Vergennes Union High School - Blue and White Yearbook (Vergennes, VT)

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10 YEKGEXXES HIGH SCHOOL rushed to Anne, who had fallen in a faint. hen he had succeeded in reviving her, she cried. “Larry! Minnie!” Silently then they turned to the AFTER A STORM W hen morning at last dawns upon a rural community, after a wild night of driving sleet and drifting snow, and the morning chores are finished, the task of taking the milk to the plant and getting to school is begun. After loading the milk into the truck we start out, bucking snowdrifts. As we plunge into a mountain of snow directly in our path, the fine particles sift through every crack and crevice in our refuge from the snow, the cab. Just as it seems impossible to make further progress, we are overjoyed to see just coming over the hill, the huge plow drawn by three teams of horses—a magnificent sight. The drivers crack their whips. 1 he horses, dripping with lather, strain and lunge through the towering drifts, panting from exertion. I he men seem like giants with their icy beards and monstrous fur coats. 1 hey pass us with a cheery smile and bantering jests; while we fall in behind them, content to let them “break trail.” As we near the city we are glad to see that the streets are already plowed, and we continue on our way while the gallant pathmakers return home to a dinner long grown cold, and the horses slowly munch their hay and grain, thinking of some land where “snow” is an unknown word. M. W. B. WINTER WOODS AT NIGHT A few weeks ago, while camping out in the mountain. I found myself left alone at night. The moon was three quarters full, and a heavy, damp snow had covered the ground'and piled on every branch and twig to an amazing height. A light intermittent breeze sighed off and on through the evergreens above me. and two trees rubbing together produced a grating squeak at intervals. The white puffs of snow, the dark branches and numberless shadows, made a hopeless tangle of lines, so that quiet forms at their feet. Minnie had died, defending the one whom she loved, and who had been her kind benefactor. separate objects larger than whole trees were indistinguishable at any great distance. I he sky shone black and almost starless against the upper branches of the snow-covered trees. A shadow, which covered a thousand spots of light as it drifted past me and disappeared, showed that this beauty was not without a suggestion of tragedy. To the great owl the bizarre tangle of light and shade, the small evergreens that looked like bent snowmen, and the hollow snowcovered brush piles were all conspired to make an unreal world where all his natural prey was hidden by the maze of moving shadows. R. S. W. SUNLIGHT ON SNOW I he sky was leaden and overcast. The last flakes of the big storm were floating down, one after another, slower and slower. The heavily laden pines made all seem more gloomy, as we passed by their branches. I he drifts made going hard. It didn t look like a good hike. 1 here was little conversation. Suddenly all was changed. The old mountain echoed with the calls and halloos of the hikers. Every branch of every tree shone with a pure brilliance. Sunlight filtering through the branches and clearings filled the woods. We plowed our way through the drifts with new vigor. The sun was out! COLD MOUNTAINS I he thermometer registered two de-gtees below zero as we snowshoed down the mountain. The stillness of the forest was broken only by the creak of snowshoes and the occasional remark of some member of the party. We stopped to watch the progress of a startled squirrel, from limb to limb. As we reached the open fields, with faces burning from the icy north wind, the snow covered mountains lay exposed before us. We knew how cold they were. We hurried on ; we were hiking home W. H. C.

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BLUE AND WHITE 9 COUSIN ROB’S GIFT Arza L. Dean, ’31 “Oh well, if you must, Anne, but don't stay later than Wednesday, because. you know, I shall niiss you every blessed minute. You’ll take Rosa and Minnie with you, of course.” Although Anne Carlton and Larry Trent were not to be married for three weeks, his last words were more like a command than a request. “Silly!” replied Anne. “You know I can't get along without them,” Rosa was Anne’s colored nurse, who had been in the family since Anne was born. Rosa was devoted to Anne. Minnie was a curiosity to everybody. In fact, she had been since that day. two years before, when Anne’s cousin Rob from the West dropped the little beast, a panther cub, as a present to Anne, in Rosa’s la]). The terrified mammy had immediately let it drop to the floor, where it blinked wonderingly at the fleeting form of the poor old darkey, who was speeding up the staircase crying that everybody had “done gone and got into conspiracy wid all de debbils outside of Chrisendom.” and calling, “Black angels come to rna aid if yo all is ebah coming.” Apparently the cub was only shaken up and badly frightened. Anne kept and tamed the little beast in spite of protests from all sides and Rosa’s ejaculations that “Missy Anne done gone plumb crazy, gitting it into her haid she could keep that yellow-eyed wild cat!” It refused to make friends with anyone but Anne and Rosa. Nevertheless the mammy feared it. Anne. Rosa and Minnie made the journey to Mrs. Carlton’s summer cottage high up in the hills. l or two days Anne roamed about, singing happy little verses and planning the wedding which was soon to take place. Sometimes she took Minnie with her. always fastened to a leash. On the third night Anne retired early. after tying Minnie securely in the sitting room. She fell asleep, but was suddenly awakened by a peculiar scratching noise at the door of the cottage. Minnie was growling crossly, a thing that she hadn’t done since her kitten days. Anne remembered that the door was left slightly open to allow plenty of air to enter. Whatever was at the door, she didn’t want it inside, so throwing her cloak about ner shoulders, she tiptoed toward the doorway, while Minnie crouched nearby, a queer look in her eyes. There, halfway through the now nearly wide-open door, was the form of an animal so much like Minnie that for a minute Anne was stupefied Coming to her senses she cried, “Rosa, where are you ? Come quickly ! From upstairs came a muffled answer “Who-who-what am de trouble. Missy Anne? I’se skeered mos' sick. I is. I heered a growlin'—Oooohhh!” Anne had to think quickly because the beast was crouching, ready to spring upon her. “If I could only reach Minnie!” she cried. Quickly she grasped a knife from the table and rushing to Minnie, who was also crouching low. making ready to spring, she cut the leash which held her from reaching the intruder. Quick as a flash both beasts were raging in fierce combat. They parted, and the strange beast was about to spring upon Anne, who was paralyzed with fright, when Minnie again landed on its back. Suddenly a light gleamed through the window and the sound of a motor reached Anne’s ears. A car was coming up the road. It finally stopped in the yard, and a voice cried out, “Anne! What has happened?” It was Larry. It seemed that at once he was standing in the doorway, leveling the .44. which he always carried in his car, at the fighting mass. Quickly six shots rang out. With a mighty roar the animals sprang apart, gave a few twitches, and lay quietly on the floor. The shots had taken effect. As soon as he lighted a lamp. Larry

