Waltham High School - Mirror Yearbook (Waltham, MA)

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PROPH ECY IN PERILOUS PQSITION ON TREE. Our talking evidently aroused the two, for Arline suddenly ceased declaiming and moved slowly toward the ground. As she reached the last fork of the tree, she caught the hem of her skirt in a branch and hung in a perilous position until we unloosened her dress and helped to restore her balance. Her weight, however, was too much for us and after tottering for a few seconds. she fell heavily to the ground. Quite uncon- cerned she arose to her feet, exclaiming, 'Ilhat's the trouble with that old apple tree, so many branches. I could see, neverthe- less, that she clung to her side and gritted her teeth in an unusual way. I spent that night with them, and the next morning Louise escorted me to the village where, in front of a butcher shop, a scissors grinder stood diligently sharpening a meat saw. I surely knew that hair, those eyes, the smile, the figure! Yes, it was Einer Swanson, as bright and beaming as ever. Seeing the pile of utensils that still remained for him to repair, we left him at his work, afraid of breaking the spell of ambition. At a corner, a few blocks farther on, we came to a tiny fruit stand temptingly. ar- rayed with stock. The place appeared to be entirely empty, but finally a head popped up from behind the counter and a voice piped out, VVant any fruit today? So good! Little Romanie, as short as ever, could just be seen above the bench, landing the perfection of her wares. Loaded with bananas, and oranges we soon returned to the street, and as we moved up the sidewalk a tall street vender in an immaculate white suit threw samples to the crowds. He looked very much as though he were walk- ing on stilts, but a second glance showed us that it was only Carl Fleming, stern of coun- tenance and stately of manner. Fearing that our curious attention might cause an outburst, I hurried into the nearest store, and turning about to see if my companion was following, I carelessly backed into a neatly laid tea table presided over by Lois Stearns. The cups rocked, the sugar bowl tipped, causing the lumps to fall in every direction and the lady in charge spilled a whole cup of the precious tea, to my dismay and her disgust. At any ratef it was only an accident, so, ignoring her angry looks and threats, I walked away with Louise. At the next corner I felt a light tap on the shoulder. Madam, I must ask you to hand me that bundle of lace which you have so deftly picked up from that counter and follow me. I stupidly glanced down at my coat where, from a hook, a roll of line lace was suspended. Then I fo-und Harold Homer leading me to my reckoning. Need- less to say. I was absolutely overwhelmed with humiliation, for here I was a perfect stranger. But,'l I thought, if only I could prove my identity! Gaining courage, I caught up with my captor and endeavored to explain the affair. A prolonged con- troversy ensued, which ended in Harold's reluctant admission that he recognized me fully, but, sad to say, he had lost a sure- enough shop-lifting case. It did not take me long to make my exit and it rather encouraged me to feel the rush of fresh air as we left the store. About a quarter o-f a mile from the last scene, we came to a large wooden mansion with a long piazza in front, at one end of which a stooped figure was bent over some bright colored material. Louise clasped my arm and said, in a deep whisper, Come-that is Fairchilds. I-Ie's as poor as a church mouse now: everyone has thrown him down, but he still lives for nothing but style. See how he sits there mending that old brown over- coat. Xlfhy, he borrowed that way back in his teens, it, was some coat then and some- how lie sticks to that old thing like glue. lIe's mending the darns now. Let's go up and speak. VVell knowing the cool recep- tion I should receive, I consented to I.ouise's suggestion. 'just as I expected, he

