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

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THE CRIMSON AND GRAY 13 office merely because he was the only mem- ber who could add without the aid of his fingers. Bump was the smallest and live- liest member. He was the leader in pranks and had a never ending- source of bright ideas with which he kept his associates amply supplied. The last member, and consequently sec- retary, was Rump. He was a new arrival from England but as the treasurer ' s funds enlarged, he had found it impossible to be secretary and treasurer and had therefore admitted Rump as secretary. He possessed a good hand for penmanship and thus was extremely useful in decorating the club house and making numerous signs and notices. Do you know, I ' m quite fond of politics. My Dad says that when I was born I had President written right on my face, said Slump. Yeah! Maybe you did, but I guess it went out of existence when your freckles came in, was Bump ' s mumbled addition. Well, my mothaw says, — began Rump. ' Say fellows, said Plump, what are you all standing here talking about what your mothers say, like a bunch of girls. Let ' s take what our conscience says for a change. Mine says that I ' m badly in need of nourish- ment. So over they trooped to the drug store of which Plump ' s father was proprietor. After consuming two ice cream sodas apiece, they trooped out. Say fellows ! said Bump. See that old fence over there of Pereival Highbrow ' s? Well let ' s get a can of green paint and a can of red and one of yellow. We ' ll paint the whole thing green and then put some red and yellow decorations on it. Suiting their actions to Bump ' s words, they set out for home after paint and brush. Soon four small boys in overalls could be seen splashing paint in large dobs on the old fence. It may be added that there was as much on themselves as on the fence. After continued labor in silence, due to the fact that there was considerable fear of getting paint in their mouths if they talked, the task was completed. Well boys, said Bump, I call that a good start, but wait till we get the decora- tions on. Then it ' ll be worth looking at. What do you say we lie down for a while? It ' s 0. K. with me, said Plump. I never was much on standing up long at a time. Time passed and as it passed the boys dropped into the sleep of the just while waiting for the paint to dry. As the clock struck five, the four boys awoke with a start and lo and behold! There was Pereival Highbrow himself viewing the recent paint- ing. Well, I swan, said he. This is the first time I ever saw you boys do anything that amounted to anything. I ' ve been going to have this fence painted for quite a while but I haven ' t got around to it. Guess I ' ll have to give you a little something for doing- it for me. Having said this, he thrust a five dollar bill into the hands of the nearest Knight and went into the house, still mumbling, Well, ' I swan! The president of the Knights was the first to recover from the shock of being paid for what was intended for a bad deed. Well, Knights, said he, I make a mo- tion that Bump, whose idea it was to paint this fence, be made President of the sacred order of Knights of Lindbergh. Amen, agreed the other two voters. Doris Claflin, ' 30 KISMET One bright fall morning a letter reached the offices of the firm, Abbott and Anderson, lawyers. This letter said that : — Frank Hall ivished to look over the farm of the late Nathan Robinson with the view of buying it. A friend of his, a Mr. Brooks, was going to meet him to- morrow at the farm and they would go through it. Would the lawyer kindly give Mr. Brooks the enclosed letter, which contained directions for reaching the house, and the key when he called for it at five o ' clock the next day? Above all would they please stress the neces- sity of getting there as soon as possible. This house had been left to David Robin-

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12 THE CRIMSON AND GRAY desire to rescue was rather a joke. If the boy would keep his wish to himself, all would be well, but he continually repeated, When I rescue some lives. Jim never knew how it really happened, but the general alarm sounded and off they all rushed to the fire. Flames were streaming from the windows and openings of the large apartment house. Crowds were gathered for blocks around, watching the blaze. A loud scream rent the air just as Hook and Ladder Company No. 8 reached the scene. My baby, my baby ! I had her beside me, but she ' s gone ! Such was the piteous wail of a poor mother with her little ones grouped around her. The Fire Chief, in white, walked over to Captain Joe and asked for a volunteer, and said, Give me a young man, a brave man, the best you ' ve got. Old Joe turned to Jim: Here ' s your chance, lad, good luck. Jim ran up the lad- der, and climbed into a window, not yet reached by the blinding flames. No one knew how the smoke felt to the eyes of this coura- geous young lad. He fought his way to the basinet just as it seemed that the flames would lap it. He grasped the precious bun- dle in his arms, but on looking around dis- covered that the red tongues had cut off his escape by the same window he had entered. Out a door he went and into another room not quite so devastated. By means of his hatchet, he managed to get out upon the fire- escape. There was a net ready for him and the baby. With a prayer, the lad closed his eyes and jumped for his life. Then all was black — . When Jim Brown opened his eyes he was sitting in the old morris chair in Station 8. Where am I? Is the baby alive? were the first questions the ambitious fire-fighter asked. Old Joe, who was sitting by the window roared out in his deep bass What? Jim rubbed his eyes; as he did so Hook and Ladder No. 7 thundered past. Guess it was a false alarm, said Joe. Why — Why — where ' s the baby? I don ' t under- stand it at all, Jim stuttered. No, you don ' t seem to. You ' ve been talk- ing in your sleep, too, this from Joe. But what day is it and how did I get here? asked Jim. You came in to work as usual. By thun- der, boys, this is a good one ! and Old Joe called the other men who joined in his laughter. At last it dawned on Jim that he had been dreaming — and he had expected a gold medal at least. Now, years after when Captain James Brown finds a too eager young fire-fighter among his men, he tells the story of an am- bitious young life-saver he knew. Edna C. Pinsonneault, 30 KNIGHTS OF LINDBERGH Brethren, at our next meeting we will elect our annual officers. With these part- ing words, I close the meeting for today. One, (bang!) two, (bang!) three, (bang!). The meeting is adjourned. At the third stroke of the potato masher on the soap box, the meeting of the Knights of Lindbergh came to a close and its illus- trious members gathered outside of the small shack which was used as a club house. There were four members in this sacred order of Knights. In order that affairs might run more smoothly, each member was given an office. Therefore this organization had a President, a Vice-President, a Treasurer and a Secretary. Slump was the president. He was freckled, (much to his disgust) a good sport, but the high office of President had slightly gone to his head and he privately mourned the fact that his office was nearing its end. Plump, vice president, and as his name signifies was not what may be termed sylph- like. If, however, this may be called a han- dicap it had its advantages. He always oc- cupied the one and only rocking chair in the club house as the remainder of the fur- niture was not considered in proper con- dition to bear up under his weight. He also held the contents of the treasury in his chubby fists during the time when the treas- urer was making up his accounts, as he was the only one from the remaining three who did not have the ability to run away at an inopportune time. The treasurer was Bump. He held this

