Townsend Harris High School - Crimson Gold Yearbook (Flushing, NY)

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CRIMSON AND GOLD day afternoon. Of course Will could have accompanied his parents. In fact, that first seemed most probable to Bob. Yet for some peculiar reason he dismissed this likelihood and gave it not a second thought. Will, by himself, would not have gone anywhere without waiting. So he eagerly ran down the stairs in the hopes of finding Will in the midst of a gathering, or promenading up and down the avenue. However, Will was not around. He looked all over for him, even to the ex- tent of walking around several square blocks, and scouring some places that were their occasional haunts. Yet there was no Will. He had not been in the candy store all day, and that was most remarkable. Obviously, if Bob would find Will, there was nothing else to do but Wait. Half an hour passed and Bob was no nearer to finding Will than he was be- fore. Still another thirty minutes passed without any result, and not only Will did net show up, but no one else did, and the ennui was becoming very pressing. Another quarter of an hour soured Bob's patience so greatly that he arose to walk away, cursing the gods of fate who so arranged circumstances that it was im- possible to rind companionship when he was permitted to repair to his hermitage, the street. Simultaneously with his action of aris- ing, he saw Norman Sturman and Irv Sweet approaching him. They had not seen Will and they had been around all day excepting the last hour or so. It was exceedingly strange, they commented, that he had left no word in the candy store. Sadly the unpleasant possibility affixed itself on Bob's mind as a disagreeable reality. Will had left without him, and now he would be compelled to go to a party without Will. To Bob, who was fond of friendship and company, and es- pecially Will's, the prospects in store for him were far from pleasing. Page Fifty-ftt'0 Bob was about to leave, when he saw his sister walking briskly toward him. Robert, she demanded, what are you doing down here? You come right up- stairs with mef, The worst had come long before he had ever dreamed of it. Yesterday, to these very two he had pointed to himself as an autocratic brother, and now he was confronted with the task of prov- ing, either true or false, the vehement assertions he had made. The situation, obviously, called for some fast and sharp brain-work. Assuming that he meekly obeyed his sister's command, he could imagine their merriment, the perpetual laugh that sight of him would provoke, the stinging jibes he would be compelled to bear. He thought, concentrated, and re- solved, while his sister glared at him, awaiting a reply. Better by far, said he to himself, to suffer a penalty of com- paratively short duration, than be forever compelled to endure the ridicule of his companions except Will, to be the butt of their wit and the object of their mirth, and above all, by far the worst, be branded a bluffer and a braggart. With this psychology, he turned to face his tormentor. He tried to speak, but it seemed as though a heavy lump in his throat would prevent him. Now with redoubled effort, Bob managed to over- come this difficulty. Slowly his mouth formed the fatal words: H Suppose you go up yourself and mind your own businessf' No sooner had he spoken than Bob wished he could recall his words. He saw his sister gasp almost imperceptibly, amazed at his sudden insolence. Never before, not even in his most violent bursts of temper, had he ever dared to address her with such cool impudence. His surging mind imagined sheld speak again. Perhaps it would be a repetition of the command in such a tone and man- ner as would make it extremely pre-

