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

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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

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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 imagined why she made no display of her righteous wrath. He did not dare ask her for that seat, so he sat down on the divan to read. He had read but a few words when he heard his sister's voice. Now, he thought, the trouble would be- gin. But never was anyone more sur- prised, not even Caesar when he per- ceived that Brutus was one of the con- spirators. Bob, she said, sit here by the win- dow in your favorite place. Besides, it's dark over theref' Bob did not sit down,-he fell into the chair, overwhelmed. Alice, after all that he had done, was actually treating him nicely. And as for her calling him Bob, why this was the first time within his memory. Here without the slight- est effort-but what could be the reason for Alice's most remarkable change of attitude? And in the same way that a man who has unexpectedly come into possession of a huge fortune cannot make his troubled mind believe his sudden change of circumstance exists in reality, so Bob could not visualize the events that had been enacted before his very eyes but a moment ago. His brain was in a whirl, his thoughts were conllicting, his senses were incomplete and harassed, he was lost. Unable to divine a satisfactory solution to this most perplexing and paradoxical problem, Bob picked up his hat and went out. A moment later he was ascending the stairs to Will's home. CHAPTER FIVE. As he slowly climbed the steps, Alice's countenance appeared before his eyes, and despite his efforts he could not remove the vision. Again he racked his brain for some logical reason that could have occasioned his sister's unprecedented ac- tion. But he was not occupied in thought for long, because as he reached the floor on which the Holts lived, he was aroused by loud voices from within. Overcome by curiosity, he Put his eye to the key- Page' Fifty-four hole. Since this availed him nothing, he replaced that organ by his ear. However, the sounds were unintelligible, and Bob despaired of determining what was taking place inside. Evidently this was not the place for him, but Bob did not retreat more than one step. He was determined as his fore-finger pushed the bell. Mr. Holt opened the door and Bob entered amid a solemn silence. Every- body seemed angry and Bob regretted that he had not acted upon his decision to turn back. Mrs. Holt's eyes were red, as though she was crying. Will's sister was seated in a rocking chair. Her lower lip was protruding, her chin was thrown forward, and to Bob she presented the appearance of a woman who is deter- mined to oppose to the last, an injustice done to her. Taking one consideration with another, her mien was decidedly belligerent. Bob divined that an argu- ment had taken place and regardless of the subject he knew that Will's sister was wrong. He waited for someone to speak, but apparently everybody had the same idea in mind. Bob broke the silence by asking: Where's Will? Nobody ventured an answer, but Mr. Hall handed him a much crumpled paper. Bob tried to guess what the note could possibly be, for obviously it was the cause of all the disturbance. However, his curiosity was insatiable, and nervously he straightened it out. With shaking hand he read Will's familiar scrawl: I am leaving home because I can't stand Catherine any moref, Bob could think of nothing to say to the plainly worried parents. He had but one question to ask: Does my sister Alice know ? Mr. Holt nodded his assent. And Bob's face registered a smile of satisfac- tion. He had discovered something for which he had long searched vainly. Still smiling, he walked out. QTHE END,