University of Wisconsin Superior - Gitche Gumee Yearbook (Superior, WI)

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G I T C H E G U n E E “And you never went back to her?” I asked quickly. He didn’t answer for a minute or two, and the look in his prematurely old face told me he was bringing hack memories that for years he had fought down. “Yes, 1 went hack once; but—1 don’t like this part. It was this way. Christmas nights have always been the hardest nights 1 have had on the road, because Christmas at home was always such a big time. The third Christmas I was away, I was in Minneapolis. 1 was working at a grocery store then, and had held the job down for a good while for me, having five dollars on ham! and a month’s wages of forty-five dollars coming. With this I bought myself a decent suit and a ticket for home. It seemed to take the train an everlasting time to make the trip, but at last I arrived there. I didn’t stop once after leaving the train till I got to the Franklin place. “ ‘Is Miss Matson at home?’ I asked the maid who answered the door. “ ‘Y'es, sir, but she is very ill and not receiving any one.’ “ ‘Tell her that Patrick Moran would like to see her.’ “ ‘Yes, sir, but—’ “ Tell her I want to sec her,’ I insisted, shoving a coin in her hand. “She came back in a minute, and showed me into V’inlet’s room. As I came in. she raised herself to a sitting position and stretched out her arms to me. Her eyes were wide and staring, and her face and neck Hushed red. ‘You have come back!’ she cried, ‘you have come back! I knew you would. They said you had gone forever, but you wouldn’t do that to little Vi, would you?’ She stroked my hand and petted it, then, crying softly, covered it with kisses. “‘This mustn’t be, sir,’ said one nurse; ‘it will kill her. The orders are that she must be very quiet. You had better go, sir.’ I started to get up and leave, but the poor, crazed girl clung to me. “‘Oh, Patsy, Patsy, be good to me! Don’t go, please! Stay by me! I’m afraid—afraid; please stay with me, Patsy.’ “I stayed until they got her to sleep. Then with the head nurse I left the room and asked what was the trouble. “‘Three years ago, as I get the story,’ she said, ‘Miss Matson had some great disappointment. There was a count in it, who turned out to he no count, and another who went away. From that time she was never really well. Then lately her uncle took sick, and caring for him occupied her mind somewhat. She simply lived for that uncle, and he for her. Day before yesterday, Christmas day it was, he died, and during the following night she broke down into this condition. She has been out of her head ever since, calling first for uncle, then for Patsy.’ About five o’clock, as the winter sun was setting and leaving what seemed to me a cold world colder, the nurse called me into the sick room. “ ‘Patsy, Patsy, aren’t you coming? I need you, Patsy.’ Her voice was weak and strained, and as I clasped her hand it was like fire with the raging fever. ‘Good night, Patsy. Will you come to me when I have gone? Good night.’ Patsy got up, opened the door of the car, and stood for a minute with the rail beating in on his face. He turned and looked at me with a queer expression. “So long, 'l imey! Come over again,” he said. 1 took the broad hint, and left him alone. J. G. PACE SIXTEEN

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“Now, I have seen some surprised people in my life, but she put one over on them all. She looked at me, and then at him, and ditto again. “ ‘VVh—wha—what did you say?’ Then he repeats his little speech anain, every word the same; only adds that he kind of likes this burn and will move here if she takes him up—in fact, that he has already bought the Franklin place. “My heart went down ami hit me a rap on the soles of my boots at the thought, and hers, I suppose, went up about as far as it was possible. Of course, the outcome was that she ‘accepted with pleasure the kind invitation,' etc. She could hardly come down to the shop any more, but I had a standing invitation to go up there. My little ten plunks a week looked awful small to me. Hut she was just the same friend as ever—ami say, bo—looks? Why, there was nothing on God’s earth that old duck didn’t buy for her, and there was nothing along the line of silks and satins that she put on but what made her look a little more like some princess. Nothing around that part of the country could come within a hundred mile of looking anything like her. 1 never saw the town set talking like it was then, except once, and that once came about two years later. It seemed that Vi and I were going to smash that rule about the course of true love all to thunder. “It seems that the old duck was a collector of tapestries. He used to show me his and talk about them by the hour sometimes, and then begin over again. There was one he used to rave over, that he didn't have in his collection. It was owned by a German count, who was bringing it over personally, clear from Kuropc, to sell to him. “Sure enough, in about a month over comes the count, tapestry and all. He was a little jigger, about six feet two inches tall, and a moustache like a cloud of smoke reaching up to his eyes. He was all bows and medals, and pretty talk in broken Knglish, and silk hats. He was the one thing that shook up the town more than Violet’s great luck. Gosh! how they talked! “Of course, all his attentions in the line of five-pound boxes of candy and dozens of American Beauties turned my girl’s head some and made me look like a dirty deuce in a new deck; so I just kept away. I was (lead crazy in love with that girl, there is no doubt about that. So I throws up all hut one night in a week, ami on that one night I goes over ami listens to talk about how perfectly lovely the count was. I tried to turn the talk about myself once: “‘I’ve kind of lost my show with the fine lady, haven’t 1?' I says. I alwax’s called her line lady when I wanted to tease her. “ ‘Why, of course not, you silly. You are just the same old friend as ever. Did I show you the new bracelet the count gave me?’ With that I decided that my goose was cooked, and left the house about ten minutes later. “I buttoned up my coat, and ran home. Throwing some clothes in a bag. I went down to the restaurant and wrote a check in favor of my father for the seven hundred dollars I saved up in the hank for Vi and me. I left this with a note saying I wasn’t coming back and to tell my friends that 1 had gone to seek my fortune. Then I took about forty dollars out of the cash drawer, and left on the next train for San Francisco. From that time to this I have been on the hum—and now you have my story.” G I T C n E G U E E I’.ACE FIFTEEN

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PACLLTY 3d lifl NEW FACULTY MEMBERS Miss Amy Hronsky. This year a second primary department was installed, with Miss Amy Hronsky, of Chippewa Falls, as critic. Miss Hronsky, a young lady of exceptional teaching ability, is a graduate of the class of '01 of the Superior Normal and also a graduate of the University of Wisconsin. Her fame in Chippewa Falls and in the Industrial High School of Duluth preceded her, and has been added to by her marked success in the Normal. M i s s Bronsky h as wo n t h c confidence of all the student teachers who h a v c worked under her, and we arc delighted to name her with members of our facultv. Miss Hbi.kn A. Him.. Upon the resignation of Miss Leona Pinkham, who has for some time past been associated with our school as secretary, the vacancy was filled by Miss Helen A. Hill, of Superior. M iss Hill is a graduate of the Superior Normal, and after having spent two years in follow- MISS AMY BKONSKY PACK SEVENTHBN 0 I T C P E 0 U fl E E M