Wells High School - Crimson and Gray Yearbook (Southbridge, MA)

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10 THE CRIMSON AND GRAY snow was just right for snow balls and a dozen rosy cheeked youngsters were hav- ing a jolly battle across the street. Gee Whitaker, thought Jim, when was the last time I did that? Memory brought a picture of Aunt Jane ' s big yard and a glorious day with the cou- sins. A spicy whif of Christmas cooking for the morrow from across the way in- tensified the memory. He could see her low, old-fashioned shining kitchen in his mind. With an effort he concentrated his mind on reality. What a fine time they were going to have at the dance tonight! Jim could almost see Bess beside him wearing his bouquet which had been ordered for a week. The hours seemed to be running a race with each other. They seemed to have caught the infectious hurry of the season. Jim -managed, nevertheless, to be at the station ten minutes before his train pulled in. He expected to meet several friends on the train. My, but they certainly were going to have a jolly time. Consulting his watch, he decided to look at the bulletin board and be certain about his train. There he was right ; what ' s that name ? Garden- ir-j! Great Scott! If he hadn ' t forgotten to telegraph Aunt Jane that he had a pre- vious engagement. This was the thought his conscience had been trying to bring to his mind all day. Well, it was too late now, he ' d have to send a message from Society Ranch. Poor Aunt Jane, all alone. How good she had been to him. By this time he was going up the steps onto the platform. Wouldn ' t a coast be good in this air? But then of course he was going to enjoy snow-shoeing with the bunch. lis foot was on the step of the train. He was going to have a great time. In- (1; , (} he — no — he wouldn ' t do it. Grabbing the conductor he demanded on which track was the train for Gardenville. Then shedding his dignity he jumped the separating fence, and running like a mad man, swung onto the last car as the train pulled out. Ress was forgotten at the thought of the welcome he would receive in the lonely cottage. M. Thecla Fitzgerald THE HALLOWE ' EN MASQUERADE The society reporter tapped out her story with nimble fingers while she smiled dreamily, concerned only with her thoughts Miss Gardner! bellowed the loud voice of the City Editor in the direction of the young reporter. Yes, sir, she replied in quick response to the newspaper man. Call up the Girls ' Club and find out just what kind of social their novelty is going to be. Find out the correction Mrs. Barter wants made in the date of the char- ity ball. Oh, yes, and find out about the en- gagement that is to be announced at the Hallowe ' en masquerade tonight. It is to be the biggest affair of the season. Here ' s a picture of the bride-to-be, Elizabeth Clarke. Jack Holmes the college athlete, is to be the groom. Jack Holmes is to be the groom ! At these words a faintness came over the lit- tle reporter and she fell into her chair in a daze. Jack Holmes was to be married. Jack who had held her in his arms and had promised to be faithful to her until death. Her parting from him went through her mind — the station filled with boys in uni- form, saying good-bye to their dear ones, her own agony at the parting. That was the last she had seen of Jack. Just before the Armistice, his letters had stopped and she had received no further word from him. Yet her faith had never waivered. In despair she looked at the picture of the beautiful girl which had been given to her. She was young and very beautiful, and wealthy beyond doubt. No wonder he has forgotten , thought the girl. She is very beautiful. A quick thought came into her mind. She must in some way get to the Hallowe-en masquer- ade that night. She could hire a costume at the Regalia Shop and slip in someway without being seen, for she had no invita- tion. When her work was done for the day, she hurried out to the Regalia Shop where she selected a very pretty costume for the occasion. The little reporter looked bewitching in her borrowed finery. Yet she felt rather nervous as she stepped out of her taxi in front of the enormous mansion. She won- dered what would happe n to her. She walked up the stone steps, where she was confronted by a stout, jolly-looking man

