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

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THE MUSSUL UNSQUIT 19 another. Gladys remained in the same spot long after the others had gone, wishing she could die, right then, her heart was broken. She returned to the dormitory a changed girl resolving not to say anything to ,Tack but to avoid meeting or talking with him. The girls all noticed it but none of them said anything to herg she no longer joined the girls in fun. Immediately after graduation she left for home. Three days later with her parents she went abroad to see different places of interest but really hoping she would forget her love for one who proved so false. Here she was sitting under the same tree that must also heard those words that caused so much heartache. Jack noticed that Gladys avoided meeting him, but he was so busy with rehearsals that he could not manage to speak to her and learn what had happened. As soon as he could after the exercises he hurried to Gladys but she was gone. Didn't she leave me some sort of message F' he asked the girls. But there was no message for him. Jack was terribly hurt by this action of l1is darling's. He determined to go to her as soon as he got home. He wrote to her, telling he was coming to see l1er, but his letter came back. Imagine his surprise when on going to her home he was told that Gladys with her parents had sailed abroad two days before. He resolved to find her and learn what had happened to cause her to act so towards hi1n. His heart was broken. He sailed on the very next steamer, hoping to see her somewhere. He looked everywhere but all in vain. After spending a year abroad he took up his practice of law. His parents were sur- prised to think the girl they were to call daughter should go without leaving one word to the boy they idolized. During the following year he made a great success at law and would some day be one of the best lawyers. But he was not happy, for he could find no trace of his loved one. Meanwhile Gladys had traveled every- where trying to interest herself in all the sights and forget. But day by day she grew thinner and paler and very seldom did she join in social gayeties. They remained abroad for a year and a half and then re- turned home. Her parents wanted to call jack to account for his supposed falseness but Gladys would not hear of it. She re- mained quietly at home, drooping visibly day by day. Her classmates tried their best to get her to join them on many of their trips but in vain. It was a surprise to them when Gladys accepted this invitation. The same day Jack with a few of his classmates started on a trip and came once more to visit the place they all enjoyed when attending the college. jack said he was going to climb to the top of the hill and see if he could find any lost treasure amongst the trees and rocks, or perhaps he might find some gold. They all laughingly wished him luck and Jack started. Many times he had walked up this same hill with Gladys by his side, planning so much for the future, but what did the future hold for him now? He could see nothing to bright- en his life, without his beloved. And so he walked with thoughts of Gladys and mem- ories of the different places where they used to sit and plan. He was tired before he reached the top and thought he would sit beneath the big tree yonder and rest. He was lost in thought and so did not see any- one there until he came to the tree and saw the one he had looked for so long. Gladys ! Jack ! They were in each other's arms, all thoughts of the past forgotten in that one moment of joy. Then Jack said, Gladys, tell me what happened. Why have you hidden yourself from me all this time? Then came the explanations of all she heard and how she felt about the words she heard him say to another. jack explained to her the meaning of those words she over- heard, and told her how he had followed her everywhere in hopes of finding her, but all in vain.

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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

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20 THE MUSSUL UNSQUIT After all explanations, two happier people could not be found elsewhere. For all their suffering their love was all the more precious. They were unconscious of the time until they saw Gladys' and Jack's friends coming in opposite directions in search of the lost ones. It certainly was a wonderful reunion, classmates and loved ones. Jack would not go any further on his trip but would go to Gladys' home. Gladys did not go any further and as her friends did not want to go without her, there was a party of twelve returned to Pleasantdale that night. Jack later told his friends that he indeed had found the lost treasure he went to look for little thinking that he would find the precious one he unconsciously lost two sad years ago. Gladys looked up to Marjorie and ex- plained to her how she had wronged her, thinking she had won Jack's affections by being with him that day on the hill when they were rehearsing their part in the drama. Two better friends could not be found anywhere after that. Each summer they made a trip to that memorable Stanley Hill adjoining Stanley College, which had unknowingly caused so much sadness and gladness to Gladys John- son and Jack Spaulding, now Mr. and Mrs. Jack Spaulding. Orra Welch, '24. 0UTLAW'S CAVE EG was riding along an old woods- road, one bright June morning, comfortably seated on Julius, her horse, and wondering about the story her father had told her the night before, while they sat at the supper table, and trying to decide whether or not that story had anything to do with his trip to the village today. Julius was picking his own way and when Meg came to her senses she suddenly thought that this was the road that led to Out- law's Cave, as she called it, where,,when a small girl, she used to play she was leader of a band of outlaws. She had not visited this cave since she had been going east to school, and as she had nothing better to do, determined to go there, this morning. So tightening her grip on the reins she started Julius on a trot. Meg's real name was Marjorie Barrotte, only child of William Barrotte, known to the public as Clover-Seed Bill. Her mother died when she was a small child, and ever since she could remember she had lived with her father and Topsy, the cook, in a. cute little cottage not far from the Ranco at Wild Rose Ranch, until three years ago when she had been sent east for an educa- tion. She had come home the day before, and that night at supper her father had told her the story she had begged for so long, about her mother, which seemed to her more like a fairy tale than a true story. In the olden days, there had lived, in the nearby town, a beautiful girl named Margie Gardner. She was the town belle, loved by many, and liked by all. Also in the town there were two young men, William Barrotte and Robert Blaine, friends yet rivals. Both liked the girl. After a long time Willie won Margie's love, and they lived at Wild Rose Ranch, until she died. Robert never forgave William for this. He ran away and no one heard from him for years, then he showed up as a leader of an outlaw party, which made more or less trouble for the village people, especially Barrotte. Then he again disappeared. No one had heard from him since. Meg was thinking of this story when she neared the cave. She jumped off her horse and taking from the saddle pocket a flash- light, entered Outlaw's Cave . Julius al- ways waited whenever left alone until Meg returned. She went into the cave. Here she saw an old spoon and there part of a broken dish half buried in the dirt. She went to the end of the cave, finding everything looking the same, with the exception of a few natural changes.