West Side High School - Legenda Yearbook (Saginaw, MI)

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Jimmy was so disagreeable, when asked to dance. Barbara and Jim sat in the dark for quite a while, without saying a word. Barbara was thinking of some way to find out what was troubling Jimmy. Jimmy, after considering what a rude reply he had made to his sister, was trying to say something to get in her good graces again. However, he did not want to be too apologetic, nor she did not care to appear too curious. Finally, Jimmy broke the silence with, I ' m sorry I was so rude, Bab. But you know I hate to dance. I ' ll forgive you this time, Jimmy, but you should dance more. Your party is a week from tomorrow, isn ' t it? she asked. Yes — and worse ' n that I don ' t know anyone to ask. Why not ask Jane Towner? Walt saw you taking her home one night, Barbara reminded him. It wasn ' t my faut, he replied. Don Baird got me into it. Tell me about it, Jim. I ' d like to know, she pleaded. That night Don and I went down town. There wasn ' t much doing so about eight-thirty we started home. Then Don said, ' Stop in with me at my uncle ' s. I have to see him. ' So I did. I knew he had a cousin, Ruth, but I thought she would be enter- taining Tommy Jones. She was entertaining, but it wasn ' t Tom, it was Jane. Then Don started into the parlor and I followed just like a little pup. I don ' t know why, but I just naturally did. Then without a word of warning he walks up to Ruth and says, ' Let ' s dance. ' Well, I just had to follow suite. We danced two or three times and Don says, ' Let ' s change dances. ' So we did. Jane kept looking at me all the time until I felt sorta foolish. So I asked Don to change back because I couldn ' t see her looking at me all the time. You see, she ' s shorter than I am. Then when it was time to go home, I had to go with her. She asked me to come and see her. Don said that I was a lucky dog. If he wants to go in my place he can. Walt saw me. So, of course, you all knew it the next day, he told her. Don ' t you believe you rather liked to dance with Jane? I don ' t think you were forced, were you? Bab asked. No, I wasn ' t forced physically, only by circumstance. I ' ll admit I liked it only I felt so out of place — so unnecessary. Go to the phone and ask Jane. Don ' t wait until some one else has, advised Barbara. No, Joe Hammon probably asked her, he replied. Barbara named several suitable girls but to no avail. Jim had a plausible excuse for each one. They were too young, too old, they had been asked, or he wasn ' t well enough acquainted with them. She could not persuade her brother to ask Jane. She pleaded and coaxed with him. She discussed and debated the matter with him from different angles. She put it up to him as a social obligation. She even told him it would get even with Walt for telling on him. He was deter- mined, however, not to be influenced either way. Then, as a last resource, she struck for the weak point in his armor, his mania for accepting bets and his lack of ability to let dares go unchallenged.

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Say it with Music Ross Rutledge Jimmy McMurran sat in a large arm chair by the fire place, gazing into the fire. There was no light in the room except that which the fire place afforded. His only companion was his Airedale, Pat, who stretched out on the hearth, dreamily gazing into his master ' s eyes. Say, Pat, you ' re a lucky dog, said Jimmy, in a tone mingled with sadness and worry. Nothing to worry about. Just got to come home and eat. Look at me, Pat, I ' ve got as much trouble as all the rest of the family put together. Pat ' s only reply was a wag of his stump of a tail and a bound at Jimmy ' s face. Lie down, Pat, he commanded. Don ' t be so emotional. I didn ' t want you licking my face. The rebuked dog lay down at his master ' s feet. The master slouched lower in the great chair and watched the flames, as they leaped up the chimney. He was in the same forlorn condition, when his elder sister, Bar- bara, came into the room. Let ' s have some light, Jim, she proposed. Don ' t sit here in the dark like a hermit. No, I like the dark. You see it ' s more — more comforting, he replied. Comforting? she asked. Yes — something like that. What ails you, Jim? she asked, as she sat on the arm of his chair. Nothing, he replied. Shall we dance? Well, then, why not cheer up? Of course not, he growled. What do you think I am, a fish? I don ' t believe I ' d dance with a fish. Do you? she replied. This last remark made Jimmy laugh. He could hardly think of his pretty sister dancing with a fish. She had replied to his retort literally, when he had spoken only figuratively. Dancing was a pastime, exercise, sport, or art, which ever you care to term it, that Jimmy despised. It had spoiled many good times he had expected to have. Dancing would not have bothered Jimmy so much, if it did not necessarily involve girls. He admired girls from a distance, but he preferred that distance be at least twenty or thirty feet. He was subject to many smiles, for beside being a likeable fellow, he was a football and basketball man. Jimmy admitted to himself that he liked to have the girls so friendly with him, but he was afraid of them. He had wished many times that by some freak of luck he would be forced to get acquainted with some one. However, he took great care not to have this happen. He was very successful in his attempt to avoid meeting the opposite sex, until about three weeks prior to the present incident. So you can see why

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I ' ll bet you a dollar, Jim, that you are afraid to ask her. I ' d even dare to dare you. I know what ' s the matter. You are afraid to ask her. You think the fellows will laugh at you, when you go on the floor. Do I? he exclaimed. I ' ll show you. I ' ll show the whole family who ' s afraid. Where is that telephone book? Where it usually is, she replied. If Barbara had not left the room, it is not likely that such an amusing incident would have occurred as that which did. Towner ' s number was 2964-J. It cannot be said whether it was from excitement or from hearing Dale ' s number so often, that caused him to ask for 2946J. As both girls ' name was Jane, he had no trouble in speaking with Jane. He thought that the voice which belonged to Jane was not Jane Towner ' s. But because he had never spoken to her over the telephone he was not sure. Jane very gladly accepted his invitation. He left the phone, kicking himself because he had asked her. Jimmy did not know or have any idea that he had asked and talked with the wrong number until the day before the dance. He and a few of the boys were down at the hall planning where to put their class numeral. The conversation naturally drifted to the dance. Each one told of whom he was going to take. Going to take tickets tonight, Jim? some one asked. No, Don is, he replied. Going to take Jane tonight, Joe asked Tommy Jones. No, I heard Jane ' s sister tell Miss Brown that Jim asked her, Joe replied. Yes, that ' s true, fellows, said Jim. Do I get dances? Sure do, they all answered. That ' s funny, said Reggie Arnold, who knew every one ' s busi- ness except his own. I heard Jane say yesterday that she hadn ' t been asked. Jimmy began to have his doubts whether he had asked her or some one had been kidding him over the telephone the night he thought he had asked her. On his way home to dinner, he met her and, to erase any doubt there might be, he asked her. At the dinner table Bab leaned over close to Jimmy and said, I think it is so thoughtful of you, Jimmy, to ask Jane Dale. She doesn ' t go many places since Art is at the ' U. ' But why did you do it? I didn ' t, he replied. That is I hope I didn ' t. I asked Jane again today — ' cause — she, she would be sure I hadn ' t forgot. Pretty good, Jim. You certainly do step out good when you do. Not many fellows ask two girls to one dance, laughed Walter. I didn ' t. You keep out of this, ' Nosey. ' I ' ll tend to you even if you are my big brother, shouted Jimmy, as he rushed to the tele- phone directory. He looked up Towner ' s number and it was 2964J and he also found Dale ' s to be 2946-J. He remembered writing the number on the book while he was waiting for his number. He looked at the book and there was ' 2946J ' staring him in the face, in his own writing.