Santa Rosa High School - Echo Yearbook (Santa Rosa, CA)

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THE ECHO OF THE SANTA ROSA’ HIGH SCHOOL The Dawn of Better Things Second Prize ADIE rolled her eyes. This magnificent motion of the young lady’s greenish orbs was a fixed habit in which she delighted, for she thought it made her look sinister. In other words, “vampish.” “Glory!” she ejaculated. “Isn’t she a made- up old doll, tho.’ Please note: Silk hose, French heels, mar- celled hair, rouge, perfume a-la-roses, and a poodle dipped in violet water. She must be over sixty, too”—this last confid- ingly. Sadie rolled her eyes again. “Poor purp!” murmured Jimmy Brown, the office boy. The object of this discussion was the wealthy Mrs. Van de Vere, who-had the most fashionable residence on Fifth Avenue, New York. Not only that, but her husband, Arnold Van de Vere, was a multi-millionaire, who had made his money in mining. Didn’t he have a gold mine in Colorado, a silver mine in Peru, diamond quarries in South Africa, and, added to that, any number of oil wells in California? Mrs. Van de Vere had entered the humble office of the New York “Herald’—-not so humble by the, but made so by her majestic presence—to insert an ad in the “Lost and Found” column. The statement read thus: LOST—Diamond necklace. If found, return to Mrs. Van de Vere, or phone 666. Reward. Sadie read the words on the slip of paper aloud, and the office force gasped in unison, “A diamond necklace! It must be worth a million!” “Oh Boy!” yelled Jimmy. “Do you suppose it could be

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THE ECHO OF THE SANTA ROSA HIGH SCHOOL my being when I left the last arm-joint, and let myself drop the remaining twelve feet into the swirling waters below. I was jostled about, but managed to catch hold of a rock and climb upon it in time to avoid being carried out to sea with the tide which had just started to ebb. I sat on a rock and waited for the tide to recede far enough to enable me to find a point on the coast which I could scale. Then home! All had not ended however, for I heard a loud cry and looked up in time to see the old man start swiftly down the ladder. Caution was far from him, for he came as fast as he could by great long strokes. It seemed as though he had but started when the ladder broke and the recluse, clinging to the chain of bones, fell headlong upon the jagged rocks below. I looked on as one in a horrid dream, and watched the ebb tide bear the corpse from off the rocks out into the sea. As I waited for the tide to recede I sat and dreamily watched the shortened chain of bones as it rattled in the breeze against the cliff. Carl Stroven, ’20.

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THE ECHO OF THE SANTA ROSA HIGH SCHOOL found?” Smith, the bookkeeper, shook his head. “No doubt she has already ordered an army of detectives,” he said. “A million-dollar diamond necklace wouldn’t be left to chance, my boy. Still you’ve a fairly good show,” and then he smiled. This seémed to cheer Jinymy a good deal, for he whistled “Kiss Me Again,” until quitting time. As the gong sounded, Sadie donned her much-mended little fur, and the winter bon- net that had been new three winters before. Smith tied a long woolen scarf around his neck to ward off the dampness, and as he walked, the long ends flopped up and down in the chill wind, until he looked like a scare-crow turned loose out of Bedlam. Everywhere was hurry and confusion. Hundreds of peo- ple, the day’s work being over, were filing swiftly homeward, or tarrying in stores to make a few meager purchases for their suppers. Smith met Jimmy on the corner. The boy’s collar was pinned up tight, and his hands were stuffed deep into his pockets, “Good luck, old chap,” said Smith kindly, as Jimmy trudged gaily off into the winter twilight, dreaming dreams of great rewards, and, most of all, of the little country home for mother. They’d get it some day. Why, hadn’t he already saved up $3.16 for it? This magnificent sum had been obtained by sacrifices on Jimmy’s part, for he had gone without ice cream in summer and hot coffee in winter, and that’s no joke for a boy of twelve. Jimmy was a real boy—brick-haired, blue-eyed, and as freckled as a turkey egg. In spite of the burden of supporting his mother and himself, he was happy-go-lucky and light- hearted. What more could one wish? Down the street went Jimmy; down toward the little tene- ment district in which he lived. The air was filled with the