Trafalgar School - Echoes Yearbook (Montreal, Quebec Canada)

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stamp out the life of Count Malieux, the lives of his wife, his children, his whole ac- cursed family. Nothing must stand in our way. Madame paused, her eyes livid with hate and fury. A shudder passed through the young Monsieur de Devre. Madame continued. I cannot rest while that Malieux family still live. You, Monsieur, swore to avenge the cruel death of your parents at the hands of Malieux, swore to crush the life of that whole family. Surely Monsieur is not to be prevented by the pretty face of Madeline Malieux, the devil ' s own daughter. Have you nothing to say? Alexandre ' s face was pallid. Madame, four years ago, I knew nothing of the purpose of the society. I was lured to the Cafe de la Main Blanche. I was tricked into my oath. Madame, in the face of the Organization of the Yellow Tulip I renounce that oath! I swear this, though, Madame, by all I hold sacred, Madeline Malieux is as good as she is beautiful. You cannot deny that. She has done no harm. She was twenty only yesterday. I cannot defend Malieux, but I do defend his child. Madame, I beg of you! Madame frowned slightly as though thinking, Twenty, yesterday, the letter, Madeline, she murmured brokenly, as though an idea had suddenly taken root. She clapped her hands. Valois entered silently. Valois, a letter came this morning. I did not read it. You have it? Valois produced it. Monsieur Dupont said Madame, turning to a tall gentleman on her left. You will read it to me. Madame; Dupont bowed, tore open the envelope and unfolded the letter. It is from the Convent of Notre Dame. Yes, yes, go on ! said the woman in a curiously strained voice. Madame Bourget, read Monsieur Dupont, In accordance with your wishes I write to you on this the twentieth birthday of your little sister, Madeline, whom you placed in my care eighteen years ago, upon the death of your parents. It was your wish that at the age of six, your sister be adopted by a noble family and brought up as their own child. I complied with that wish. Fourteen years ago, your sister, Madeline, was placed with the family of Count Malieux, where she is, I believe, happy and contented. In all sincerity, I am. Mother Ste Angelo. For a moment there was dead silence. All eyes were focused upon Madame. She seemed paralysed, her breath came in short gasps. After what seemed an eternity, she rose, and stumbled towards the door. When she reached it she paused, a curious smile playing about her white, corpse-like face. When she spoke her voice was strained. I was wrong, Messieurs. I, too, must forgive. In the face of the Organization of the Yellow Tulip, I renounce my oath and the achievement of my great ambition. Madame passed through the narrow ivory door, a tired broken woman and behind her the heavy silken drapes swished ominously as they closed together. Anne Thom, Matriculation I. [31]

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You are fond of freakish stories, quite entranced by outward show. Firm believers in a future for the muddled world we know, You indulge ideals and sentiment, the passing whim and fad. But — like any healthy youngster — you believe you ' re bold and bad. Such unabashed hypocrisy! It surely would be wise To face the facts and cultivate truth when you advertise? If the goods aren ' t up to sample you ' ll have trouble soon or late You are hampered by tradition — Bring your posters up to date! Irene M. Scott, Second Form Mistress. THE AVENGERS Prize Story MADAME sat alone in her salon, her long, bony, amazingly claw-like fingers clasped tightly in her lap. Madame was a startling woman, her eyes, the most striking feature of her face, were an unusual green, wide open, almost as if in fear. Her face was white, corpse-like, and from it her staring eyes gleamed as those of a hunted animal. She sat quite stiff and upright in her chair, occasionally turning and passing her hand uncertainly over the outline of an unyielding yellow wax tulip. Her never changing glance was fixed on a large bronze door. Madame was blind, quite blind. The door opened and was closed again softly. Madame arose quickly and spoke, Monsieur de Devre, he has come, Valois? He has come, Madame. Valois ' voice was curiously soft and childlike. Madame spoke again, The eleven await? They await, Madame. Madame nodded, You will take Monsieur de Devre to the council chamber. Valois bowed, unnecessarily, and closed the door softly behind him. Madame, her sightless eyes gleaming, crossed the room, opened a narrow ivory door and passed through. The door led to the council chamber. As Madame entered, twelve men, seated at a table, rose. Madame bowed slightly, crossed to the remaining vacant chair, and sat down, her staring eyes wide open. Eleven men seated themvelves. The twelfth. Monsieur de Devre, remained standing, his handsome face set, his hands gripping his chair under the strain. Madame spoke, almost casually, but with a world of hate behind her voice, You, Alexandre de Devre are a wise man. Twice before you ignored my command to be present at the meeting of the Organization of the Yellow Tulip, perhap you now realize that it is futile to disregard the commands of the society . Madame ' s voice rose in excitement. Alexandre de Devre, four years ago, in the Cafe de la Main Blanche in Paris, you pledged yourself to the service of the Yellow Tulip. You must fulfil your oath. The sole purpose of the society, you must understand, my young friend, is to crush, to [30]

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THE LEGEND OF THE MYSTERIOUS COFFIN THERE is a legend which is said to have existed among the coloured people of the Southern States. As the negroes are very superstitious they believe that the legend really happened. It was a great many years before the Civil War, on a beautiful plantation in Virginia, which was called Princess Anne, where this story took place. It was a very sultry night, a heavy dew was falling and the negroes were singing outside their cabins. The songs they were singing were sad ones as their master had just died. The slaves liked their master as he was very kind, unlike most slave masters. The funeral was going to take place the following day and a few of the servants were keeping watch in the death chamber. The crickets were chirping and the dogs howling, when suddenly the air was rent by a piercing shriek which came from the direction of the death chamber. The singing ceased and the negroes became very fright- ened saying that ' de Lawd was gwine to punish dem fo ' der sins. ' Those who were keeping watch, rushed out of the house and one of the bravest told her story. It went like this: Ah was kneelin ' by de coffin an ' prayin ' to de Lawd to receibe ma massa into hebben, when all o ' a sudden ma massa riz up out o ' his coffin an ' done spoke to me, ah was so skeered ah couldn ' t move so ah jest lissened. Eliza, says ma massa, what ' s you all prayin ' an ' lamentin ' fo, ah ain ' t dead ah ' s jest asleep, jest watch me get out o ' dis here coffin. An ' bless de Lawd he done get up, but ah was so skeered ah didn ' t wait to see wha ' he was gwine to do so ah jest rushed out o ' de room sa fas ' as me legs could run wi ' me Eliza was so frightened that she collapsed and was carried to her cabin; meanwhile the young master who had heard all the noise came out and asked what it was all about. They told him and he just laughed and said that they were silly and superstitious and that everything was all right in the death chamber. The negroes then went back to their cabins muttering and saying that they knew something ' drefful was gwine to happen. ' Master John went back to his father ' s room and to his extreme horror the coffin and body had disappeared. He then consulted with his family and they decided to procure another coffin, put a weight in it and act as though nothing had happened and carry out all the former plans. The next morning the procession left the house, down the long drive which was bordered on both sides by crepe-myrtle, magnolia and pine trees. Finally it came to the church and when the ceremony was over they proceeded to the churchyard. Most of the darkies were afraid to go but some of the braver ones went. The coffin was lowered, the grave covered with ivy and the mock funeral was over. The Civil War came and Princess Anne was burned to the ground by the Union soldiers but the legend is still handed down and some of the original slaves say that on the anniversary of that night they would see a white figure gliding through the trees carrying a coffin. Although this is only a legend the superstitious negroes believe it is the truth and take great pleasure in telling it to their children, saying it really happened. Peggy Capps, Form IVa. [32]