habit of telling lies, re- torted the girl. The man must have believed her for he asked, Well, have you seen anyone of that description pass by here? She answered that she had seen no one pass by, and didn't care to. After a short time the piazza steps creaked and the out- cast knew that the man was gone. He walked down the stairs and met the young girl near the foot. Why, young lady, did you send that man away, and lie for my sake? With a tired smile she replied, Because you see, I happen to know who you are. The man paled and drew back, but she said, You have nothing to fear from ine, and somehow he knew that she spoke the truth. Then she knew that he was John Carver, the great banker-probably the greatest banker in England, who was wanted for a cruel murder of which he was entirely in nocent. She led him to the library and picked up a paper, about a week old. In big print its headlines held the following words: CARL NEWMAN CONFESSES TO THE MURDER OF GEORGE WARRING JOHN CARVER IS FREE He stared. Could he believe his eyes? He knew the first joy at that minute that he had felt for a long time. She then told the