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CRIMSON AND GOLD Yet Bob and Will never let their most unfortunate domestic situation be known. Whenever they were not alone they re- ligiously avoided all mention of sisters, and to attain this end often employed every conceivable kind of subterfuge and artifice. In fact, a casual observer would never have dreamed that either one had a sister. What could have caused such a state of mind, no one can say, but the most plausible theory is that they were possessed with a great fear of ridicule. Today it seemed the inevitable could no longer be avoided. Irv and Norman would mention sisters, and no matter what trend the conversation took, they managed to introduce the fatal word. Despite all of Bob's Herculean efforts to avert the unpleasantry that would result if the true state of affairs were to be re- vealed, Norman Sturman brought mat- ters to a head. You don't know, Irv, how lucky we are not to have any older sisterf, Oh, donit I?T' responded Sweet, agree- ing perfectly. Bob and Will,adopting a time honored device, sat back, to all outward appear- ances entirely oblivious of what the others were saying, hoping in this way to hear the end of the discussion before long. But Irv Sweet insisted These poor guys must have to take plenty from their sisters. The strain on Bob was too great, he could stand it no longer. The trouble with you is that you have no older sisters, he retorted, as he arose with great dignity and stood before them. Our sisters are nothing like you think. They treat us perfectly alright. Whatl demanded Sweet, they never give you orders and bawl you out? No, never, continued Will in Bob's behalf, they don't do anything of the kind. My sister speaks no differently to me than youid speak to your mother. My sister never yells at me because she's too considerate. Inwardly both he and Bob wondered how much for how littlej of that last compliment their sisters really deserved. And, he continued, it'S the same with Bob because I know his sister pretty well. Bob hastened to assure them that it was exactly as Will had said. His sister was also too considerate to scold him. It was most absurd for them to think that she would yell at him, and dictate her mandates to him, for he would soon put her in her place if she tried. So, said Bob in concluding his ex- temporaneous discourse, you see it's not so bad to have an older sister as you imagined. Mine is not my boss, and what's more, if there's any bossing to be done, you can bet she'd listen to me. Will had already gone upstairs, because he was afraid he would expose the com- plete falsehood of everything that Bob had said, either by bursting into con- vulsive laughter, or by exhibiting a look of dumbfounded amazement as Bob waxed bolder. So the gathering dis- banded. The two sisterless ones arose, duly impressed, for Bob's oratory had convinced them that it was far from calamitous to have an elder sister. As Bob watched them walk away he smiled inwardly. How lucky it was that he had thought many times of what he would say if he were compelled to speak on the subject. CHAPTER FOUR, It was half-past three exactly, and Sun- day afternoon as Bob stepped into the street to find Will and perhaps repair to a theatre. He had never expected to be allowed out for he was due to visit his aunt, but that engagement had been broken at the last minute. His mother, then, knowing nothing better to do with him, permitted him to go down to the street. Nobody was at home in Will's house. He had not expected to find Will's par- ents home, but Will had expressly told him that he was going to be in all Sun- Pagc Fifty-one

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CRIMSON AND GOLD carious for Bob if he did not obey in- stantly and silently. Or she might make ready to slap his face, something she had not done to him for almost four years. Then what would they say? Would the execution of such a measure leave any doubt as to who was master? Sadly Bob consoled himself with the thought that he had at least resisted the tyranny. He had not submitted meekly, but had died gamely before the eyes of his companions. It may have been the reward of bravery, but at any event, Bob was greatly surprised to see his sister turn around and walk away without another word. She mounted the stairs without once looking back. However, his desperate effort had turned out with a greater degree of suc- cess than he could dared have hoped. His companions, he rejoiced to see, did not doubt in the least all that he had told themg and Norman, as he left him said, That's it, Bob. You don't take anything from her, do you ?', Even so, Bob asked himself, was the result worth the price? He had saved his honor and maintained his fair repu- tation but only too well did he know what was in store for him. By this time his sister would have acquainted his father with all the details of the affair and her narrative was undoubtedly em- bellished by several fancy flourishes and other devices which were not intended to bode him well. It was now a quarter after five and Bob still had about an hour and a quarter left to him before he would have to go upstairs for supper. Then he would come in for it. His father, and his mother, and his sister he could now visualize scolding him ensemble. As a penalty he probably would be denied the privilege of leaving the house for several weeks, certainly not that very night and he had an important engagement. Listlessly, Bob spent half an hour wandering up and down the street with no other aim than to think of something pleasant, something more cheerful than a compendium of penalties that he would soon suffer. And on the other hand, why postpone the inevitable hour? A respite from an ordeal merely increases the duration of the mental agony that precedes the infliction. The inevitable, he philosophized, may be avoided, but not averted. Soon he would have to face his angry family. He could avoid them for several hours by depriving him- self of his supper. But his parents would look for him, and failing to find him after repeated efforts would make them much angrier with him. He could run away from home, but that adventure he was not ready to undertake, for by nature Bob was not an adventurer. Neither did he wish to unduly worry his parents. Having decided that the best course was to have it all out at once and thus have it over so much sooner, Bob slowly climbed the stairs with a heavy heart which seemed to miss a beat as he fumbled in his pocket for the key. Ner- vously he opened the door and stepped in. No angry voices greeted him and he stared around the room, greatly per- plexed. That his father should not severely take him to task for his actions was most inconceivable. Yet his father did not even look up from his newspaper as he said hello , His mother stopped reading her book to make several in- quiries as to where he had been and what he had been doing the whole after- noon. Bob thought that Alice had waited for him to come up before she informed her parents of the indignities she had suffered. She was in the parlor, oblivious to his entrance. He got a magazine for him- self to read and went into the parlor. He did not much like to be so near his sister, but he had frequently found it im- possible to read unless he occupied his favorite seat, in which he now saw Alice reposing. Faltering, he cautiously approached his sister. He could not, to save his life have Page Fiffy-fl11'rc