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

Page 17 text:

THE CRIMSON AND GRAY 11 be all, Rupert directed his steps toward the front door. Soon he found himself out on the brink of the cliff overhead. He noticed the veiled moon and the cloudy sky. Across the water, he saw a flickering light, that was his goal. There Hero was waiting for him, the one he had been searching for all his life. He stopped. Would he risk it? No, he turned away but still the urge was strong within him. Again he faced the light, closed his eyes and plunged into the dark chasm below — Morning found the inn all astir. The aged tourist wa.s missing ! but soon the truth was known as they looked below on the jag- ged coast. Cedric was spellbound, remorse stirred in his soul and now too late he rea- lized the madness. Still, Cedric found his conscience troubling him, although he rea- soned that it was a dramatic end for a man whose life was almost ended. Yet what was even worse, was that all that was left him was the dilapidated old manor house back in Greylock, a moth-eaten bequest for two years of labor. CATHERINE McKINSTRY, ' 31 WILL-O ' -THE-WISP Lo ! Yon castle lights are gleaming, Nightly from the tower beaming; And to me they bring a feeling, A message to me revealing. Come! Come! They are repeating, Rapidly my heart is beating; I linger there translating, That message so elating. Lo ! Yon castle lights are waning, But their message still remaining; Lures me, calls me, mystifying; To express it I am trying. But my grasp it is eluding ' Tis a message so deluding; Lo ! ' Tis vanishing, now ' tis gone, Perplexed I stand, alone, forlorn. — Dorothy M. Lanphear, ' 31. ' M ® K m

Page 16 text:

10 THE CRIMSON AND GRAY eventually. Then would he taste the plea- sures of Monte Carlo, Rome, Paris, any- where. What matter if the atmosphere now was oppressing, if the old man ' s company was irritable? Cedric could bide by these minor inconveniences even though the ad- venturer chafed at the inaction. Would the old man ever die? Daily the thought pressed down on his consciousness. Somehow he sensed in the old man ' s demo- nical laugh, mockery, amusement, and even victory. Matters steadily grew worse but Cedric remained expecting a fortune to descend upon him daily. Then came the war! and with it patriotism of Uncle Rupert. For the first time, he opened his purse strings, but not for Cedric. Instead six hundred pei-fect ly good English pounds were donated with all show of patriotic fervor to the British cause. Poor Cedric looked on hungrily as the gold passed through hi.s fingers, but what was even worse, the old man expected him to enlist. However, Cedric tactfully smoothed over this unpleasantness and gleefully no- ticed his uncle ' s failing health. Surely the toothless creature must be losing his hold, but again some unseen hand pulled him through. Then Rupert decided to go to Italy for his health, Cedric accompanying him as a mere unsalaried secretary. Winter found them basking in the warm Italian sunshine which proved almost a fountain of youth to the old man. Now he even became sociable, often calling on Mr. Hartwood and his elderly raster. Little did Cedric scent the romance in the old man ' s heart, for he did not reckon upon Rupert ' s new susceptibility to com- pany, until one day he chanced upon the venerable Rupert and Miss Hartwood enjoy- ing an afternoon stroll. Here, indeed, was danger, thought Cedric seeing his uncle literally capering with the Hartwood poodles. Thereupon Cedric formed a committee of one to constitute ways and means of rid- ding himself of a prospective aunt. Being a Don Juan, but one thing pressed itself as a capital scheme, that of wooing the antiquat- ed damsel himself. Cedric, thenceforth, became the cour- tier, while Alicia Hartwood, rejuvenated by so much attention, coquetted before the eyes of the enraged Rupert. It was not Cedric whom he blamed but at once resorted to hi,s old theory — women were all alike, fickle, traitorous and foolish. Thus Rupert coldly withdrew his suit and then even Cedric ' s courtship began to lag while Miss Hartwood found herself abandoned by both. Rupert, meanwhile, had acquired the habit of wandering through the hills in search of ancient relics. In the course of one afternoon, he came upon the fragments of a stone vase. Triumphantly, he brought it home and thence began his mania for Roman antiques. Before Cedric realized its importance, the old gentleman had in- vested another large slice of his; leaking fortune in a collection of such relics. When Cedric discovered this he was des- perate and for many days he harbored a scheme for preventing further benevolences, a trip to India — how that would appeal to Rupert ' s childish imagination. Thus he set about to persuade his uncle to go, with glowing accounts of Indian magic and my- steries. Rupert was enthralled with the idea and readily they made plans for the trip. Red, blue, and green guide-books bulged from the old man ' s coat pockets while he talked endlessly of Marathon, Athens, the Hellespont, Jerusalem, and Babylon. Finally, in the fall, they set out, stop- ping at various places, while Rupert browsed through the old ruins. About this time he ac- quired a copy of Hero and Leander. He read it over and over again, daily awaiting a glimpse of the Hellespont. After a few days they arrived at an inn on the banks of the Hellespont. Both retired early but something in Rupert ' s manner de- noted extreme excitement. Cedric had a room on the top floor while his uncle ' s was on the ground floor just overlooking the banks of the sea. Rupert soon fell asleep but later he be- came troubled by a nightmare. Stealthily he dressed himself and opened the book which was lying on the table. The lights flickered but still the old man read on. Finally, however, he seized the lamp in one hand, the book in the other, and he walked out. Down through the hall, unheard

