Taunton High School - Journal Yearbook (Taunton, MA)

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J UST BETWEEN OURSELVES BERTHA VVILLIAMS RS. Burrs was a living danger sign, a veritable Stop, Look, and Listen with emphasis on the Lisien. In short, Mrs. Burrs was a gossip! Hev you heard? Hortense Yelle, sitting bolt upright in her customary chair, evidently had not, for she placidly continued to jab the point of an unsuspecting needle ata seemingly endless length of thread. Uva Dunn, fair, fat and forty, bent visibly nearer in mute appeal, and Eliza Primm, her dangerously spear-like scissors poised in mid-air, stared at the speaker in keen anticipation. Mrs. Burrs, apparently satisfied with the result of her query, eyed her devout followers with approval, selected a bonbon, and shyly proclaimed that she really didn't know asshe hed ought to tell it. just then the stately figure of Miss D. S. M. Van Percy appeared in the door-way, and the topic of the moment was laid aside until the aris- tocratic idol of the T. N. S. Welfare Society had been duly admired and made comfortable. Shortly after, Mrs. Burrs, herself, resumed the subject by demanding, VVhat do you think, Hortense? If you was me, would you tell it? Hortense, unfortunately, was deaf, and her only reply was a mild Eh? Mrs. Burrs did not repeat the question-it was unnecessary. For Miss D. S. M. Van Percy, after biting her lower lip with singularly white and even teeth-Van Percy teeth, the pride of generations-em couraged in her monotonously iambic, yet exceedingly admired tongue, I really don'i see 'why you shouldn't tell. It's-just between ourselves, you know! And Miss D. S. M's wishes were law. It really is hard to believe, an' I wouldn't repeat a word of it to anyone but you, a' course, but from wot Mrs. Maker tole me an' wot I see with my own eyes, I shud say I'm pretty well informed. Mrs. Burrs paused to impress the point, and no one showed the slightest sign of impatience. Mrs. Myra C. Burrs was not to be hurried! Dva Dunn settled her horn- rimmed spectacles more firmly on the bridge of her nose, and waited. Miss Van Percy cocked her head, birdlike, on one side, and decided on 21 peppermint. Hortense Yelle sewed calmly on! 63

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THE JO URNAL E. Hubbard:-The tremulo of my knees during parade to the next Admiral. My hat to anyone who doesn't mind wearing a floor-mop. Kappa Phi Delta :-To the Kappa Phi Delta of '23, our ability to make money, and to get in and out of trouble, and our front seats in the Assembly Hall. D. Lahar:-To Dot Keith '23, my ability to convince teachers that A . Jlliller :- it is entirely unnecessary to report for discipline. My incomparable experience as a Ford mechanic to Mickey White '24, To Pop Walker '24,my many invitations to dine at a four o'clock tea. To Mr. K-p-r, my imported Mongolian tie. M. Oxnard:-To B. Knox '23, my ability to translate Virgil at sight Cwhen only I have done it the day before.D L. Phillips '--To McNelly '23, my private still and tobacco farm. M. Solmer:-To B. Teplow '23, my barbed-wire, self-dripping fountain pen. E. Slaples:-To those that are jealous, I gladly bequeath my extra- L. Teplow ordinary powers of talking much and saying little. '-To whoever has the nerve to take Trig. in the years to come, my ability to make Miss B-l-rd talk on any sub- ject except Trig. J. S. While:-My Ford to Miss S--, in order that she may get back for the afternoon sessions. M. Wienerl:YMy turquoise framed glasses to Mr. F-s-th. ---- . An alarm clock to Mr. K-p-r, in order that he may study the evolution of a psychological moment . B. Williamsz- My antipathy to chocolate-coveredparallelopipedonsn stufied with ice cream, to whoever may wish it. B. Young :-To L. MacAdam '23, my ability to dodge Winthrop Street lamp-posts at one A. M. Sunday mornings. To E. Swan '23, my drug store complexion. T. Club:-To the members of 23, two stacks of shingles before the next initiation. 62

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THE JO URNAL Well, the gossip conceded at length, it was this way. You know that young Atkins fellow wot lives down Mrs. Maker's boarding house? Right across the street from me? Well, he's gone an' went ter work- Mrs. Burrs paused as if that capped the climax. Ova Dunn, for the first time that day, stopped chewing her basting thread. Miss D. S. M. Van Percy lifted one eyebrow disdainfully. and eloped with Emmie Grant, Mrs. Burrs finished triumphantly. Miss Van Percy raised her other eyebrow. Ova Dunn began chewing again. The idea! Eliza Primm drawled, her mouth full of pins. Mrs. Burrs was already off again on her story. I ben expectin' it right along, she declared, nodding her head sagely. Why just t' other day I run in ter see Emmie, an' she was hiding away a lot 0' white goods. And I'll stake my good name that I see a weddin' veil ahangin' up in her closet an' I set to wond'rin' right then an' there as ter who'd be a likely chap. Then I 'membered seein' her come up in the car t'other day with thet Atkins chap, and he seemed uncommon friendly, too, carryin' her bundles an' all, an' I spoke to Mrs. Maker 'bout her makin' them weddin' clo'es an' she said she 'lowed she dunno but she might he, but she couldn't say nothin' as to the man. But then, yer know, Mrs. Maker never did get the whole story, an' what she can't say, I can . V Ya see, I wcke up night 'fore last 'bout one o'clock. I'd left the win- dow up all night by mistake, an' it was cold enough in that room to freeze the horns off a brass monkey. An' I never could sleep in a cold room. Well, I pulled up the shade and looked out just in time ter see Bill Atkins steer Emmie Grant an' a suit-case inter his car. They was mighty careful not ter make a mite o' noise an' ef I hadn't see 'em under the street light, I'd o' plumb swore they was burglars. Then it come ter me right off 'at they was elopin' ! The idea! drawled Eliza Primm. Just what I expected! Miss Van Percy proclaimed with conviction. I ain't a mite surprised, Ova Dunn declared substituting her basting thread with another peppermint. Hortense Yelle sewed calmly on! Mrs. Burrs was just opening her mouth to make further remarks, when the door opened and in walked Emmie Grant. On her hand there tlasked a sparkling diamond, but no wedding ring, and everyone turned accusing eyes on Mrs. Burrs-that is, everyone but Hortense Yelle, who beamed on the new-comer and began in a high-pitched little shriek, How's yer father, Emmie? 64