Stadium High School - Tahoma Yearbook (Tacoma, WA)

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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.

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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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THE TAHOMA I9 His Masterpiece Miriam Zeller, ' I 3 Carl Steam, the lover of music, sat slowly playing over his finished com- position. By it he was to become famous-yes, he was sure of that. So he sat hour after hour, musing, planning, and dreaming of the glory that was to be his. He could leave his small German quarters and mingle with the men of whom he read and of whose society he craved. He had always longed for it. Again he went slowly over the manuscript. Ach, how beautiful it was! Music with him was a passion. It was live and real. Father! Oh, father, where are you? came to him softly across the hall. Before he could answer, his daughter Hilda was beside him. Oh, father, I've had the best time! l've been down the court and saw the Kaiser's parade. Listen, Hilda, said the old German. I have my opera finished. l will be great and famous: and you, you shall be a great lady. You are al- most eighteen. It can hardly be. Giirl, l've done my best for You. You have had the best I had, but it has been very poor. How can I forget the first time, when you were so small, and you looked up in my face. Girl, it seemed ,to me that my heart would burst, for that day your mother had died. i The morrow came, and with it all of the fervor and expectation of the yesterday. At nine the old man was ready, and at nine-thirty trudged out of his home and on his way. He walked very erect with his head thrown back: his eyes were kindled with a fire that spoke of triumph. The precious man- uscript he held tucked tightly under his arm. He looked like a conqueror, and felt as one. At the door of the studio he stopped a moment, then went in. Y To the old man, this studio was a holy place, for von Glieb was the mas- ter of music, and music was Stearn's god, worshiped from earliest boyhood. Well, said von Glieb, you have brought the opera? Good! Let me see it. Steam handed the package to the Master as though it were a sacrifice. Von Glieb passed the pages over hurriedly, then commenced to play. To Steam it was wonderful music and he listened breathless. The master played it through a few pages, then looked sharply at the old German: at first hesi- tatingly, then his eyes lost their sharpness and became tender. My friend, he said, we all make mistakes. God so thinks best. l am sorry for you. but your opera is worthless. Better I should tell you the truth than a falsehood' Carl Steam said nothing, reeled, and fell to the floor. He had so stead- fastly believed in his opera that failure had not entered his mind. The com-