Page 18 text:

LOCALS The Freshmen Reception was held on the evening of September 26. It was a great success in all ways. John Buckley, the president of the Junior Class, acted as master of ceremonies. The success of the party was largely due to the efforts of Miss Dorothy La Belle, chairman of the Entertainment Committee, and Miss Kath- ryn Finnegan, class adviser. The Stompers orchestra furnished music for the dancing. Miss Vivian Foye was chosen baby girl of the Freshman class. The smallest girl was Miss Doris McGrath and the smallest boy was Armand Cieri; the fattest girl was Miss Eleanor Williams; the fattest boy was Richard Taylor; the tallest girl was Miss Phyllis Renaud; the tallest boy was Joseph McKay; the thinnest girl was Miss Frances Ethel Roberts. On Wednesday, October 8, Miss Frances Ethel Roberts entertained us with a piano solo. Her first number was A Garden of Girls and as an encore she played Little White Lies. Miss Roberts is a Freshman and she gave the first of the Wednesday morning entertainments. Friday, October 10, Professor Milton H. Schlagenhauf spoke on a Rational Selec- tion of a Vocation. His lecture was well received and everybody was impressed by it. Wednesday, October 29, 1930, we were entertained .by a piano trio. Miss Jane Lemoine, Miss Irene Desrosiers and Miss Flor ence Lockhart. They played The Witches ' Flight and as an encore On The Race Track. We hope they play again for us. Mr. L. R. Talbot, popular lecturer of Wild Life, centering on Birds, entertained us with a lecture Wednesday, October 29, 1930, at 2:20 o ' clock. He lectured last year on different subjects but this time we found him more interesting than ever. He was hailed with applause and his talk was very interesting. He represents the Massa- chusetts Audubon Society and he spoke to the Junior High School as well as the Mary E. Wells. TRAFFIC OFFICERS Mr. Green has appointed a squad of fine, upright traffic cops, whose duty is to keep the law-breaking citizens of the M. E. W. H. S. in order. We are a great trial to them as we insist on talking and on walking in double file. Our protectors of the peace for the ensuing year are : H. Abbott L. Blair J. Buckley G. Favreau R. Gatineau W. Knight T. Kosakowski C. Peloquin E. Scharschmidt J. Swiacki J. Steen C. Thimblin F. Volpini J. Weaver N. Pontbriand, Captain Specials For Assemblies G. Page G. Darling W. Tillyer E. Thompson W. White H. Koprowski The class meetings were held as usual at the beginning of the school year. The Junior President is quite an executive — he was President two years ago. The officers are as follows, starting with the dignified Seniors and ending with the turbulent Freshman. SENIORS President . Nestor Pontbriand Vice President Beatrice Girouard Secretary Charles Thimblin Treasurer Raymond Gatineau JUNIORS President John Buckley Vice President Ellen Heaton