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

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and sat down on the floor in a very ungraceful manner. This caused a great laugh for the other dancers. He beat me to it, said Jim. I suppose I ' m next. I don ' t think so, Jane replied. You ' re not so bad as you think. Then as their conversation became more free, Jim began to enjoy himself once more. During the several dances that followed, Jim continually stared at Jane. In doing so, he became the pest of the floor. If there was anyone he did not bump into, it was because they got off the floor when he came near. Between dances Don came over to him, and drawing him aside, said, Say, am I making a fool out of myself? You look at me all the time. I don ' t either, he denied. Well, then it ' s Jane. The next dance is yours. Look at her all you want to then, but don ' t look at her and me all evening, said Don. Don ' s retort had some effect on Jimmy; he watched his dancing more than before. That night Jim returned home, admitting he had a very enjoyable evening. The question at issue for Jimmy was, How am I going to explain this? The next afternoon he told Don of his difficulty and asked for advice. That ' s easy, replied Don. I made a date for vou for Sundav night. You ' ve got vour nerve. If you don ' t want to I will. Sunday night found Jimmy at Towner ' s residence. He was sitting on the davenport with Jane trj-ing to explain this affair. I ' m glad you did as you did, Jim, she said, after she was able partly to understand what he meant, from his awkward explanation. You ' re the best little sport ever, Jane, he replied. Then four-year-old Bobby Towner came into the room and started the victrola. Being a well educated child, he left. What ' s that? asked Jim. ' Say it With Music ' , she replied. I will ; maybe it will be easier. Jimmy said whatever he wanted to say to music. If you can ' t believe Irving Berlin, ask Jim. '

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He again took his chair by the fireplace, but the whole family was there. Barbara was the most sympathetic. She said that she could explain it to Jane. Jane was older and she would not be hurt as much as Jane Towner. Walt advised Jimmy to get sick. His mother didn ' t know what to say so she remained silent. Mr. McMurran said that it was all up to Jim, but he did not approve of Walt ' s proposal. Walter was taking someone else and Jim could hardly take both girls. I know what I ' ll do, said Jimmy. I ' ll take Miss Dale. She is only twenty-two, at that. I ' ll get Don to take Jane. I ' m glad of your stand, Son, was Mr. McMurran ' s only reply. It was arranged that Don was to take Jane out but he was not to tell her of this affair. All he had to say was that owing to complicated matters he would be glad to take her in Jim ' s place. Jim called her up and told her he would be unable to go with her. He would be pleased if she accepted Don ' s invitation and he would explain later. When Jimmy called for Miss Dale the next evening he nearly for- got this complication until he called at Towner ' s for Jane. Don and Jim were riding in the same car. Every one was pleasant, in fact, ex- tremely so. However, Jimmy began to feel uneasy, for this would be his first experience on a dance floor. Don asked for two dances. Jimmy gladly gave them to him. After filling out his program, he returned to Miss Dale. The music started, it was a snappy fox trot. By the end of the first encore, Jim began to feel more at home. Miss Dale was a delightful conversation- alist. He was enjoying himself more than he thought possible, especially under so amusing circumstances. By the end of the second dance that awkward feeling, which usually accompanies one at his first dance, had left him. He then con- sulted his program, more because others were doing so, than that he did not remember with whom he had exchanged. He had looked forward to this dance, the third, because he would dance it with Jane. Now he was going to make the big ' hit. ' He was beginning to feel ner- vous. Glancing to his left, he saw Donald and Jane slowly coming over to them. They were talking and laughing together. Both apparently were enjoying themselves. He felt that he should be talking to Miss Dale. This would be hard, not that Jane Dale was not agreeable com- pany, only talking was hard for Jimmy, when girls were concerned. He glanced up, they were nearly there. After the usual salutations had been given, the four talked merrily. Jimmy chatted with the best of them. When the music started, he and Jane glided over the floor. But, somehow, he was unable to talk. He had felt the power in numbers while the four were together. Now he felt alone, although there were fifty other couples on the floor. His throat seemed parched, he could not think of anything to say, let alone suitable for the occasion. Their silence became appalling. Something must happen to break the dreadful silence. Then a very timely incident, or rather accident, occurred. Roy Smith, the school ' s Baby Elephant, became entangled in his own feet

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The Guest ' s Ghost Herbert Wallace It was at a dinner, a little less than a year ago, at our house. Father had brought home a college friend who was stopping in town. To a question of mother ' s as to how he spent his time, as he was a man of means with no business or profe ssion, he answered, I have always been very much interested in traveling. Until two months ago I was a continual wanderer. I had seen practically every country in the world. You may well imagine that I had a good many interesting experiences and adventures. So I did, but the most bewildering ex- perience of my roaming life took place in one of the longest civilized countries in Europe — Italy. A little over a year ago, he continued, I stepped off the slowest train in Christendom, from Rome to Perugia, about fifty miles north of Rome. Looking around, I found myself a little south of the city. The town was located on a hill, and below stretched away the ancient narrow streets and humble homes. A friendly native, who was very anxious to take me to a hotel, told me that the town had not changed a bit in the last five hundred years, excepting for the erection of the large modem hotel, which, it appeared to the natives, was the only attraction of the city to foreigners. But I made it clear to him that I didn ' t want to go to any modern place, choosing one of the most ancient buildings for lodging instead. When he understood me, he was very much surprised, but said he had a brother who could take care of me. I bade him lead me to the house of his brother, and off we started. He lead the way from one winding, narrow street to another of the same quality. Finally we stopped at a door exactly like all the other doors we had passed. My friend led me into a large room, with a prosperous looking Italian sitting watching his wife cook dinner. He arose and greeted his brother, who explained my wants. The old landlord, as he proved to be, said that he had no empty rooms excepting an old room in the cellar, which he said was not fit for the American, and hadn ' t been used for years. Fine ! thought I. A new experience. I told him that I would be satisfied just as long as it had a bed that I could rest on. So the old gentleman led me down the stairs into a large and stuffy room below. It had only a crack about an inch wide and two feet long as a passage for air. He lit a candle for me, and I saw that my resting place, or rather cell, was a room about ten feet square. The walls and the floors were of stone blocks, and in one corner was a wooden frame, which he informed me was my cot. There was also a chair in the room, which I honestly suspect was a relic of Caesar ' s day. After dinner we talked a while — or rather the landlord did all the talking. He told me how this inn of his was standing over the ancient castle of a wicked Perugian king, which had long since been