Trivoli Community High School - Memoir Yearbook (Trivoli, IL)

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- ------- --aa .--.--- Long Trousers Hey, Bill! Bill! Come here quick! Jack Wallace, generally admitted the most popular senior at Dillion high school, thus excitedly hailed his friend Bill Warner who was resting on a rustic bench after a strenuous game of tennis. Bill, followed by a group of curious students who had been diverted from their various pursuits by the urgent call, hastened across the street where Jack could now be seen with hands holding his sides and laugh- ing uproaringly. The small crowd now assembled, gazed in wonderment at the strange spectacle before them. A battered old Ford car had drawn up at the curb where the rickety engine with a last feeble sputter fol- lowed by a seemingly revengeful bang! came to an abrupt stop. The sole occupant of the front seat removed his tattered straw hat, and, pushing back a mop of fiery red hair, vigorously wiped the perspiration from his forehead. The lad of gigantic stature standing easily six feet 'tall and boasting an avoirdupois of one hundred-eighty, gazed doubt- fully at the group of hilarious students. This young Hercules, clad in tight fitting knee pants, which caused the onlookers to hold their breath each time he stooped to pick up one of the many bundles of clothing that he was removing from the rear seat of the car, was indeed a fit subject for laughter. His car, a battered muddy, sway-back flivver of the 1910 model, seemed to hang its radiator in red hot shame. Led by Jack, the steadily increasing crowd followed the newcomer to the very door of the principal's oflice. Immediately after, the greatest comic section on legs , as one fellow termed it, having fin- ished his business, had emerged from the door where the crowd quickly surrounded him. Seemingly much excited and Hattered by such un- expected attention, the lad answered as best he could, the questons which were fired at him with machine-gun rapidity. From his answers the knowledge was gleaned that his name was Alexander Washington Berkely, that he had spent all his life on his father's ranch, and that he owned the splendid automobile in which he had so triumphantly arrived. Strangely enough, the fellows feeling that some great joke was in the wind, ceased their laughter and gravely discussed with Alex-1 ander the possibilities of his becoming principal of the high school, for such he declared was his one ambition. Thus, Red, as he was thereafter known, made his initial appearance among the two thousand boys and girls at D. H. S. The next day, Red boldly followed the other freshmen to the class- room. He was shocked to notice that even the smallest fellow in the class, a brown eyed boy whose head barely reached Red's waist when they stood side by side at the black-board, was attired in long trousers. He also awoke suddenly to the fact that the girls after glancing quickly Page Forty-three

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in his direction, would retire behind the shelter of their books and papers to giggle and whisper among themselves. Red, with a determination so characteristic of all red headed lads left school immediately after that class was dismissed, and proceeded to make an inventory of his means foripurchasing a pair of long trou- sers. That morning he had spent his last cent for a money belt and had assured his fellow students, it sure was a dandy . As he stared into window after window of the large department stores and viewed the price tags clinging to the different styles of long trousers, despair seized him. At last abandoning the business district, he trod through narrow streets and alleys into the slums of the city. Here he entered a low, dirty building over the door of which hung the glaring sign, Loan Bank . When Red emerged from the pawn shop half an hour later, he left behind his old pants, the new money belt, his revolver and belt, but instead he boasted the possession of a pair of rusty khaki, long trousers. Minus his belt but re-enforced by the assurance of the Jew dealer that they were just the fit , he held them up with one hand and strode proudly to his room. After much consideration, Red arrived at the conclusion that since his new trousers were longer they would need more substantial support than the old ones. Undaunted, he tied a stout piece of rope about his waist to replace the belt, and from an extra pair of shoe strings con- trived a crude pair of suspenders as an additional re-enforcement. Thus arrayed, Red presented himself at school the next morning, convinced that he was now an equal to the flashiest dude in town. To climax his happiness, immediately after school, Miss Grace Walton, dared on by her many friends, approached with assumed shy- ness and coaxingly begged Red, to please give her just a short ride in his wonderful automobile . Red, greatly perturbed, grinned sheep- ishly, blew his nose in a huge bandanna handkerchief, shuffled his feet, and after carefuly searching the horizon for signs of airplanes, grunted out a grui, All right , and strode rapidly toward his car. Without once looking at the pretty miss who followed him, he turned the key and began to crank. Crank, crank, crank! but not even a sputter from the invention of Henry Ford. Red, feeling that some explanation was necessary, confidentially told Grace that the automo- bile and his father's balky mule had lived together in the same shed for so long that the durn Ford was gittin' jis like that good for nuthin' critter. After a lengthy series of explainings and crankings, the balky mule-flivver gave a grunt, a Wheeze, then a terrific snorth, and sudden- ly.came to life. Red leaped behind the wheel and shouted, come on, Page Forty-four