Waltham High School - Mirror Yearbook (Waltham, MA)

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' f BETTY WRCE Class Vice-President 1927

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16 THE MIRROR making big enough pay to support themselves, and their va.rious hus- bands, in luxury. I asked him how he knew this and he said he ought to -wasn't he one of the husbandsolg Before he could explain further, a bell rang at the other end of the field. This was the signal for the horse races. I hurried over to the grandstand and found a seat. Hardly was I seated before the field judge who, I realized, was that elegant creature, Freddy Gates, dressed in a high silk hat mainly, sauntered onto the field and sadly announced that the ra.ces would not start at once for the main reason that the horses had been stolen. A mighty cry of Rocker Rogers arose from the grandstand. But Freddy calmed us with the news that the famous detective, Mr. Harry Smart, was even now on their trail for tailtj. But just at this moment Rocker himself appeared on the middle of the track, leading the four or five entrants. He made excuses to Freddy, who turned and announced that Henry had only taken the horses down the road a little dista.nce so that his wife, Hester Nelson, who had been crippled in a Shady Bottom contest the night before with Leslie Totten, might see them. Well, at last we were ready to start. The jockeys, Winston Hartley, Francis Eclnan-nas, Lawrence Daley and Herbert Wilson, clambered manfully aboard and with the pistol shot, they were off in a cloud of dust. But to my intense disgust, I never saw the finish of that exciting race, for just as the horses were rounding the final curve and were thundering madly down the home stretch-well, just then, the grandstand collapsed! Fifteen minutes later, when the debris had been cleared away, including me, the horses had been last seen leaping off into the distance somewhere toward Boston, and the jockeys were still Hhanging' on. When I learned this, I decided that I had had enough of this unstaple stable stuff and was making my .way back to the other side of the field where a large crowd was gathered about something, when suddenly I felt my very best pet corn being rudely trod upon. I looked up to remonstrate with the person, but got no farther than looking up, for in this rude person I recognized that right arm of the law itself, Joe Donahue. Joe told me that being a policemanf with lovely big flat feet, had been his ambition from babyhood on. I asked him if he had married and he assured me he had-and with a vengeance! His wife was Elizabeth Carr. This fact justified the exclamation, I thought. Joe said the commotion at the other end of the field meant the process of a baseball game. I found my way to the bleachers and seated myself just as a studious-looking person came walking onto the field, followed by nine young felows, ranging from eight to eighteen years of age, who strangely resembled the scholarly-looking man. This was Tracey Sanborne and his Family Nine. I knew that Tracey was by this time a very fine historian, having discovered his talent in writing the history of the Class of '27, but had had no idea that he had taken a

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N THE MIRROR wife unto him. A young man who sat beside me on the bench assured me that he had, and interrupted himself to say excitedly, See, there 's his wife now !' ' pointing to a woman who sat directly behind Tracey, who was now demonstrating to his first born, Tracey Junior, the correct way to throw a good, swift spitball. The woman turned out to be Ruth. Andrews, who was now quite considerably meatier than the last time I had seen her. She had started out to be quite a dramatist, but I sup- pose the only scene she ever put on now was the usual married-Iife- Saturday-night-pay-night scene, After waiting half an hour for the opposing team to appear, I be- came impatient and deserted the ranks along with a couple who had been sitting directly in front of me. I recognized Vera. Chose, but her escort was a stranger to me. I spoke to Vera and she introduced the stranger as her husband, Kenneth Perry. Ken had become so sensible-looking that I had had a hard time to place him. Vera proudly told me that Ken was now a sailor. To lead a sailor's life had been his fond am- bition from High School days on, I sadly wondered if the next time I met Vera, she would be only the girl he left behind him, knowing sailors as I do. Vwlell. they went toward the grate and l 'iiOW.ll'fl the Tent, as it was now two-forty-live and the circus was to start at three. Paul Greeley was ticket-seller here. He gave the wrong change three times before I finally entered the place. I got a good seat before the middle ring. I had arrived a.t a propitious moment, for just now the brass band entered and struck up simultaneously Can unusual occur- rencel, The Gang's All Here. As the show commenced, I began to have serious doubts about that. The band leader was a pompous-looking man, manfully weilding a ba.ton. It later turned out to be Alexander Chaipina-n, wearing his regime-ntals, Cbeing now a right royal member of the Sons of King Georgeb, and strutting in grand style. Behind him straggled the band In-oper. among the ineinhers of which I saw Eff:-.12 Cohen, whom I recognized by his structural outline, which was as gigan- tic as ever ,Lester Olson, carrying the rear end of the bass druni, and Frank Martowski, who came along to turn music. They made a grand entrance. After them came the performng ponies, with Corinne Taylor Ca bit too big for her steedl, Annie Williamson tslightly boredj, and Doris De Venne Cstill smilingl, as bare-back riders. They did the usual stunts without mishap till they got to the human pyramid, which they made on the backs of the ponies. Doris, underneath, took a fit of giggling, tottered and suddenly, gracefully, collapsed with the other two-thirds not so gracefully, but even more suddenly on top of her. Well, anyhow, after they had finally departed, their ring was taken by a. strong man. But just here my attention was called to the second ring in which a quartet of trapeze performers were showing their stuff. I had an awful