Waltham High School - Mirror Yearbook (Waltham, MA)

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PRQBHECY the motionless water. a canoe was floating slowly toward me. The occupant was plainly busy with something. and linally he stood up in the wabbling craft and with a swing' of the arm. cast a long fishing line into the water. For several seconds he tottered back and forth in a vain attempt to regain his balance. Then a stout tug at the line decided the course to be taken and he plunged headlong' into the cold stream. XYith an angry glance at me he paddled to the shore like a dog: while swallowing hard. he managed to croak., Xothing in it! fell in on purpose. Had full control of myself. XYith this, Olin sulked around the corner, dripping like a drenched hen. -Inst as I was undecided whether to leave by the way of the lake or follow doggedly in the path of the disappearing tisherman. l heard voices coming from behind a green bank directly in front of me. Feeling it my duty as a perfectly honest explorer. I softly picked my way through the bushes. .-Xs I came to the top of the bank and looked down. I caught a glimpse of Dick's head, rather bald in places but still decidedly free from all gray hairs. I-lis companion was entirely hidden by an over-hanging branch, but judging from the names which he called her. he must have known her for some time and I walked away thoroughly sure that, if the occasion ever arose. I could identify her as a certain auburn-haired girl. .Inst above the bend in the road I saw a tiny house surrounded by hundreds of lilac bushes and even from where I now stood. I could hear a shrill voice chanting the meas- ures of an old hymn. Nothing should es- cape me. I had vowed. so with firm steps I walked into the yard, where. upon a stool in front of a window, stood Ruth I-Iartley scrubbing with apparent determination. Occasionally she silenced her song long enough to speak to a tall. back-haired fellow at another window. -Ioe. -Ioef' she said. hurry with that top pane. There are seven more before you can go home to dinner. I'm so sure, even if you do pretend to be such an expert cleaner, that you have left a streak of dirt in that corner. -Several times I heard him attempt an ex- planation. but the angry soliloquy from Ruth prevented his interruption. The con- versation bade fair to be continued into the next day, so without . waiting for a con- clusion. I left them alone. ' This sound, however, was suddenly drowned by the loud voice which proceeded from the next corner. On a soap box, among a crowd of onlookers crying, Speech, speech. I saw a woman standing flourishing her arms. trying toiimpress some particular subject on which she had laid great stress. Her hair was streaming about her. her collar was unfastened. and her necktie hung on a branc-h above her. Draw- ing nearerI could hear her say loudly, 'There are fifty good reasons why I am here today. One is that I want social rights. another is that I want you to have them. and third- The third was lost in a tremulous cry of Can it! from the back- ground, and without stopping to hear Loretta's remaining forty-eight reasons for her public speech. I went away in search of further interest. The new scenery attracted me no more than the last, but it served to vary the monotony. Like all other towns, Arden was inflicted with a feeble minded home, but its name had been cleverly changed to The Hillside Home for the Childishf, A tall man on the steps caused me to consider a visit, although it would have been most impossible for me to have refrained from entering. Ytfhen I walked forward, Chaun- cey. whom I had supposed to be an inmate, glowered at my intrusion, but led -me to a nurse, who was assigned to conduct me through the corridors. The little Hgure in blue was Irene Dicks, rather delicate, I thought. to be head nurse in a violent ward. Thefirst corridor was partially empty and the only occupants were unknown to me,

