Watsonville High School - Manzanita Yearbook (Watsonville, CA)

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16 THE MANZANITA Betty THELMA SARTAIN, '19. 4 i EARlE, I'm afraid you'll A , catch cold out theref' 3 w called a patient little 'i voice from the doorway. All right, Granny, I'm coming, answered Betty from beneath the old oak where she had been dream- ing. Betty seemed to have had many day dreams the past week. Only the week before, a wealthy travel- ing party from New York had stop- ped at the old Benington place to await the quieting of the storm. Among the party was a girl of Bet- ty's age, a dancing, flippant little thing, who had assured Betty in the inost cheerful, bird-like voice that she had never lived in the country and never intended to, for she did11't see how country-bred people could ever keep up in so- ciety or with the fashions. She would have said more but Betty turned her scarlet face away and listened to no more. But the words set her to thinking, and she soon felt a longing to go into that other World and see for herself. Betty, again called the sweet little voice, what's the matter, honey? l don't think you feel well, let me give you some of my herb tea, honey. Obi no! protested Betty, 4'I'm not a bit sick, really, I-l' was only thinking ! Her conscience pricked her to think that she had even thought of such a thing as going away from the only home that she had ever known. So she set about preparing the table for supper, and after- wards went out i11to the lane to call the cows from the pasture. They answered her call and in a few minutes came in sight, strolling leisurely along, headed by old Bess. Again her conscience pricked her as she sat milking the cows and her grandfather laughingly pinched her cheek, saying that he could never in the world get along with- out his little girl. A shower had just passed, sprinkl- ing the dusty road, and leaving the air fresh and wholesome. Betty tripped along the road in high spirits. ln one hand dangled a white sunbonnet, and in the other was a letter from New York, ad- dressed to herself. t'-I wonder who it's from, she mused. I don't know of anyone there but Cousin Eunice and she'd certainly never write, because she never has, and I don't even remem- ber her. After waiting till she was out of sight of the little postoffice and its ever-interested loungers and gos- sipers, Betty sat on the narrow bridge across the pond to open her letter. She could hardly believe her eyes for there inside the envelope was an invitation from her cousin Eunice to spend two weeks at a house party at her home in New York. With a little gasp Betty snatched her sunbonnet from the ground and sped up the road towards home. Falling breathlessly on the porch, she handed the letter to her grand-

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THE MANZANITA 15 A Quest RUTH ROHR, '17 - NIOCK Round Fable had - , neighhorhood and King 1 Y l 1 f 1 ' heen established in the l , t Monty had summoned his for a most important eon- ferenee. The hand had reached their rendezvous i11 lNIulligan's harn knights and were all elad in their heaviest armor, ready for duty. The King repeated in loud tones: 'thly honorahle knights, l have a quest for the noblest among you. A seramhle followed, for eaeh memher of the Holy Order wished to show his valor and prove himself worthy of his knighthood. Then spake the Blameless Monty, This will never do. l will give the quest to whom I deem the Worthiestf' Sir Johnny, the trustworthy, was summoned for the task. He walked with mueh pride toward the throne of the true King, looking sareastie- ally at his fellow hrethen. He humhly howed hefore his leader Rlltl solemnly said: And 11ow lask, oh, Blameless One, ahout this quest of thine. 'tArise, my faithful follower and l will give it to thee. Go thou to yon eastle and secure a jar of jam. Return thou not to our Tahle Round till thou possess the jam. I give thee my hlessing. Arise thou and away. At this, Sir Johnny left the hall, jumped upon his wooden eharger, and with mueh statiliness quickly rode away. VVhen he reaeh- ed the castle wall he sealed it easily and stole slowly to the kitchen. Freeping stealthily hy the kitchen knave. he entered the pantry. He elimhed up the drainhoard and hast- ily grasped a large eroek of jam. But one's strength often betrays him as it did i11 Sir Johnny's ease, for soon the crock was in myriads ot' pieces on the highly polished fioor and our honorahle knight was he- smeared with its contents. He hastily grasped another ves- sel. He rushed hy the kitehen knave like a flash of lightning and was soon galloping away on his eharger. As this Hhravest ot' all knights entered the meeting plaee, with his head humhly howed, he handed his plunder to the King and awaited the cheers. But instead ot' the pleasant VVell done he received a terrible hlow from the King's highly prized Exealihur for he had hrought an empty jar. 2 , Okie - 1 ,Q 6 ' '5Ei:IAfE 5 f5Gf' Kiaceeb

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THE MANZANITA 17 mother. That sweet old ladyis heart beat fast and painfully as she read it. Ohl dearie, do you really want tc- go? Go? repeated Betty, t'Oh! Granny, l'd give the whole world to. Just think, l've never bee11 to a large city i11 my life, and oh! you don't know how inueh it would mean to me. But, Granny dear, don't think that I want to leave you, you know it would be for just a. little While, and Betty kissed the sweet faee. Well, we'll see Grandpa about it, was her only eomment. When showed the letter that old gentleman fidgeted and eleared his throat, but finally said that he saw no reason i11 keeping the ehild at home when she wanted to go, and besides, it would be for only two weeks. ln two days Betty was at last on her way to the city of her dreams. She hardly realized that she was really away from home until she went to her room that first night in her eousin's beautiful home. Oh! how strange and Wonderful every- thing wasl lt seemed more like a fairy palaee than a home. She had this first night free to write a long letter to her grandparents, so she set about it, deseribing all the beaut- ful things and wishing that they were with her. Betty never knew why those two weeks went so fast. She was for- ever going, going, going. A new wardrobe was fitted out with the aid of her elderly eousin, and she was introduced to more people than she had met in all her life before. But she felt all a-tingle with the new life, and her happiness was eom- plete when her cousin asked her if she wouldn't stay a few months longer. L'l'm sure you ought to have a mind of your own, dear, she said. Let me see, you will soon be eigh- teen, won't you? l can tell by your happy faee that this is the life best fitted for you. lf you wish, you may write to your grandparents, and see what they say, and I shall write a little note, too. 'l'l1e grand-parents read the letters together, one letter pleading and persuading, telling about nothing but happiness and good times, the other telling of all the eharms the eity life held for Betty and how much better it was for a young girl than eountry-life. When they had finished reading the letter, the old man sighed, while two big tears splashed down the lit- tle old lady's faee. Oh! why did they let her go? They might have known how it would be, and now it might be years before they would see her again. their own darling baby! But in spite of all this the nare- worn grandmother wrote a brave little letter, telling Betty almost what her eousin had told her, that she was old enough now to know where she would be happiest, and to stay by all means, if she wished to. Betty did stay a few months, and many months more, but she drifted farther and farther away from the old life and those two old people who loved her more than anything else in the world. Her letters be- eame fewer and fewer, and after a year stopped altogether. Often she could have thought of home and loved ones, but she never allowed her mind to dwell on them for even