Washington High School - Little Prexie Yearbook (Washington, PA)

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10 SESAME floor so he went over and picked it up. He opened it'and drew back startled as he read the contents which said: If you wish to see a certain young lady alive again bring S500 to the old Haunted House to-day at 2 p. m. There was no name signed and hence no clue. Bob laid the note on the dresser and immediately went and called J ane's sorority house. But when he asked if Jane was there, the answer was no. Right away Bob supposed that this certain young lady was Jane. He looked at his watch and saw that it was just 1:30. He ran down the stairs and jumped in his car which was standing in front of the house. He went to the president's home and asked to see him. He was ushered into the library. In a few moments the door opened and the President himself came in. Why, Bob, what brings you here? he asked. Bob told him about the note being thrust under his door, but forgot to tell him of the man he had encountered earlier in the morning. The President trusted Bob and gave him a check for the desired amount. Bob thanked him very kindly and promised to return it as soon as possible. He left the house and hurried to the bank. He arrived there just two minutes before closing time. He secured the money and started to the Haunted House. It was a journey of eight miles over a cobblestone road. Meanwhile game time drew near. The team was in the dressing room. All were present except Bob. They all looked anxious every time the door opened. But no Bob appeared. Finally the game was ready to start, but still no Bob. Coach Williams called up Bob's frat house, but there was no answer. He then asked the referee to hold the game up for a few minutes. The referee consented, but when at the end of ten minutes Bob had still not appeared Coach Williams had to send in a substitute. The crowds were going wild. They kept yelling: We want Collyer! Collyer! We want Collyer! The outcome looks doubtful, said Coach Williams to one of the players on the bench. I can't imagine what hap- pened to Bob, but I never thought that he would throw us down like this. In the meantime Alec Bowden had returned from his class to dress for the game and he spied the note. He read it, ran out of the house and jumped into his old Ford, and raced down to the stadium. Before he had gotten inside the gate he heard

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SESAME 9 Jane, oh, Jane ! she called, telephone All rightie, be there in a second, answered Jane. She came down stairs and sat down at the telephone. Hello, she said. Hello, Jane, this is Bob. I won't be able to get over to- night, but I have a ticket for a reserved seat in the first row. I'll send it over with Alec. All right? Yes, and thanks very much. I wish you the best of luck in the game to-morrow, said Jane. Thanks, we may need it. Say, Jane, may I take you to the football dance to-morrow night? asked Bob. You may if you win, said Jane. All right, I'll fight with all my might. Good-night. Good-night, said Jane. Bob replaced the receiver on the hook and went back to his room. It was just 9 o'clock, but he went to bed as Alec had gone out and there was nothing to do. It was 9:30 the next morning when Bob arose. The game was scheduled for 3 o'elock. Alec had gone to his 8 o'clock class and had not yet returned. Bob dressed and went down to eat his breakfast. He had just finished eating when the mailman arrived. In the mail was a box from home for him. He took the box and went to his room. He had just started to open it when he saw a note under his door. He ran to the door and opened it. Just then some one ran through the front hall and slammed the front door as they went out. Bob stepped out on the front porch and looked around, but all he saw was a man of about middle age standing across the street staring very hard at the house. Bob thought nothing of this, but just as he was about to enter the house he heard some one say: I say there, brother, do you happen to know whether the captain of Fordham's team is in? Bob looked the man over and then said: Yes, he is. I am the captain. Well, now, this is what I call luck. How about a hun- dred dollars for a lame leg in the game ? said the stranger. What! exclaimed Bob, why you dirty scoundrel, get out of here as fast as you know how and don't ever let me see you near this house again! ' The man fairly flew down the steps and down the street. Bob returned to his room and finished opening his box when he happened to remember the note. It was still lying on the

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SESAME '11 the crowds hollering for-Bob. Immediately he knew that Bob was not there. He read the note again, jammed it into his pocket and set out for the Haunted House. He had been traveling for the last five miles at the highest rate of speed he could when suddenly, bang! and his left hind tire was flat. That would happen now, said Alec jumping out. He looked all around for some available thing to continue the journey in, but as it was a seldom frequented road the only thing he saw of much account was a mule in a nearby field. Well, here goes, said Alec running towards the mule preparing to jump on. But when the mule saw Alec coming he started running in the other direction. Whoa, you dumb-bell! yelled Alec. The mule did not stop and Alec chasing him, finally caught up to him. He man- aged to jump on and the chase proceeded. About a quarter of a mile from the Haunted House the mule stopped deadin his tracks. The impact was so sudden that it threw Alec to the ground. No amount of persuasion on the part of Alec could make him go. So Alec, tired of coaxing, walked the rest of the way. Before he quite reached the house he 'broke two dry branches from a young tree. g When he arrived at the house he saw Bob's sport roadster standing in front of the house. He quietly went up the steps and looked in the window from which the glass had been broken. Inside -there were cobwebs hanging everywhere. He could hear the low hum of voices somewhere at the back of the house. Very quietly he traced the voices to a small room otf the main hall. Next to this room was a small closet. Just as Alec was ready to open the door of the room where the voices were coming from, a board creaked very loudly. Alec stepped into the small closet. Listen ! exclaimed one of the voices in the room. What was that? Oh, dry up! You're always hearing things, said an- other voice. 1 I Well, anyway, I don't like this business, said the first voice. After this there was silence. Alec stepped out of the closet, very careful not to step on the loose board again, and quietly opened the door of the room from where' the voices had come. He saw Bob sitting in a chair gagged with his arms and legs tied. There were two men sitting an a small table in the