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K PRUPIIECY dages, her hair done up on curl papers and an electric fan at her feet. peacefully sleep- ing. This was another sleeping Arden Yil- lager. I was beginning to think that I was asleep. too. but vowing to wait for results. I sat down before a spindle-legged desk on which. in a gold frame. was a likeness of a very well-known face. The only difference which I could see was that the tlutfy hair had turned to a coal black and the coin- plexion seemed a shade darker. I con- cluded that Lillian had been experimenting with 1Iarjory's hair dye. Suddenly the door opened and a woman entered dressed in a becoming. black velvet suit. Avoiding my scrutiny. she opened her bag a11d drew out nine or ten large bot- tles. each labeled differently. I'lacing these on the table beside Klarjory. she sat with her back toward me. Quite naturally. after waiting 'for half an hour. I became sus- picious and I doubted if Marjory were really asleep. She might have felt obliged to remain in that rigid position in order to keep the'bandages in place. llorritied at this thought. I coughed and opened a con- versation with my waiting coinpaniou. Have you any idea when this woiuan will awaken ? Iafithout turning. she laughed and then answered superiorically. lYhy, Klarjory is not asleep. She will be through very shortly. It's -nearly time for her to take off the face band. Once more silence reigned. but it was soon broken by Marjory herself. who sat up and removed the white cloth from her face. saying. You don't know how I have wanted to laugh. but you know the enamel. Dear me. it is such a draw- back. Then spying Grace. she slipped on some shoes and went over to her and draw- ing her to the light. she carefully examined her face. Much better. much better. Several more sittings and we'll have a rosy complexion. But that woman raised her hands in protest and said decisively. I IIZIVCIIII used one thing. in fact. I poured it all into the sink. That accounts for the wonderful improve- ment. --Xpparently delighted with her act she hauglnily left Klarjory confused and blushing. Not for the world would I have laughed, biit the lunnor of it struck me with full force. To escape the possibility of an invitation to take the patient's chair. I quickly re- moved myself from the room and running swiftly out of the door. fell head Iirst over a crouching tignre vigorously polishing the brass trimmings about the porch. Ile lau- guidly helped me to my feet and while I brushed the grit and gravel from my chin. I noticed that he held onto his ribs where my heel had caught in my fall. Ile groaned perceptibly. but his suffering seemed plainly more from embarrassment than from physical pain. Fearing by the expression upon his face that Klason was going to cry or do some other foolish thing. I left hold- ing onto my skinless chin. I succeeded in removing most of the signs of my blunder from my skirt and coat just as a rattling wagon stopped at a building op- posite. Then Blanche Norse came out of the door and ordered the driver. in a com- manding voice. to take the little old organ upstairs with great care and not to scratch otd' the varnish. IYhen I heard the feeble notes of the dilapidated old instrument com- ing 'from the hall window aml I had seen the driver -leave. I went in and found the player seated. pumping away at the squeak- ing pedals. Illanche informed me that her tinal concert in .Xrden would take place that evening and proudly she told me of her call to Manchester. XYithout further explana- tion. I understood the full meaning of the summons. FISIIIQRKIAN GICTS WIQT. I do not know how long I had walked after leaving Illanche before I found myself on the banks of a lake. which previously had been unknown to me. Ilalf way across

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PROPII ICCY but on the second floor the most unsightly scene was laid before mc. Lillian Ilrydges sat with a deaf ear turned away from the grating in front of which Dorothy Fuller was patiently reading from a thick book with a picture of a large goose on the cover. Quite a familiar subject. I Only one other inmate attracted my at- tention to any extent and this fellow, dressed in pajamas, sat upon the Hoor gaz- ing out at a tiny window near the bottom of the room. Irene opened the door and we looked through the small opening where we could 'see a low shingled cottage just below. She then told me why matters were as they stood. 4'You see, she said, looking pityingly at Alfred, the violent occupant of cell number sixteen. Bessie Anderson, poor creature, saved enough money to build that shelter down there. It serves as a sort of lookout for her and a protection for Alfred. His afdiction has nearly killed her and the only thing that has saved her is the permission to build so near. Sometime I'll tell you the rest. It is so sad. Look! There she is now, staring up here ! And looking out we saw Bessie waving a red bandana. XfVhen I got outside she had returned to the house, but right in front of me, to keep me busy, was a long, narrow building with windows set in at the very top. A door at the end stood open, so, crossing the street, I ventured in. A clatter of hoofs upon the floor announced this to be a riding-school, and presently a black bay mounted by a lady, passed me. The rider was Blanche Cooper coquettishly attired in a divided skirt and a becoming hat. As she rode past without recognizing me, a man entered, leading another horse. The man was Brad- ley, evidently the owner and'instructor of the establishment. He waited in silence for awhile, then impatiently called, Hurry, Miss Gamage. You mustn't waste so much time. At that moment, Alice crossed the floor, tugging a stepladder. Over and over again she tried to mount without aid, but finally, Bradley leaned the ladder against the horse and his pupil stepped into the saddle with the ease of a professional. I moved across the room to another door, which I opened and closed behind me. How well I knew the place before me. The meadow, the brook, the windmill! No! NVas that the windmill? Such a dizziness was coming over me. I caught hold of a fence beside me and opened my eyes to find myself clutching tightly the back of a chair. Bobs frightened eyes were staring wildly at me, while everything in my dream had en- tirely disappeared. 2 Nxq'l'NQ QA ILf it J?yoq0 ' no M s' fig?-1 . 1-f '2'f?1 is.g'g' Q fb, 'Q 1 -K ' 7 N' .1 is ,dvpg gy- 45. P . New npr .lr 79. ' uve