Waltham High School - Mirror Yearbook (Waltham, MA)

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PROPHECY taken full possession. Anyway, our whole section is in a general uproar. The story then returned to Alice, who Hoated into another choice item. You re- member little Mabel Erwin, don't you. lVell, if you don't, you will when you see her, for she's coming back to take Yer- onica's place. Yeronica's got something up her sleeve, but only Mabel knows, so we are all waiting for the new school teacher to arrive. They say that she has a new system of instruction to make quite a sensation here, but, for my part, I object to these new fangled ideas. And thus theconversation went on, but l couldn't help thinking that our visitors' taste for rapid talk had in- creased greatly since our last meeting. ARRESTED FOR SLTFFRAGE STUNTS. Qui' plans for that day's rest in order to be in good condition to complete our con- quest of the town -were still further pre- vented, for in the afternoon. having com- fortably seated ourselves for a quiet talk, we heard cries of a mob outside and rushed to the door just in time to -see three well dressed women being led down the middle of the road. Their stiff white collars were torn from was flying wildly. At the corner below. roughly forced into the patrol their fastenings and their hair they were and driven away. Shortly afterwards the ambulance passed byand the excited crowd informed us -that Jennie Angus, Althea Moore and Marion XVhitmore had been try- ing a few English suffragette stunts on a deserter of their ranks, who was in such a mangled state that it had been necessary to remove her. NVho would have thought that Louisa. knowing the danger in which she stood, would have left a body of such cold- blooded creatures! For self-protection it would have been wiser for her to have re- mained loyal. K The crowd was dispersed by this time and out of the dust and excitement of the disappearing mob came the harsh notes of a brass band. Unknown to us, a circus had landed at Arden in the night, pitched its tents and made preparations for a raid on the town pocket-books, and being animated by the past experience, we fell for the chance of an hour's amusement. The wooden seats were exceedingly uncomfort- able and the climb to available vacancies caused us to puff with fatigue. Finally seated, we scanned the middle section of the tent, which was marked off in sections for the different parts of the wonderful per- formance. .lust at the stroke of two, a man came into the ring and explained, stammer- ing, that, for the benefit of. the Ardenites only, he had succeeded in procuring one of the world's most famous acrobats, and with a snap of a slender whip, Harold Page, the manager of the whole affair, summoned a slim figure into the circle. The man, clad in bright pink satin tights, motioned for a narrow trapese to be lowered from the top of the tent and then as he clambered into the seat, two pages bearing a card an- nouncer, came before the audience. Wie were. however, hardly able to withstand the shock of the words for the man high above us, limber and graceful, was Roland. How he squirmed about on his perch and swung through the ropes about himl He was still performing when a young lady unan- nounced came in, balancing upon a white horse. he went through her act without a tremor, and, as her fluffy uniform disap- peared behind the tent flaps, the manager came forth and said in proud tones. Ullacleinoiselle Dauncey. foremost lady rider on either continent! lYas it not mar- velous ? Helens ability had certainly translixed the crowd, for they sat open- mouthed, staring at the exit opening. Evi- dently there was to be a sort of intermis- sion for all but the Hying acrobat at the top of the tent. Then from somewhere came a roly poly clown. lle was short and fat. dressed in a yellow and red full costume,

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PROPI-I ECY Half the evening had gone and the pic- tures had not interested us a particle. How- ever, we were determined to see the show if we were obliged to remain until the finish and we had just moved down two seats when I heard a stifled laugh behind me. Casually glancing back over my shoulder as if to take in the rear audience, I slyly let my eyes rest upon a woman. It was Dor- othy Hill, her plump hand resting lightly in a much stronger one. Surely these two hands were not mates, but I didn't dare to look again: so with a faint picture in my mind of Dorothy, Hammond 'Hill and Pros- pect Street llridge at night, I patched to- gether a solution for the scene behind me. --Xt the beginning of the second perform- ance, two very tall women took seats directly in front of me and commenced a steady flow of conversation. No, Alice, I think pink would go better with my complexion and you know, dear. that I look far more stylish in something that sets off my lines. Real blonds are so rare nowadays, that is why I must take ad- vantage of my wonderful gift. Yes, I know, but, Ethel, don't you think that pink is my color? I should much rather have- You're not going to. though, Alice Ben- nett, the other interrupted. Deep laven- der is what you should have. Now see that gown on that girl in that picture. XVhat wretched style: I'd look well in that because I've the height. Here the argument was suddenly brought to a close by the entrance of a man upon the platform. In a sickening voice he began a voluble rendition of a song. I-Iisses im- mediately arose from the gallery and con- tinued throughout the performance, which came to a close after a succession of croaks from the vocalist. I couldn't see that Le- land's voice had improved in any way, but it may have been because of my lack of proper appreciation. On the whole the show, with the enter- taining features of the several volunteer speakers, had been a most interesting one and I went to sleep that night happily con- scious of having spent a very profitable day. The next morning. while I was still up- stairs, a rap sounded at the door. Presently voices were heard in the hall and I was summoned below to find Marion Smith and .Xlice Armstrong sitting with the needles clicking sharply in the grim silence. A solemn greeting was exchanged and then the visitors drew their chairs closer, while Alice began with a bountiful supply of news. The worst thing happened last night! Clarence French sleeps out in the tent, you know. and during the storm last night the wind ripped it down and the folding bed, which he 'sleeps in, closed up and he was caged until morning. When they took him out. they say he was still smiling, but a short time after, while I was taking the curl paper off my front hair, the ambulance drew up to the door. Marion confirmed this prolonged speech, while we politely exclaimed over the acci- dent, and the speaker continued: Yesterday morning we saw a barrel of flour being carried into the Stearns house, and later Mrs. Stearns came running out crying that Frances had fallen head first into it. She didn't seem to know what Frances had been looking for, but it was surely something. No doubt I could have told the'ladies all about it, but it would have broken Frances' heart had I disclosed her secret. A fter this rare bit of information, Marion took up the strain. Probably you have heard about it but it isn't supposed to be out yet. You see, Esther Bird has always been a high aimerg in fact, you might say she had built her entire future on a Cliff. W'ell, the whole trouble is this: Aurelia llates has come back to Arden, settled down for good, surrounded Ifsther'si Cliff and

