State College High School - Maroon and Gray Yearbook (State College, PA)

Page 12 text:

10 MAROON AND GRAY quainted with all the particulars regard- ing “grandmother’s salad forks”. Since Nelle’s hat and veil had been blown away it was impossible for Cleo to follow the original plan and impersonate Nelle. Cleo did not know what to do and in try- to help her out of her difficulties, the old man forgot his own troubles and soon they were busily making a plan for future movements. By the time they arrived at their destination the plan was complete and both were entirely happy. As Mr. Caldwell stepped from the car Cleo gave him the box of forks and enjoined him to be exceedingly careful of them. This he readily agreed to do and then ordered the chauffeur to take Miss Cleo back to her home. A short time later Cleo entered the ball room in her own home town and was im- mediately the center of an excited audi- ence. A dozen questions were asked at once, but through it all Cleo retained her serene demeanor and replied to only that of Nelle. “Did you do it, Cleo? asked Nelle anxiously. “Yes”, said Cleo innocently, 1 did it”. And that was all she told of the affair. Some time later when Grandmother Skene was visiting Mrs. Skene she re- marked upon the success of the reception and said: “Thank Nelle for the trouble with the salad forks. Mr. Caldwell, my most distinguished guest, said they were sent with him—by the by, my dear, Mr. Caldwell made the most amazing state- ment that night”. “Really”, exclaimed Mrs. Skene, eager for a bit of gossip. “What was it?” “He said”, continued Mrs. Skene, Sr., in her most impressive style, “he said that he had taken a particular fancy to a little negro girl—negro, mind you—named Cleohatra think of it Cleohatra—and he is going to send her to college!” L. N„ ’19. GHOSTS ON THE FARM ELL, Momsie, I’ve dont it”. “Done what, Babs?” asked Momsie, as she busily knit- ted at her socks. “You sure- ly didn’t run into the garage door again with Daddy’s new roadster?” “Oh, no!” replied Barbara, as she seat- ed herself in' the arm chair opposite her mother and gave a sigh of relief. “I’ve enlisted. I’m going to be a farmerette this summer and develop a coat of tan and some muscle, so that when brother Bob comes home from France he can’t say that I didn’t do my part. I’m tired of after- noon teas, receptions and dances, and those will constitute most of the sum- mer’s program. Geraldine Martin and I decided that we would do something worth while this summer, and Gerdy has an uncle who owns a large truck farm in Maryland, and he said that we could come there. He had two sons, but both are in France now, and he really needs help, so we’re going”. But, Barbara, you have never done any hard work and you couldn’t endure farm toil”, replied Mrs. Harding. “Mother, can’t I get used to it? Other girls do, and so can 1”, Babs definitely responded. e will see what Daddy says about

Page 11 text:

MAROON AND GRAY 9 her in such a way that she looked like a |;,rge bundle. Mose had hardly tucked in the last corner of the robe before the old man made his appearance and, taking out his watch for the hundredth time, angrily demanded if he could soon start for the city. Mose gave one nervous look at the seemingly inert bundle on the rear of the car, then he awoke the sleeping chauffeur, the pompous old gentleman took his seat, and off they went. It was a queer ride. I he chauffeur was still too sleepy to pick out the smooth portions of the road, the old man mutter- ed to himself continuously, and Cleo gasping for breath, clutching the top with one hand to keep herself from sliding off and with the other tightly grasping the precious salad forks, did not obtain much enjoyment from the situation. On they went, the road, seeming to Cleo, to get rougher and rougher. A number of miles were traversed in this manner before Cleo’s robe showed any signs of parting company with Cleo. In vain did she at- tempt to hold it at the imminent risk of rolling off, and at last the whole thing de- tached itself and sailed off into space, and with it—horror of horrors—went Cleo s hat and veil! Concealment was no longer possible. At every bump she was lurch- ed a trifle nearer the edge, until at her wit’s end, the extremity of her misery. Cleo lost all patience and shouted: “Bloody Murdah, mistah! Help me quick!’’ The portlv old gentleman started up in amazement, and, beholding a terror-strick- en black face so close to his own, seemed on the point of quitting the car immediate- ly. The chauffeur also seemed undecided whether to swerve into the fence at the side of the road or to make the car go all the faster in the hope of fleeing from this strange phenomenon. Suddenly Mr. Cald- well found himself holding a box with this peremptory command: “Hold ’em, sah—I can’t another min- ute; I’se coming over—stop there, you (this to the chauffeur)—l‘se coinin’ ovah”. Phis last information seemed to be re- ceived with some alarm from both men, but the chauffeur stopped the car and Cleo proceeded “over the top’’ in a man- ner somewhat more gymnastical than dig- nified. A couple of seconds more and Cleo found herself between the Honorable Mr. Caldwell and the chauffeur, both evident- ly trying to push out the opposite sides of the car. “I will take grandmother’s salad forks now”, said Cleo sweetly, and relieved the old man of the box which he had been clasping very gingerly. Then, addressing the chauffeur as haughtily as though she were Nelle Skene herself, she said: “You may start now. I am ready”. The chauffeur saw nothing better to do so he obeyed her instructions and on they went. Cleo turned to Mr. Caldwell, “Don’t be frightened, sir , she smiled affably and spoke in her best manner. “You are in no more hurry to get to the city than I am. 1 missed the train, so I was forced to impose upon your hospitality”. “So?” Mr. Caldwell seemed interested, “And what may be your particular rush?” A gleam of sly humor crept into her large, black eyes as she haughtily lifted her head and said : “I am going to Madam Skene’s reception”. The pompous one was duly impressed: “W hat a coincidence”, he said. “ I hat is also my destination. A waitress, I pre- sume r And thus it was that Cleo began an ex- planation and soon Mr. Caldwell was ac-