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BLUE AND WHITE II iCr Ippartmpnt itfranraia Arza Dean, ’31, Gertrude Leonard, ’31, Editeurs 4 4 4 5 Trahison d’une Soeur Madalene Lawrence, ’31 Chere Rosa: Depuis que je vous ai vue quelque chose d’important m’est arrivee. Comme vous le savez je m’etais fiancee a Robin Mireuil. Apres deux semaines heu-reuses il a du me quitter pour aller a Chicago. Les affaires l’y ont retenu trois niois. II avait promis de m’ecrire tous les jours. Trois semaines pas-sent. Pas up mot de Robin. Je de-viens de plus en plus inquiete. Je lui avais ecrit sept fois. Pas de reponse. Songez-y et plaignez votre pauvre Vivienne. Un jour je suis allee a la chambre d’Emilie pour chercher un timbre poste. Je vais au bureau mais il ne s’ouvre pas. Quelle chose etrange! Ma soeur n’avait pas l’hahitude de fermer son bureau a clef. Mais je n’y pense plus. Quelques jours apres en entrant dans sa chambre je trouve ma soeur assise a son bureau. En me voyant elle se leve precipitamment. “Il me faut aller telephoner,” murmure-t-elle, et elle me quitte. Elle avait laisse le bureau ouvert. Je le regarde d’un air distrait quand tout a coup je remarque un paquet de lettres qui a quelque chose de familier. Est-ce possible? Oui. c’est l’ecriture de Robin Mireuil. Je saisis le paquet. Elies etaient adressees a moi. Pourquoi ma soeur a-t-elle mes lettres? Les lettres de Robin, les lettres que j’attendais depuis si longtemps? Pourquoi! Pourquoi! Sous le paquet de lettres se trouve le journal ouvert de ma soeur. Je lis ces mots: “Ah! Robin, cotnme je vous aime. Vous serez a moi.” A ce moment on sonne. Les lettres dans, les mains, je vais a la porte. C’etait le jeune facteur et il avait a la main une lettre. une lettre de Robin. Me voyant au lieu d’Emilie, il devient tres pale, puis il aper ;oit les lettres que je tiens toujours. “Oh, vous savez tout.” dit-il. Il commence a balbutier une confession. Il me (lit qu’ Emilie lui avait offert de l’argent pour lui donner les lettres de Robin, a elle. Pendant que nous parlions je n’ai pas remarque un ombre sur le seuil. Mais tout a coup j’entends un faible bruit. Je leve les yeux et je pousse un cri. Viola Robin, mon Robin revenu chercher sa fiancee. Toute la confession du facteur il l’avait entendue. “Oh! chere Vivienne” dit-il en m’em-brassant. Quelle deception de ne pas avoir reque de tes nouvelles. Mais je ne t’aime que d’avantage. J’ai soup-conne qu’Emilie etait jalouse.” “Et moi, Robin, mon bien aime. comme je t'aime. Je n’aurais pas cru cela de ma soeur.” “Oh! Vivienne, ma cherie, si je t’avais perdue. Je n’aurais pas vouiu exister sans toi.” Je lui reponds, “Mais tu ne m’a pas perdue, mon Robin. Me voici qui t’aime qui est prete a te suivre . . .” Nous sommes maries maintenant de-puis dix jours. Je suis heureuse, heur-euse! Ecrivez-moi au plus vite. Je vous embrasse tendrement. Vivienne Mireuil Decision Momentanee Germaine Turpin, ’31 A dix huit ans j’ai quitte la maison paternelle pour m’engager sur un bateau de peche et nous avons quitte Bordeaux, France, pour aller au Canada.