Stadium High School - Tahoma Yearbook (Tacoma, WA)

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THE TAI-IOMA I7 filld the stove before retiring for the night. The chimney is so awfully rick- ety, but we'll freeze out without any fire. Gale started a trifle guiltily, and then quickly blew out the light to hide a smile. It was going to be so easy to deceive her husband! For a long time she lay staring into the darkness, wondering when it would be safe to execute her plan. Outside, the rain had ceased to fall, but the wind still blew dis- xnally round the cabin, and everything was wrapped in inky blackness. Gale shuddered as she thought of venturing out alone. Minute by minute she put off making the start, till at length the wind sounded a long way off, and finally formed a background for her dreams. It was some two hours later that Gale woke with a start, with a con- fused idea in her head that the cabin was on fire and that the door had just crashed in. She sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes till she had safely sorted out what was dream and what was real. It was still blowing outside, and she couldn't see the faintest outline of her fingers when she held them up before her. But with a sudden impulse she slipped out of bed, and reaching under it for her kindling, felt round for the door. 'Tm going to do it before I have time to get scared, she promised herselfg but, nevertheless, her heart beat double-quick time as she stumbled off the porch and found herself enveloped in darkness. Gale had often heard of the voices of the night, but never before had she realized what that phrase might mean. She listened now, with an emotion between fascination and terror, to the wind come sweeping through the surrounding forest, swaying the gigantic timbers till they creaked and groaned, or moving with stealthy rustle through the tangled underbrush. It would be easy to believe in spirits on a night like this, she thought to herself, as she slipped around the cabin to the chimney side. Kneeling down where she believed the chimney to be, she arranged her kindling with painful exactness-smallest shavings on top, after the manner of women. Feeling about for a dry place, she was about to strike a match, when not six feet away another match flared up, illuminating the familiar features of-her husband! Roger! she gasped, for the first time in her life pronouncing that name in an accent of fear. He raised the match, so as to include her in the circle of light. Gale! what are you doing here? . I-I was just admiring the moon. Gale uttered the first wild idea that entered her brain. Moon-where in the CL- is the moon? Roger looked blankly up into the inky sky. It's--never mind where 'tis. You had no right to spy on me this way! And Gale burst into a flood of hysterical tears. I-spy on you? Roger was so astonished at this turn of affairs that

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I6 THE TAHOMA as she placed the bundle under her bed. The rest of the day Cale went about her work with a mind so removed from the ordinary duties of life that she boiled the potatoes in the teakettle, and fried the meat in the baking pan. It was still raining that night, as Roger trudged wearily back from the station. His path was scarcely more than a cow trail, and at almost every step he encountered the wet, water-laden bushes. They flew back into his face, knocked off 'his hat. and now and again sent little streams of water trickling clown under his coat collar. Finally, he threw himself down on a log, under the sheltering boughs of a great fir tree. Lordy, he muttered to .himself, as he felt the chill of his wet garments, Lordy, if this is what they call getting back to nature, I don't want to get any further back. Suddenly he sniffed. An odor of burning spuds came strongly from the direction of the cabin. Yep, he groaned, Burnt spuds, sour bread, and a bunch of flowers, that's a dickens of a supper for a hungry man. Roger wasn't a quitter either, but as he smelled the unsavory mess, he did long from the bottom of his heart for the fleshpots of Egypt. After all, a man's appe- tite fills a pretty large place in his life. Blamed if I wouldn't like to dig out of this, he continued, moodily. But since I suggested coming here, I won't suggest going back. I suppose she's enjoying all this, anyway. Women like her will put up with an awful lot of hardship for a little romance. Guess the only way out is to blow up the whole concern. Suddenly he started. That notion had given him an inspiration. If he couldn't blow it up, why not burn it down! It would be easy enough to kindle the fire without his wife's knowledge, and then it would seem that fate had decided affairs for them. Roger had it all planned out before leaving the log, and it was with many a chuckle, and a deal of inner satisfaction, that he cov- ered the remainder of the distance to the cabin. At the supper table, he masticated the burnt spuds with such unusual good grace and made himself so agreeable, that Gale half repented her wicked pur- pose. Poor fellow, she thought, he does enjoy himself so-it's a shame to spoil it for him. She even tossed up a penny to decide whether or not to carry out her intent. U 'Heads it's a go, tails not so,' H she repeated to lier- self. It came tails, But Gale, woman-like decided upon the contrary. Gee Willikins, listen to that wind! You'll need an extra pile of wood tomorrow. Roger chuckled a little later as he cut a big pile of kindling in front of the door. Cale thought she might save him the trouble, but wisely held her peace. I guess this is a rather risky proposition, he remarked casually, as he

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I8 TI-IE. TAHOMA he let the match scorch his fingers before he thought to drop it. A Ye-es, his wife sobbed, seeking to hide her own misdeed by magnify- ing what she believed to be his. 'cNobocly but a sneak would spy. I ju-just wished I'd burnt down the cabin with you in it. At the utterance of this bloodthirsty wish Roger hastily lighted another match, and when its light again illuminated the scene, Gale ceased her sobbing to gaze in astonishment at two carefully arranged bundles of kindling, resting against the wall. Then the true state of affairs dawned upon her. Roger, she cried, but this time in triumph, Roger Morton, you were trying to burn down the cabin! And I suppose my wife was merely building smudges to keep away the mosquitoes. He stooped to examine the betraying shavings. But you would never have disturbed my slumber with this. How many times have I told you Ere won't burn downward ? You needn't be such a pie-face, Gale retorted angrily. I don't see why you wanted to burn the cabin, anyway. You dan't have to wash, and scrub, and bake, and cook, and,- Well, I have to eat what you cook, don't I? Roger spokeias if his actions needed no further explanations. Gale was at that moment especially well prepared to deliver an oration on the baseness of men in general, and her husband in particular, when an extra violent gust of wind took the opening words from her lips. Nearby in the forest they heard a tree rip from its moorings, rush through the air for a second, and then fall heavily against another tree. For a few moments the two giants swayed and groaned, like mythical monsters in mortal combat. Then came a sudden rush, a snapping and tearing of branches, and one mighty crash, as the enormous timbers struck the earth together. The local earthquake which followed almost shook the cabin from its foundation. :win n as - I guess wed better go to bed, Roger decided at last through chat- tering teeth. And be thankful that two fools still have a roof over their heads, Gale added, groping for her companion's hand. And spuds to eat, he commented with a chuckle, as his hand closed over hers.