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

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10 THE MUSSUL UNSQUIT that evening, but for some unaccountable reason, Alice had wanted to remain at home. As she stood admiring some beautiful flowers in the garden, Alice heard a light step behind her. She turned around and saw a man holding a hat in his hand. I beg your pardon, Miss, he said, for disturb- ing you, but I am a salesman, representing a publishing company. Here he held out a book to her. She looked at it and kept thinking it strange that he should call in the evening. Alice said that she didn't care for the book. The man, or rather youth, had hesitated, but, different from most agents, had not offered to continue the sales-talk. Instead he conversed with her a few minutes then departed. Alice was not usually nervous but this evening-probably it was because she was alone. As she had been talking to the stranger Alice thought that she had de- tected a shadow in the further part of the grounds. It wasn't anything, she kept telling herself, but somehow, sh-e could not convince her conscience and so she went into the house. As she went by her father's office she glanced in. The safe was open and their compartment of money and jewels gone! Alice suddenly felt weak, but finally reached the telephone. Police Headquarters, she said to the operator. When the Chief of Police an- swered she requested him to come to her house at once. He and several officers arrived in about fifteen minutes. Alice briefly stated the facts of the case. Did you see anyone on the grounds or prowling around? he inquired. N-no, she answered. Somehow she could not tell about the young salesman. Why, he probably wasn't only twenty, or maybe a little older, and anyhow he would- n't have done anything like stealing. Sure? the Chief asked. Yes. It was Hrmer this time. For several weeks the police searched but were not able to find any trace of the robber or robbers. One day Alice was going down-street and she met the salesman. Er-hullo, he greeted her. How-do-you-do, she answered. But suddenly a thought seized her. Did you see anyone prowling around the grounds that night you called? asked Alice. No, he said. She passed on. Alice was getting dis- the jewels and found. As her couraged now. Maybe money never would be family were by no means rich, they would have to move to less pretentious quarters until her father might have a higher salary. The jewels had been handed down from ancestors. One morning a few days later her father remarked at breakfast, If that money and those jewels aren't found soon we will have to leave this place. The day before packing, Eloise, the maid, 'brought a card in bearing the name, john Harrison. Who was that? She knew no one by that name. Bring him in, Eloise, she directed. Whom should she see but the salesman! I have come to return these thing, Miss Chalmers. Here he handed to Alice, to her utmost astonishment, the stolen money and jewels. I know you will think me nothing but a common thief, but, honestly, I did not want to act the part in the job I -did. The man that really did it knew that I owed some money. He offered to pay it if I'd talk to you until he could perform the robbery. I could see no harm in that then, but I do now. Afterwards I paid my debt and got the things away from that man. I couldn't ask you to forgive me after the way I've acted. But I do, she said, holding out her hand. Six months later the gleaming headlines

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THE MUSSUL UNSQUIT 9 reproduce. She knew that it would require colors to picture what sl1e really saw and these she did not and could not have. How she wanted them Y How she longed to sketch the splendor that her eyes could see! As with sad. dreamy eyes this child artist gazed afar out in the hazy distance she was brought hack to reality hy the snapping of a twig. Looking up with startled eyes she saw standing near her a man. He was young and very handsome, dressed in sport clothes and carried a gun, apparently hunt- ing. Frightened, Sylvia sprang to her feet ready for instant Hight. Spellhound by the wild heauty of this woodland child, and alarmed lest she should run from him, the stranger stood very still, smiling at her. Reassured, Sylvia looked again at his clean, pleasant countenance and was no longer afraid. The hunter spoke, hegged her not to he frightened as nothing could induce him to harm her. As Sylvia timidly drew nearer to him, Malcom Godfrey, ffor that was his namej told her how he happened to he there. Gaining confidence Sylvia re- seated herself and in response to his re- quest. introduced herself. There was not much to tell until, for some unknown rea- son she found herself telling him her dreams and her desires. Young Godfrey was inter- ested. especially in her love of drawing and he asked permission to return there the next day with paints and a real outfit. He wanted to help her to realize her dreams and he told her that it might he very possi- hle for her to earn money hy painting. Temptation overcame all else and Sylvia agreed to meet him there the following afternoon. On returning home the girl said nothing of her adventure to her parents. The next day Sylvia was at the meeting place long hefore the appointed time. At last he came and Sylvia's delight in the paints was unhounded. Godfrey showed his eager student how to mix and use them and then remained very still while she tried her first real picture. lireathlessly she worked and Malcom was forgotten. After a long time Sylvia seemed to have completed her work and Malcom asked eagerly to see it. Amazement covered his face as he regarded the sketch. It was a very simple scene that she had drawn, and the work was crude, hut in the heauty of it Malcom realized that here indeed was tal- ent. He asked to take her painting with him and leaving her the paints he went away promising to come hack in a day or two. Malcom was true to his word hut this time he hrought a lovely lady and a college professor with him. They talked a long time with Sylvia and at last she fully real- ized that a wonderful thing was ahout to happen in her interest. She was to have a chance to go away to a hig school and hest of all to develop her new found talent as an artist. Taking her new friends with her Sylvia went down to the shack which for sixteen years had heen her only home. Much argument was used hut finally her father was induced to let her go. Thus Sylvia left her mountains to go into the world and have all her dreams realized. .In later years she often returned to her mountains and the little shack, now with plenty of money, for life had indeed been good to her. Not for one moment did she forget those whom she had never seemed to helong to and yet who had given her her he- loved hills, which still remained so dear. Neither was Malcom and his kind deed for- gotten. Wiith childlike love Sylvia rever- enced him as a young God, until as she grew up, hoth found real love and she he- came his wife. Helen- Gtlftfcflllffll, '25, THE THEFT T was too good an evening to remain in- doors. Alice decided to take a walk around the grounds of her home. She lived in a stately old mansion. a mile from the bustle and confusion of New York Citv. Her father and mother had gone to the hall