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PROPHECY haps if I wandered up through that elm bordered street, I thought, I might hnd some other old acquaintances. Nothing whatever was improbable now, so feeling exceedingly encouraged by my thoughts, I sauntered along the weedy pathway toward a white dotted cemetery. I never had cared for cemeteries, but this particular spot ap- pealed to me, and rather than sit down by the roadside and eat grass, I opened the iron gate. Having wandered from stone to stone without seeing a name which I recog- nized, I turned to leave the solitary place. In front of a very small granite piece with the inscription Rover, my dog, stood Mil- dred Dyer, gazing sorrowfully at the green spot. The simple expression of words spoke fully of Mildreds loss and without troubling her meditation, I was just about to take my departure, when I heard some- one speaking: This is a private burying ground. Please get out, and Leonard Hill, still residing in the cemetery district, led me courteously to the opening in the fence and saw me safely outside of his domain. A tive minutes' walk brought me to the hrst public building erected in Arden Vil- lage, the post-ofhce, but, contrary to the card on the door, it was not open at all hours. Having tried the door and having found it securely bolted, I came to the con- clusion that some unusual circumstance had prevented the rules from being carried out. Then through a crack in the door I heard a vehement snoring and from this same crevice protruded a slip of paper apparently intended for whomsoever happened in that direction. I unfolded it and found inside, in scraggling letters, an explanatory no-te 2- The key's under the mat. The door is locked because there is a dollar's worth of stamps in the drawerfl The postmaster must have been an ardent advocate of Safety first. Yery anxious lu know who this brilliant government offi- cer might be, I found the key and applied it In thc lock. l'ostmaster Iilond was taking an after-dinner nap, so I thoughtfully left him to conclude it unmolestecl, faintly re- calling in my mind his former fondness for rest and peace. A neat, white cottage across the road at- I placed the post- place and several raps on the green door brought a woman to an upper window. Come around back, said the shrill voice. The front hall has has just been painted? As directed, I fol- lowed the white pebbled pathway to the rear of the house, where I found a minia- ture athletic iield, well equipped with every sort of apparatus to delight a whole army of gymnasts. Five slim children in jersey suits 'tumbled around the grass, followed closely by a tall, thin woman similarly clad. Laura certainly believed in fresh air and she was teaching, as she had been taught, that plenty of exercise is Nature's own beautilier. Laura's life was to be one long line of gymnastic enterprises. Entirely ignorant of what was to come, I politely accepted her invitation to stay to tea, but when she brought out a jersey cos- tume and requested me to go through a series of performances on the slippery horizontal bar, I regretted my hasty move and I must have surely fallen several de- grees in her estimation when I refused point blank to strain my unused muscles. Never- theless, at the end of the meal, we were once more restored to friendly terms and that evening we walked over to Arline's bungalow. Before we came in sight of the house we heard a mellow voice reciting line after line of indistinct verse. That's Arline, my companion sighed. She spends most of her valuable time up in that old apple tree learning that kind of stuff, while Louise Stratton, adoring crea- ture, sits at the foot dreaming all sorts of wonderful successes for Arline's future. Let's not disturb them. It makes them both terribly angry to feel that they are to be tracted my attention as ofhce key in its hiding hindered in their progress to fame.

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PROP H ECY , backed away several feet when he saw me approaching and moved over toward Louise, as if for protection. Accepting this move as a broad hint for me to vacate the land- scape, I moved down the walk as far away as possible. VVhile I was waiting for Louise to break away, I looked about me. In the next vacant lot I saw a woman seated upon a stump of an old tree with a man kneeling beside her. They seemed to be drawing something and were intensely interested in the work o-f five or six other men who were diggging about them. Oh, they, said Louise, when she had caught up with me and I had questioned her, Thats Mildred Clifton and George. They've been planning that house for seven years, but I've heard that they positively expect to complete it be- fore Christmas. Our conversation was suddenly cut short by the approach of a tall woman. followed by a small man pushing a red cart contain- ing a sleeping child. The woman met us enthusiastically. exclaiming, Oh, I heard you were here. Come up and see us. Ramon would be delighted, wouldn't you Ramon ? and she grabbed the cart-handle from his hands and swung it with a jerk into a graveled walk, calling at the same time to her husband, Come and set the table. Helenilfichitson is going 'to lunch with us today and you promised to ta-ke the baby while we eat. Helen has an important secret to disclose to me. Something to do with her last paper on 'Successful riagesf Elizabeth was still talking when we left them, but Ramon, with his mouth in a strained, immovable position, followed Mar- obediently. That noon we had our lunch at Helen Lang's tea room, but the tea and hollow cakes failed to satisfy our hunger. so we hurried out. leaving Helen reading a novel and eating peanuts in the window seat. As we opened the outer door a dark-haired woman with a basket loaded with pro- visions on each arm entered and Helen lYilson, with care and anxiety written on her sunburned face, welcomed me. She, likewise, had heard of my presence in the town, for Yeronica McDermott. the village school marm, had heard it on the way home from school from the minister's wife and before twilight the majority of Arden Vil- lagers had been informed of the fact. The afternoon was spent in a tour of the aristocratic part of the town with a stern regard for the few public facilities. It was a very noticeable fact that on the other side of Apple Street there were five telephone poles and three hydrants, while a small low building was serving as a public library. It was obvious from the appearance of the white paved street that a street cleaner had been employed and my evidences were veri- fied when we turned into a shady road, for here I saw Horace Stearns diligently apply- ing a long-handled brush to a hlthy gutter. We carefully avoided a recognition and moved on. only to run into another crudely clad acquaintance, pushing a green wheel- barrow in which two plump youngsters were directing Herbert along the highway. At a graveled walk he stopped and carried the children to the side porch where a slim woman sat sewing. A nearer view might have correctly identified her, but the brown Huffy hair was quite enough. The scene here brought to mind another old friend and turning to my companion, I inquired for Ella. You won't see her, I'm thinking. IVhy. Ella got entirely too big for Arden. She went out IVest in pursuit of something or somebody. I'Ve always been almost sure that it was the latterf, SAD ENDING FOR ONE YOUNG MAN. Some distance further on we came to a fountain set in the center of a plot of green grass, with seats arranged here and there about the pool of sparkling water. Far too weary to withstand the temptations of rest