Toulon Township High School - Tolo Yearbook (Toulon, IL)

Page 21 text:

Spring, Nineteen Thirty-two 19 ■ Hm Hmmaislinigi Letttter ----------------------------------------------------------------.+ This most amazing letter was given to me by a friend and classmate. Lord John Malory III, the author of this letter, sent it to him soon after he had gone to England and taken possession of an estate left to him by his grandfather. Before showing you this letter I wish to give you a little information concerning this young lord’s life. He had lived in Canada, to his knowledge, all his life. Until the news of the death of Lord John Malory, of England, soon after his graduation from Stanford College in the spring, he had known nothing of his true identity. He had thought his parents were dead and that the five thousand dollars that arrived yearly came from a lawyer who had charge of his father’s estate. As a child he had lived in a small orphan’s home, privately owned, and at the age of six had entered a boarding school, which he had attended until he entered Stanford College four years ago. He learned upon the death of Lord John Malory that he was Lord John Malory IV and heir to the Malory estate in England. Now for the letter: Blackpeak Manor, April 12, 1898. Dear Bob: Well, it proved to be an adventure all right; perhaps more of one than we had imagined and I think, Bob, more than was desired. But, of course, adventures are very nearly tragedies sometimes and the adventurer must face this fate often, just as I must do. You know, Bob, I have told you that you have a desire—I should say too great a desire for power. That is why I am relating this tale to you—so that some good can be accomplished by my fate and you can profit by it. Don’t become impatient, old chap, I’m going to tell it right now, but it will probably be in my slow, disgusting English way. To get to the story immediately, I found upon my arrival after cross-examining Perkins, the caretaker, that my grandfather did not die a natural death! He was strangled with a crimson ribbon. These facts my counselors tried to keep from me. Retiring to my room to dress for dinner that evening, I found tied in the lock of each of my grips a crimson ribbon! Well, I must say, all the adventurous spirit in me was suddenly brought to its greatest height. Sitting in front of the fire that night while pondering over recent events, I heard the click of the latch on the door that leads onto the balcony and turning I saw—what ? No, not a monster or a giant or a wild beast, but just a plain ordinary everyday man. No, I take that back, he was not an ordinary man. He was peculiar. He was large, middle-aged, and dark, with heavy handsome features, but the unusual thing about him was his eyes. I can describe them with only one word—cruel. Yet, they held a deeper expression even than that.

Page 20 text:

18 +■— Spring, Nineteen Thirty-two every night, why folks, that’s Pauline Addis. Never a night goes by without Polly cleaning out those cases. Then there’s Virginia Slygh. She’s so particular about Miss Silliman’s erasers when it’s her time to dust them. We’re very proud of our club and we have some very spirited races in it. So whenever you see some of the girls dusting erasers around the school, why that’s not a traffic-cop penalty! That’s just a service club duty, a duty that every girl should be proud to do. HEALTH CLUB. The purpose of the Health Club is to teach the students how to be more healthy. The club has a meeting each month, and the members have certain duties to perform daily. Cards are handed each member, who fills out the card as to whether or not she fulfills the requirements of the club. At the end of the year, the points that one receives are averaged in with the points of the other clubs. If one has enough points from all three clubs she receives a letter: 1st year—T is given. 2nd year—H is given. 3rd year—S is given. 4th year—star is given. At the first meeting the new officers were elected. In October, the Health Club sponsored an all-girls’ party. It was supposed to be a weiner roast, but because of the rain we had the party in the gymnasium. At our November meeting Miss Silliman gave us a talk on “Skin Diseases,” “Tuberculosis,” “Health and School,” and “Cold Weather and Styles.” We enjoyed two picture shows, “Digestion” and “Feet,” at our January meeting. Mrs. J. C. Williamson gave a talk on “Personal Hygiene” at our February meeting. For the March meeting we had a picture show. In April, talks are going to be given by various members of the club. A picnic is planned for our May meeting. —Pauline Addis. GIRLS’ LEAGUE PARTY. The Girls’ League gave a party January 22, for all the girls in school. Various games were played to start the party. Later the girls danced to Paul Walker’s music. Refreshments of cookies and apples were served. A good time was enjoyed by all. Donna: “Did J. P. get that letter with the check from mother?” Darlene: “Yes, but the outside of the envelope had ‘Please return in five days’ so he had to send it right back.”

Page 22 text:

20 Spring, Nineteen Thirty-two While I confess I was frightened for a moment I soon got myself in hand and inquired after my uninvited guest’s errand. He advanced slowly toward me with a smile which appeared as if he were revelling upon seeing me. He took a chair and ordered me to sit down. This I did. He seemed to have a commanding power which was very difficult to resist. Then, Bob, this stranger told me the story of my ancestors which has a direct bearing on my fate. This is the story: My great-great-grandfather was a younger brother of this stranger’s great-great-grandfather. And, of course, back in those feudal days, the eldest son inherited the title and estate. My forefather had a great desire for power to rule hundreds of tenants and vassals as the lords of those days could do. So this desire over-ruled his better judgment and he killed his brother to gain the title and estate. This murder was never suspected. It was always thought that the true lord had accidentally been killed, but his son knew the truth. Being a mere boy he could do nothing and my forefather threatened to kill him if he made any attempts to tell. So this secret was passed down through the family, for five generations and each hated a little more than the previous one had. Also in this branch of the family there was a strain of cruelty which increased with each generation until it became so bad in the fifth generation that it bordered closely on insanity. This stranger was of this generation and so hated the worst and was the most cruel of all. It was he who had the courage to seek revenge. When I was born he had me stolen and hidden in America. He sent money every year and had me educated well because he thought that it would be more cruel to kill me after I was older and knew more. A short time before my grandfather’s death he had come to him and told him who he was and also informed him that I was alive. He told my grandfather that he was going to kill him but he wanted him to have t'me to suffer in the thoughts of it before he really did it. Also he told him that he was not the only one going to pay the price of revenge but that I would also bo killed after my inheritance. He used a red ribbon to murder grandfather with because that was the color of his house. And I suppose that’s what he will use on me. He said he would keep the castle guarded so attempt at escape would be useless, and he informed me that he would kill me whenever he happened to desire, but first he wanted me to enjoy myself in the anticipation of it. Well, now you know my fate so don’t let your passion for power run away with you as my great-great-grandfather did because the innocent sometimes suffer for the guilty. So ends my last fascinating adventure. Your truest friend, Jack. —V. Burkey. Mr. McCullough: “What is water?” George Fell: “Liquid that turns dark when you put your hands in it.”