Strong High School - Mussul Unsquit Yearbook (Strong, ME)

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THE MUSSUL UNSQUIT 17 leave out Milton on his schedule, as they generally had a fast team there. Frank had not heard a word from Eve- lyn for six years. It seemed an eternity to him. The tour was proving very successful and at last they arrived in Milton. The town had not changed very much as Frank could see, and as he saw the familiar scenes of his happy prep. school days he had hard work to keep from shouting with joy. Milton had a strong team that year. Henry Walton had secured a bunch of col- lege stars, and Frank could see as they tossed the ball around in practice, that it would be a battle royal. The crowd clidn't seem to recognize Frank until the game had begun, and Frank crouched behind the plate and made one of his quick snap throws to second. It went up and down the bleachers, who was catch- ing for the opposing team, and he received a great ovation. The game proved to be a pitcher's battle between the Tourists', as they called them- selves, pitching ace, Allen a southpaw, and Milton's star pitcher, Dalton, a former Yale star. The first half of the ninth inning opened with the score nothing all around. The first two men for the Tourists could do nothing with Dalton's slants. Frank was up next. He was rather dis- gusted with l1is team, as they could not seem to hit Dalton, while he had made two two-baggers on his two previous trips to the plate, only to die there. There was blood in Frank's eyes as he stepped to the plate this time. A college coached ball player generally lets the first ball go by when batting to look it over as they say that a batter is too anxious and would probably only foul it. Frank had not been an exception to the rule the first two times, and he noticed that Dalton generally put the first one right over, to everyone. Dal- to11 unsuspectingly put the first one right in the groove, for Frank. Frank stepped right into it and it sailed over the fence for a homer. Milton gave the Tourists a scare in their half of the ninth, The first man up doubled and the next one drove a liner toward third. Frank thought that it was labeled for three sacks, but the Tourists' third baseman, who was playing deep, made a wonderful stab, and caught it in one hand, threw it to sec- ond, completing a double play. Walton re- ceived a free walk. Frank knew that he would try to steal second, and although he might have let him go, as a weak hitter was up, he decided to show him once and for all how easy it was to catch him stealing. Frank signalled for an out pitch. Allen was on, and the ball came like a streak. Frank never moved in his tracks, but snapped the ball to second. The second baseman had the ball waiting for Walton, who looked pretty sheepish as he walked back to the bench. The game was over and won. As Frank was leaving the field he almost bumped into Evelyn Brown. Why, Evelyn, he said, I thought I was never going to see you again. Well, I didn't suppose it would make much difference to you if you didn't. You certainly played a wonderful game this afternoon, Frank. Hang the game. Say, Evelyn, why didn't you answer that letter I wrote to you the day after graduation P I didn't receive any letter. 4' That 's funny, said Frank, I certainly mailed it. Oh! by the way, are you going to the dance tonight? We certainly have got some swell orchestra, but I think they could do without nie if you say so. Probably that little friend of yours you had to the graduation would have some- thing to say about that. NrVhy, Evelyn, that was my sister and I wanted so much to introduce her to you. VVas it! I think I will go to the dance. That 's fine. I'll call and get you at eight, and we will take a little Spill before the dance. I've got an important question