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THE MUSSUL UNSQUIT ll of the New York Tribune, were: Mr. and Mrs. Henry Chalmers announce the engagement of their daughter, Alice, to Mr. john Harrison, son of Mr. William Harrison, the copper merchant. Gfflltflflllf Foster, '27, THE THIRD WR ECK NE day an old miner, known in the west end of the mountain division as Peter the Hermit, because he lived alone, tramped into headquarters and an- nounced that he had been warned by God that the bridge at the west end of Gold- miner's Canyon would go down under the east bound fiyer at eleven o'clock the next night. The station agent. to whom he told the matter, listened calmly until the old man was through and thanking him gave him a pass back to the mine, considering the in- cident closed. lt would have been all right had not the old miner told the same story to some of the section hands who were more super- stitious than the station agent. By night the news had been well spread around and was on the wires. Of course nothing hap- pened to the heavy Hyer, but the very next night the fast number 16 racing down a steep grade, left the steel and piled itself up in a horrible mass at the bottom of a hundred-foot embankment. It is a notion on the railroads that when there is one wreck there will be two more. Soon after the first wreck there was a rear- end collision of a freight and passenger train in which several people were injured. Then everyone held their breath for the third and final smash. Nels johnson, a big Swede, was to fire number 516, his father's engine, on the hundred mile run through the night. When he went into the roundhouse, just before they left, to bring the big engine out, he overheard two men talking on the other side I tell you it's bound to come, one of them was sayingg never knew it to fail. When there 's two smashes there 's bound to be a third. What makes it happen is because everyone is on edge and thinking of it, said the other man. If I were the boss I 'd lay off every man that has the scare fever and would start with the big fellow that's taking this engine out tonight. He's about the most rattled, said the first speaker. Nels, working quietly around the engine, gasped with astonishment. It was his father that they were talking about, he was called one of the best engineers on the division. In due time he brought the engine onto the span. and, while waiting for his father. went to work cleaning the cab which was plentifully begrimed with the black coal dust. VVhile he was shining things up his father climbed aboard. Never a man to talk much. he merely nodded to Nels and took the oil can out to oil up. ln about fifteen minutes a mellow whistle rang out announcing the arrival of the be- lated special, and 516 was ready to start out on its run up the canyon and across the Red Desert. Five minutes more saw the west end engine cut off and 516 backing fo a coupling with the train. Then came the hiss of the air brakes undergoing the test and with a shuddering blast of the exhaust as the drive wheels of the big pacific type bit the rails and the long train moved slowly away. It was not until the Hrst stop at the edge of the desert that Nels had his first good look at his father. He had just re- ceived a telegram from the train despatcher and as he read the copy to his fireman he stumbled nervously over the words as if he could not see plainly. As Nels sat at his seat during the next half of the run watching the two narrow ribbons of steel whirl by under the gleam of the headlight he suddenly saw what seemed to be a hud- dled confusion down the track and a red light dancing up and down a short distance away. As be saw that his father was mak- ing no move to stop he leaned over and shouted as loud as he could, Red! Dad! Red! and at the frenzied shout of his