Steele High School - Annual Yearbook (Dayton, OH)

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STEELE MAGNET Page Seventeen One was white with black spots, the other was brown. Both were full of the gladsome May-time spirit. The brown dog poked an inquiring nose through the gateway and sniffed. All was quiet and inviting. He entered and his white companion followed. No human being was in evidence except that still figure on the settee which emitted unearthly Sounds at intervals. Nothing was to be feared from him. The dogs made a circuit of the garden. The fresh, young lettuce tempted them and they sampled it. You may say that dogs do not eat lettuce. I aiiirm tha.t they do, and that they also eat grass, especially in the spring season. Of course, even then they do not eat a great deal, but they do eat some. ' Now, I do not know whether there is anything peculiarly exhilarating to the canine being, in fresh, tender, May lettuce, but I do know that after partaking of it, these two pups became frisky and romped back and forth across the garden. Destruction lay in their wake. As they wheeled and raced about, the loose, damp soil was lifted, and along with it came the once so promising ga.rden truck. Back and forth and to and fro they frisked as only young pups can, now across the radishes, now plowing up the beets, and now devastating the onions. Suddenly the brown dog halted in his mad career, and neatly raked out a squash plant. The white one likewise stopped and in so doing unearthed a whole row of tomatoes. They both crouched tense, leaped toward each other, and frisked away again in a wild chase. They circled, dodged, leaped, and slid, and at every moment some plant left its earthy abode and lay limp and be- draggled on the surface. In the meantime, Mrs. Billings finished her call and started home. On her way she intercepted the mail-carrier, who gave her a letter. In one corner it bore the name Department of Water. Oh, the water bill, she mentally remarked. I wonder how much it is. She ripped open the envelope and glanced at its contents. She gasped, stared blankly at the enclosed paper for a. moment, a.nd hurried on with angry mien. In the garden the white dog had taken offense at the other and a iight ensued which ultimately became so noisy that Mr. Billings was awakened. It was a. moment or two before he realized what had happened and was happening to his cherished garden. With a shout he leaped from the porch a.nd made for the two canine vandals. They noted his approach and abandoned their personal differences in flight. The dogs went through the gate together, with Billings only two steps behind. At a. scream from behind, Billings stopped short. Framed in the doorway stood his wife with horror-stricken face. A piece of paper was crumpled in her hand. Billings abandoned pursuit of the despoilers and walked with rueful face to the house. What 's the matter? No bad news, is there? he inquired. The water bin! and she handed it to him with a dramatic iiourish.

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Page Sixteen STEELE MAGNET I don't know, returned Mr. Billings, but it 's too much. I could believe that statement with a whole lot less eiort if it was divided by three. Isn't it nea.rly dinner time? What are you going to have? Well, since this is Saturday, and you didn't have to work in the oflice to-day, I thought I 'd just fix something light-sandwiches, or- Mr. Billings' temper had been fraying more and more as the sunlight grew warmer and the ground became stonier. This dictum from his wife capped the climax and he fairly stuttered: S-s-sandwiches! Sandwiches! Do you think I 'm a canary? Here I 've worked and swea.ted until the ground is fairly wet and then you say that we 'll have sandwiches for lunch! I could eat all the sandwiches in Christendom right now. Ugh! He stopped from lack of breath. Mrs. Billings' temper was rather sharp that morning and she an- swered with heat: Well, if you feel that way about it, I won't have them. You might have enough consideration for me not to expect me to slave in the kitchen all the time! And after I helped you all morning in the garden! But I should have expected that you 'd have more feeling for your stomach than for me! She dabbed at her eyes with a diminutive handkerchief. After you helped all-, Mr. Billings paused, amazement pre- vented further speech. What are you mumbling about? came the sharp query, followed by a relapse into tears. Oh, nothing. Go on and have sandwiches or humming birds' tongues or any other apology for real food, but stop crying, the ground is damp enough. Of course, if you 're going to act that way about it, I 'll go inside. I don't see what 's the matter with you to-day, George Billings ! and she iiounced into the house. The minutes passed. Mr. Billings finished his spading and started to plant the seeds. No sound came from the house. A doubt crept into Billings' mind. Had he been too hasty? He had been sorely tried, but he might have controlled his temper. Anyhow, when the rest of those blamed seeds were planted, he 'd go in and make up with her, and when the last lettuce seed had been deposited in the ground, he did as he had decided. Peace once more reigned in the Billings' household--but a day was yet to come. . Two weeks later that day cameg just when the radi hes and tomatoes and all the other delectable things were getting a good start. Every afternoon and evening Billings turned the hose on the garden plot and already it gave promise of luscious delicacies to follow. In the cellar the water meter clicked and whirred. Billings forgot how his wife had driven him to plant the garden, and showed it to hi friends with pride. That momentous afternoon Billings lay peacefully on a settee and slept. Mrs. Billings was down the street visiting a friend and hearing the latest gossip. The trash man had left Billings' alley gate open and here entered nemesis in the shape of two frisky, young pups.

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Page Eighteen STEELE MAGNET He gasped. Fifteen dollars and forty cents! I don't understand. There must be some mistake. We never used-- He stopped sheepishly in comprehension. With magnificent scorn Mrs. Billings spoke. Oh, yes, indeed, we did. See what your foolish sprinkling has cost us! Fifteen dollars and forty cents! We could buy all the vegetable we would use in two years with that. Now, what have you to show for it? Nothing! That idea of yours about having a garden in the yard was a fine one. A few more brilliant ideas like that and we 'll be bankrupt, Mr. George Billings P' She turned and stalked into the house. Mr. Billings tood still, struck dumb with the suddenness of recent events. His idea P' When he recovered the power of speech, he said-but I can't repeat it here. That was the end of Billings' garden. Ul m ADVANTAGES or STEELE OLIVER TOTTEN TEELE is one of the most familiar names in the history of Dayton. It is a name which gives inspiration to many, which is on many tongues, and which is known and honored by all Daytonians. It is the oldest high school, and there is a certain dignity in being one of its members, in announcing that you are going there or that you are one of its graduates. The small boy tells every one that he is going there and the young lady from the eighth grade longs to be in Steele. And why? you may ask. My father went, 'fmy sister is going, are common expressions, and then, Steele is such a grand, old building, it has such a pleasant and friendly appearance. Yes, that is part of the secret of Steele's attrac- tion, the open-hearted, amiable Steele-look has caused many photog- raphers and artists to set up camera or easel before its Well-known front. But it is not alone on the exterior that all have lookedg they have explored its interior and found many reasons for going to Steele, for loving Steele, and for being partakers of the Steele spirit. They who have gone and they who now go to Steele, alike, find that most of the treasure and interest of Steele lies in its faculty, that Gibral- tar-like faculty, which has clung to Steele during many trying years and which stands as a monument of the Steele tide of knowledge which has swept so many large bodies of learned students out from its friendly arms. True, there are some young members of the faculty, b-ut most of them are graduates of Steele, and all have the interests of Steele and Steele's students at heart. It is a faculty of the highest eiiiciency, an efficiency which has been acquired through research, time, and practice, an efficiency which has made this faculty the recruiting ground for the other high schools. .t