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16 THE MUSSUL UNSQUIT The Pine Grove team was very successful that season, winning eighteen of the twenty scheduled games. Frank, however, felt quite blue after circling the bases for a home run, scoring two men ahead of him and winning the commencement day game from their old rivals, Milford Seminary, for he knew that it would be the last time he would step behind the plate for dear old Pine Grove. Next year if everything went well he would be at Harvard. Frank's sister had come to see him play his last great game for Pine Grove and to attend the commencement exercises, whiih were to be held in the assembly hall that evening. He had never told Evelyn much about his sister, and had not told her that she was going to be there on this particular occasion. He noticed, however, that Eve- lyn did not come out to the players' bench when he was picking up his things and con- gratulate him on his good playing as she generally did. Henry had told all the fel- lows and girls that Frank had an old friend of his coming to the commencement exer- She was rather provoked for she liked Frank more than she was willing to admit. Several times that evening at the recep- tion dance, Frank had started over where she was to engage a dance, but she saw him coming and made some excuses to her friends and went to the other side of the hall. Frank was very uneasy and wanted to see Evelyn before leaving for Boston next day, where he was going to work that summer. cises and Evelyn had believed him. So the next morning before leaving he wrote her a letter telling her how sorry he was that he had been unable to see her the night before, as he had wanted to ask her something and to introduce his sister to her. He also wrote the address of the firm he was going to work for and asked her to write to him. Being in a hurry he put the letter in the pocket of an old blue coat he had on while packing his trunk, and later thought that he mailed it but dropped a blank envelope in the box instead of the letter. So the time went by and Frank never heard from the letter. He was too proud to write again. He played the same great game of ball at Harvard that he had played at Pine Grove. He saw Henry Walton during a series of three games between Harvard and Yale, Henry being at Yale. He did not succeed in getting Henry at second although he reached there both times he tried, on wild pitches. So Frank put in three years at Harvard. When the great world's war broke out, he enlisted and here as every- where else he won friends and was dis- charged at the end of the war with the rank of Captain. When Frank arrived home he found a vast fortune awaiting him. His mother's only brother whom they had supposed was killed in an avalanche in British Columbia, had made a million dollars, only to be stricken with typhoid fever and die. He left this fortune to his only living relatives, Frank and his sister. So Frank went to Harvard for another year, one year without having to work him- self to death. Harvard had a wonderful team that year, only losing one game of their scheduled twenty-Eve. Frank still liked to play his cornet, and played in the college band and orchestra. The ball team that year was a musical one. Nearly every one of them played some musical instru- ment. Frank had a plan in his mind and called the members of the team together one evening, before commencement, and told them of his plan. It was to tour Massachusetts playing ball three times a week and playing for a dance in every town in which they played ball. Frank agreed to furnish two seven-passenger touring cars and a truck. Everybody thought this would be great sport so a schedule was arranged and the halls were engaged. Frank did not

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18 THE MUSSUL UNSQUIT that 's been waiting for some time. I'll see you at eight then. Good-bye. Good-bye. The Tourists had to do without the serv- ices of their star cornet player that night. The important question was answered to the satisfaction of all concerned, and after a successful season the Tourists' Orchestra played for a wedding reception for their vanquished leader. George Fletcher, '24. THE Losi' TREASURE O come, Gladys, it will do you a world of good, so said five young girls. It was agreed they should call for her at four o'clock the next morning. Four o'clock found six young girls leav- ing Pleasantdale for the week-end. They were to go to the top of Stanley Hill to enjoy the view by sunrise. The car sped on and on through the still, dark roads, the trees casting weird shadows all around them. Once out in the open road with no cottages near they started to sing and glory in being young and living. Gladys joined in the merry-making and class day songs. As the girls started Gladys' heart grew sad, but she would not let the girls know it. She put on a bold front and joined in too. At last they came to the foot of Stanley Hill and they all got out of the car, for the hill was too steep, and the girls would have to walk to the top. They carried their breakfast with them to be eaten at sunrise. Up they went through winding paths, in and out amongst the trees, and around the birds were beginning to Hit to and fro chirping with the dawn. The grass was wet with dew, the brooks went merrily on their way splashing along over the little pebbles. They would just get to the top in time to see the sunrise. just ahead of them could be seen a clearing, a few more steps and out came the six girls to see the sur- rounding towns before they were all astir with humanity. It was well worth the long climb, for the girls had never seen any- thing so lovely. It grew lighter and lighter and what a changeg in the east of the heavens slowly rose the sun, a great ball of fire, which as it came higher and higher changed slowly to a lovely gold ball. The girls all stood there spell-boundg they could not say what they felt, for they could find no words. All around everything came to life, all the birds, squirrels and rabbits hur- rying to and fro. After a while the girls all sat down in silence to eat their breakfast for they de- cided to walk around the woods and see what each girl could find real pretty in flowers or anything. They all went in different directions, each girl her own way. Gladys was glad to be left alone for a while for it seemed as though her heart would break. She wandered around and finding a nice shade tree sat down to rest and think. Two years ago she was so happy gradu- ating from college with honors, but mostly because her engagement to jack Spaulding, also a graduate, was to be announced the following week. Gladys Johnson was a girl to be loved by all who saw her, sweet and pure, with hair like gold and eyes of blue, she was always happy even though she was sad as now, there was always a sweet smile for everybody. Jack was a noble boy, a son of very re- fined, well-to-do parents. Gladys and Jack began their friendship at the first year in college which gradually ripened into something deeper than that. The last few weeks of school were indeed busy ones, everybody with his or her part in the class day exercises. Gladys had gone to the mountain to rest and was unaware that anyone was near her, when she heard a voice say, You know I love you dearly, but I am by honor bound to another though it will break my heart. Not wishing to hear what was not meant for her ears, she arose and glancing in the direction from where the voice came, she sank back silently to the ground for there was Jack talking thus so earnestly to