Page 13 text:

MAROON AND GRAY 11 it. Run along and get ready for dinner now”. At five o’clock Barbara entered the liv- ing room where her father and mother were engaged in a deep conversation”. “Hello, little farmerette”, called out Daddy, as Babs entered the room. “Oh, Daddy, you will allow me to go, won’t you? I’m strong and healthy, so why couldn’t I work on a farm?” “Tell me more about your plans, Girlie, and then we’ll decide”, said Daddy, as Babs perched herself on the arm of Mr. Harding’s chair. When the dinner bell sounded Barbara had succeeded in winning her father over to her way of thinking. Mr. Harding believed that girls were meant for nature and that they should be butterflies Hitting about in the fields and meadows and not always flitting about the reception rooms and dance halls. He realized that truck farming under the supervision of Gerdy’s uncle would not harm his daughter, and it would at the same time be a good ex- perience for her. He was proud to think that she was willing to give up her sum- mer pleasures and respond to what she felt was her duty. If only more of her friends would respond in the same way, Mr. Harding felt that the cosmetic deal- ers would have fewer customers when Nature could use her painter hand. «»» » Two weeks later Babs and Gerdy were sitting on the porch steps of their new abode. “Babs”, began Gerdy, “This is the night of Mable North's big dance at home, isn't it? Don’t you wish we could be therei “No, I don’t”, replied Babs somewhat peevishly. “I would just as soon sit here on the steps and listen to the rippling of the little brook and watch the moon- beams dance over the water. I think we’re mighty lucky to have this exper- ience of farm life, and 1 wouldn’t doubt but that the majority of our crowd envy »» US . “Perhaps they do”. Oh yes, Uncle said we could invite the crowd down for a week-end sometime. They could make the trip in automobiles and have a joyful time”. “Let’s not invite them until we know a little more about trucking. I want to be able to tell the different kinds of vege- tables apart and show them that we real- ly are good farmerettes. Today your uncle told me to pick the peas and when I got out to the garden I wasn’t sure which were the peas and which were the beans. So I broke open the little case . “You mean pod”, interrupted Gerdy. “Oh yes—pod; well, I broke open the pod of one and then it just dawned upon me that peas were little round green things, so I hunted the garden over to find some plant with little green balls growing on it. Your uncle thought that 1 had lost something and came out to see if he could help me. He thought it was a good joke when I told him what I was looking for—but I know better now . “Be still, Babs. I thought I saw a black shadow over by that large elm tree”, whispered Gerdy. “I overhead my aunt telling uncle Joe that she though she heard someone prowling about the last two nights. Uncle Joe told her not to speak so loudly because if the girls heard about it they would want to leave. I slipped away because I thought I had heard enough”. “Oh, Gerdy, isn’t that fine now, we can be detectives as well as farmerettes. Let’s hide in the hammock and see what happens, because I do believe that shadow belongs to a living being. The house is all dark; I suppose your uncle and aunt