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THE CRIMSON AND GRAY ther? The hard-earned farm could not be kept, and the pioneer woman became wild in her grief. The kindly neighbors and village folk made up searching parties and hunted high and low for Kans Schmidt, but theirs was an almost hopeless task for the coun- try was still very wild except for the few tarms and villages. Hans might have been lost in a marsh or hurled down some ra- vine. The excitement was high and there was a great deal of gossiping done. In so small a town exciting things do not happen often and many were the speculations concern- ing Hans and great the wonder about Men- a ' s future. His disappearance was the main topic of conversation till one day three months later greater news took its place. On this day Mrs. Schuerman walked in- to the village store for some eggs and no- ticed a strange man take a cracker from the bin, trim the cheese on the cracker, and devour it and then take up another cracker and proceed as before. Of course there was nothing novel about this action but a stranger was a curiosity and when Mrs. Schuerman discovered he was not even a stranger but Hans Schmidt you will see why Hans ' disappearance paled n the light of his appearance. This was the new excitement and this is the exact con- versation which took place. Hans Schmidt, hef you come back from the dead? Does Mena know you ' re back? Ver hef you been? Oh, I shusdt ben oudt to Dagota. Some- body came along midt a prairie schooner und I went along to loog at der land. Veil said Mrs. Schuerman, you haf Mena vurried half crazy. She thinks you vas dedt! Vat, she been vurried? asked Hans, I don ' t see vhy she need. She knows I got my life inshured. Constance L. Grant A BETTER MOMENT Mail, s ' r, murmured the deferential butler, as he held the tray out to young Jim Roberts. Jim carelessly glanced thru the pile and selecting three letters, ambled into the library. The one he eagerly opened first was written on the most fashionable pa- per addressed in the dainty hand most ac- cepted among that year ' s debutantes. A joyous smile spread over his face as he read the invitation to Bess ' Christmas house party. Bess, let it be known, was the daintiest, most spoiled girl of the season. That would be a fine way to enjoy ,the holidays he decided, and spent a few dreamy minutes before opening the sec- ond letter. This was a true man ' s letter. Jim ' s sat- isfaction increased as he read it. He was to see Brookes on Saturday. He made a rapid calculation and suddenly he realized that as Brookes ' office and Bess ' Society Ranch, as it was called, were in the same town, he could start from the city at noon Saturday, keep the appointment with Brookes and be at Bess ' by four o ' clock. To settle the business of investing his for- tune so quickly was better luck than he had hoped for. It was certa ' nly white of Brookes to let him in on this deal. Weren ' t many men who would bother with a fel- low just out of college. Well — let ' s see. This letter must be from Aunt Jane. His conscience pricked. Had he answered her last letter? No, he didn ' t think he had. Poor dear Aunt Jane, up there in the tiny village. What a hard life she had led from her girl-hood, caring for her live teasing brothers and sisters. Now she .wan all alone .One by one, John, Anne, Prue, and the rest had left the tranquil village to lead a busy life in bustling cities As Jim read the note his face grew thoughtful, then puzzled. Aunt Jane was to be ai alone in her little cottage Christ- mas; all the brothers and sisters were too busy, too far away, or too occupied to even think of poor, dear Jane. Wouldn ' t Jim like to spend the day with his old aunt? Self-effacing, as usual, Jane had added not to think of coming if Jim had other plans. It certainly was too bad he had the other engagement. It was very necessary to keep it, in fact as he thought it over, he must keep it. Why, if he put Brookes off he might lose his chance. No, he couldn ' t think of Christmas with Aunt Jane. Then too, anticipant, he had prepared for the house party. Of course, to do anything else but accept Bess ' invitation would be non- sensical. He must hurry; here it was nine forty- five and he had an appointment at ten. Saturday dawned clear and frosty. The

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THE CK1MS0N AND GRAY 11 who was there to look at the invitations She told him that she had mislaid her in- vitation and Mir ; Clarke had told her that . ' t would be all right for her to come with- cut any. The man accepted her explanation and she was escorted into the great ball- roc rn. The merrymakers had already be- gun dancing, so she sat down in a corner by herself to await developments. Every- one was masked including herself, and she felt rather lonely as she sat there. Present- ly a queer looking elf came toward her and asked her if she did rot wish to dance. She was glad to and enjoyed her waltz very much. She had the next dance and al- so the next. Then there came the unmask- ing and the announcement of the engage- ment. The little reporter had not seen any- cne who resembled Jack during the whole evening, no matter how much she studied the funny clad figures. At the announce- ment of the unmasking a little thrill came over her. She and the queer looking elf were standing in the further corner of the hall when the command was given. Never was such a surprised look on the little re- porter ' s face before, as she saw the un- masked elf standing before her. The queer looking elf with whom she had been danc- ing practically all the evening was none other than Jack Holmes — yes Jack Holmes, the man whose engagement was to be an- nounced in about five minutes. The look of surnrise changed to bewilderment on the girl ' s face and she started to say, Hurry or you ' ll be late for — , but by that time lie had caught her in h ' s strong arms, say- ing, Nancy, Nancy, where have you been hiding yourself? Why have I not seen you before this? I have looked everywhere since I came back from France, and to- night I have found you. Tonight, said Nancy as she drew awav from his embrace. Too late, too late. ft Too late! Goodness Nan, did you think 1 was to take the fatal step with that child, Betty? It is my young cousin Jack, who ' s the nopular man of the night. I ' m only go- ing to be the best man. Why Nancy, don ' t vou know there never could be anyone else but you? Marjorie Harris ' 23 ALUMNI NOTES Dorothy Dartt, class of 1921, has entered Mt. Holyoke. In room 4 is a picture which the Class of 1921 gave as a parting gift to the High School. Marion Lunan, ' 17, was graduated from Wellesley in June and is now teaching French and Spanish in the High School in Avon, Massachusetts. Helen Weatherhead, ' 17, is working in the Bridgeport Public Library. Sam Clarke, ' 20, has entered Harvard this fall. Maurice C. McGilvray, 21, is working for a year but intends to go away to school another fall. Schuyler J. West, ' 21, is employed as an electrician at the Hamilton Woolen Co. Lawrence C. Cheney, ' 21, has entered Andover as a Senior. Alice Clarke, ' 19, is finishing her three year course at Framingham Normal this year. Morton Lord is freezing ice cream at THE CHOCOLATE SHOP. Ralph Paul, ' 19, is a Junior at the Wor- cester Polytechnic Institute and is report- ed to be very successful in his work. Almeda Walker, ' 21, is teaching at the Mechanic Street School. She is also taking a Post Graduate Course at the High School Alice Wixted, ' 21, is teaching at Marcy Street School. Florence Foley, Barbara Mair, Jessie Wesson, Gladys Kelly and Marjory Ohara are employed at the American Optical Co. Agnes LaFleche is working at G. C. Win- ter Co ' s store. Sally Wells is at Walnut Hill, Natick, Massachusetts. Linnea Norman is employed at the Ed- wards Company. Leland Miller is working at Miller ' s Gar- age on Main Street. No one knows where Jimmie Nolan is but we hope he has turned over a new leaf and is working. Muriel Grimwade is at Cushing Academy John McKinstry is at Massachusetts Ag- ricultural College. Lionel Demers is in Canada. Dot Claflin is attending the Worcester Normal School.