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14 THE CRIMSON AND GRAY son by his uncle, Nathan Robinson. When the will had been made out, David had been missing for over a year, so according to the will — If David had not returned within five years and had not stayed on this property over night, it and the house were to be sold and the money given to various charities. The next night being the last night on which David could claim his property, and as he had not been seen or heard of as yet, Mr. Hall thought that there would be no chance of his showing up. Wishing to buy the house for a friend, Mr. Brooks, who had helped him out at a critical time and who wanted to go into scientific farming but had not had enough money to start, Mr. Hall decided to look it over with Mr. Brooks the next day. At five o ' clock the next day, however, it happened that David Robinson, who had been exploring in the jungles of Africa, en- tered the lawyers ' office, and they, thinking him to be Mr. Brooks, handed him the letter. What is that for? asked David. This was left here for you. I think you will find all directions there and it is neces- sary that you follow them out as soon as possible. Good afternoon. Wondering who could have left him a let- ter and what it contained, he stepped out- side the door and opened it. Reading it through, it suddenly struck him that these directions were strangely familiar. Why, they were directions to his uncle ' s farm! There ' s something up, he said to him- self. I ' ll have to investigate. So following directions he soon reached his uncle ' s farm but found it to be closed. Standing there on the old vine covered porch just as the sun was setting, the house being on a hill, he could look down at the broad green fields stretching out beneath him, the lazy little brook which formed a pathway through them, and the wooded hills in the distance. Everywhere the birds were sing- ing and the crickets chirping while above, the sky was a rosy roof for this peaceful picture. This would never do ! The letter had said that the writer (signed Frank Hall) would meet him here as soon as possible. Well, he didn ' t know what time that would be so why not go inside and build a fire in the fire- place which he remembered was there? As he had obtained the key at the office of the lawyers he was soon inside the house he had visited so many times in his childhood. He wandered through the old building, memo- ries driving all other thoughts from his mind. Then he built a fire with some wood which he found back of the house and sat down to wait. He waited — and waited — and waited! No one appeared! Then he realized that there was no way to return to the city; the trolley was a mile away and the last car had gone. He would have to stay there all night. What would he do? It was starting to rain. The house grew dark so he found an old oil lamp and lighted it. What weird shadows danced on the wall ! And there seemed to be a million creaks in every board! He could hear the rain beat- ing against the window panes and down the chimney. How musty and damp everything smelled ! Just a few hours ago everything had seemed so different. Finally, however, he fell asleep. He awoke the next day cramped and hun- gry. Suddenly someone drove up to the house and he ran out to see who it was. The man in the car was Mr. Hall. He stared at David; what could this man be doing here! Just then another car drove up; it was Brooks. The two men jumped out, ex- changed greetings, and walked toward David. Good Morning! And may I ask what business brought you here so early in the morning, my friend? I am the nephew of the man who owns this farm. Could you tell me where I could find him? The neph — ! Of the man who owns this — ! Brooks we ' re out of luck! And last night was the last chance he had to claim his property! Your uncle died five years ago. Died five years ago? Yes. I ' m sorry I couldn ' t get here last night, Mr. Hall, said Brooks, but I reached the office too late and couldn ' t find out about it until I called up this morning. Oh! That is all right! I had a break- down on the way so I couldn ' t reach here either, replied Mr. Hall. But, Mr. Robin-