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PROPHECY trimmed with bells. Presently in front of us, he bowed and pulled off his peaked hat showing a bristled pompadour exactly like one I had seen many times before. I watched him closely, and linally made out, through the paint and wierd facial decora- tion. the unmistakable features of Dutch, who, after rolling about for our pleasure, was called off by the ring master, who had led in a new troup. As the clown left the circle, a woman's cry sounded above the voices of the people. How could he do it? just a good-for- nothing clown and he did it out of spite. Down at the other end of our row we could see her rise from her seat and, just as l had guessed. Florences pitiful voiceiwas plead- ing to the back of the disappearing clown. Act after act followed, but nothing more was shown that interested us as the preced- ing acts had, so we climbed down, leaving Roland swaying on his bar. Fascinated by a gaudily colo-red painting of The Fat Lady on the canvas of a side show, we paid our entrance fee and pulled aside the tent flap to admit ourselves. XN'hether it was that lady or not, we never found out, but she clearly resembled our old friend, Helen Furbush, and we went home very certain that we had discovered another schoolmate. The next day was Sunday, which meant a lack of excitement in the village. VVe went to church in the morning ,extremely conscious, as we passed down the aisle, of a hundred inquisitive eyes centered upon us. Safely stowed away in a front pew, how- ever, I at last felt at rest and listened at- tentively to the words of Ralph Johnstone, the bald-headed preacher. His solemn ser- mon carried through my mind a multitude of thoughts in no way connected with the sub- ject and lent a quiet composure to my rest- less desire to get up and run. Wlien the organ pealed out its last anthem, we arose from the upholstered pews and turned to meet the curious congregation. Having safely reached the door and feeling sure of an unnoticed exit, I felt my hand clutched and turning saw May Orr smiling and mur- muring, Aren't you coming down to the Sunday School? and without a struggle I allowed myself to be led away. You see, May was saying, you know a lot of the kiddies and Mabel Smith and Marion Sanderson both have classes. That is Marion, lean, sedate and pale, with the gray dress on, and that is Mabel over there, fat, buxom, and jolly, in the black silk. She has recently lost her second husband and Marion is just coming out of mourning for her first. There is rumor of a second mar- riage, but in small villages there is so much talk. Now, for, instance, when Dorothy Travis went to New York the second time, the deacons wife had her married and liv- ing in an expensive apartment, but come to find out, Dorothy was Filling the position as matron in 'The Home for Indigent Spin- sters.' Of course that was no sign that she would eventually join their numbers, but, as l said before, people in small villages guess at a great deal. - A voice from the platform assembled the school and when the superintendent, su- perior and supercilious in manner, gave out the hymn, I couldn't help recognizing Frank Ulney as the general manager. Then in a guttural voice he commenced the hymn while the children piped up, drowning him out completely. As soon as the classes had taken their positions, May took me into the next room, where the kindergarten depart- ment was conducted by Helen Whiting. VV holly unconscious of our presence, she sat among her Hock, coloring pictures and building block houses. All at once from be- hind a long, low table came a wail and a block flew into the air, falling squarely on the top of the teacher's head. She jumped quickly to her feet and located two small youngsters behind her in a rough-and- tumb-le fight. Dodging the Hying missiles, she took one of the culprits by the coat-