Western High School - Westward Ho Yearbook (Baltimore, MD)

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IO WESTWARD HO ITd hate to think I was. But I cant fancy why you want me to play-eyou who hear art- ists every other day? Jessica could think. A Kate at the piano would necessarily be a speechless Kate, able to be studied, as she wanted to study her, to pick out the Changes, to ruminate a little. This Mrs, Hargraveethe title seemed odd- was forty, Jessica knew, but her years sat light- ly upon her. One might logically have esti- mated her five-or even ten-years younger. The golden lights that just saved her hair from taffyecolor were untarnished, and her figure was conventionally slim. Her dress was fash- ionable, but not individual; so, indeed, was all of her, from her waved coiffure to her shiny slippers. Just smart and comfortable and cheer- ful andethe adjective was recurrenteusual. Jessica found herself wondering hard what on earth had been the attraction between them in those distanteor were they distant?eschool days. For she had been the same aloof, par- ticular Jessica, minus only her sophistication, Kate the same sweet commonplace frivol; yet they had been bound tight to each other, and if anyone is here to say it was not love, let him be silent. Perhaps it was the thing called tritely attraction of oppositeseperhaps. At any rate it was something, and Jessica knew suddenly that it was a very pretty something. There was all at once a clatter outside: feet and rather shrill laughter. Kate closed her music with an air of finality and said, ttTherelre my infantsV somewhat joyfully, Jessica thought. Presently they came in, snapping electric switches all the way. JeSSica, whose eyes. had become accustomed to the modest glow of the piano lamp, found it difficult to make anything of the blue-and-white blur that had, instanta- neous with its arrival, burst in a torrent of amazing speeel . tt-gettin, romantic or somethiif, Mums? Look so cute sittinl'here playinl to yourself- oh, excuse melt, ttDonit talk so much? said Kate, good- humoredly. nMiss Bowen, this is Barbira. Barbira, wherels Junior ?u He and Jess went into the kitchen. dlyou do, Miss Bowen? Oh, I say! arenit t, Her mother laughed. IKYes, Babbieg', The tone suggested triumph. uI told you shed the awed to death? she added to Jessica. IiOh! Oh, Miss Bowenlll Babbie paid very slight attention to her mother. ItOh-eMiss BowenV, llHow do you do, Barbara? Jessicals clear- ing gaze swept the girl. There was nothing How You of Kate about her. She had, rather, her father's fiery hair and red-brown eyes; his stature, too, in its compactness and firmness of limb. She wore her red hair rakishly short, and her pink mouth was sweet and sincere and gay and mocking. wIlm-Iimejust thrilled to a peanut, she said naively and without embarrassment. UMothers always talkinl about knowinl you, but I never dreamed yould ever come see us, beinl famous and everything? ltBabbieV Kate sounded warning. llWell, you know itls sof, nIlm afraid Ilm horribly lax as a correspon- dent? said Jessica, Hbut Illl try to make up for it now, in person. But please get over this famous-and-everything idea, because I'm not, reallyfl nYes, you are? Bablbie was positive. ITve read all about you in the magazines. Pleasee how long are you stayiif? Ages, I hopeft ttOnly a week this time, though Ild love to make it longer. But where are the rest of the family? Ijni perishing to see them, too, you know? tjunior and the baby? Oh, Illl go get em. Guess maybe theylll be petrified or somethinl when I tell lemlli HThen yould better not, I suppose? Jessica chuckled, watching her go. tIOh, Kate, is she unique? Shels the first one of her I,ve ever come across? Unique? Oh, great heaven! She fills the house with dozens of her doubles. Its 21 won- der there arenlt a couple of them here tonight. There usually are, when 51165 home. But she hardly ever is. That school! Jessica, did it keep us forever in the afternoons ?l: tTm sure I dorft remember. 'W'hyeoh, your babyli, She stopped a little breathlessly, al- most startled. Kate,s youngest daughtereher namesake, by the way!ehad made her dra- matic entrance, late as is meet, andethe per- fectly beautiful little thing! More than beau- tiful: friendly and soft and sweet. mad and elhn and gay, the light of Puckis own mischief in her eye, and the tiniest tilt of the coquetry of Columbine already about her baby chin! Jessica, who had looked unmoved and bored upon scores of pretty children, was captivated. Being captivated, however, she felt extremely surprised at herself. The bOy was just the ordinary youngster of eleven, red-headed and freckled and wiry and very inarticulate with shyness. Jessica smiled graciously but briefly at him, and held out her slim lovely hands to the little girl. tISO this is my goddaughter-by-proxyl you know who I am, darlingPti Do

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WESTWARD ItWhy, yes. You dont mean to say youlve for- gotten nieeKateW Kate rose uncertainly and came forward. nMiss-MisseMiss Bowen! Jessica BowenV nItls hideous of me to dash in this way, isn't it ? purred a Jessica who was beginning to fore- see real enjoyment. ttBut I simply couldn't resist the temptation to come for a moment. I-of coursel-had no idea you were entertaining? Kate had recovered her breath and her coni- posure and was bubbling: HItls a bit astound- ing, Illl admit, but therels nobody Ild rather see. Jessica Bowen! Do come in and be lionizedf'l It was a typical, commonplace, Kate-like speech, but its sincerity was indisputable, and Jessica felt strangelyeinore than Strangelyee warmed by it. ItI love being lionizedf she said, handing her coat to the negro. llLetls begin at oncel'l The women Gessica thought of her studio parties that had scoffed at just such weII-to-oo, bridge-playinO', just-a-little-catty suburban womem were amazingly obvious in their dea light in meeting the celebrity, and gushed and marvelled, and Jessica admitted pride in the sensation she created. They ate the expected salad-and-so-forth, chattered, and presently went away. Kate kept Jessica. Really they must talk. llYoulreeyoulre with friends? only half hopeful of negation. her head. No; and Tin here for a whole week. The Castletons are meeting 1ne thenll CtNot the Hennningway Castletons ?lly nand we're going on to Miami. They had to stop in Jersey to see some rural relativeseoh, yes, Kate, even Rose Hemmingway Castleton has folks that live on a farnileand I decided, madly enough, to come and peek in at the land of my birth in the interim. Although, since Aunt Emeline died, live been practically cut off from Balti- more? Cth, Jessica! Our vows to corre- spondlU Of course Aunt Eni was the only relative I had, except some cousins in the West, and it was only natural, I suppose. But 1,111 enjoying it, even if I have been here only since two olcloek. And itlsegreat heaven, Kate, it s after six ! KWt'ou simply have to stay. Really, if I tell the Children and Chilt youlve been here. theylll kill me for not keeping you. And going back is ridiculous anyway. Dinner alone? Absurd. Your stopping downtown at all is, anyhowj', Kate; if you suggesteeit ttNo, I dont. I insist. Oh, Jessicalil Kate had stepped out of her marcel and her earrings and her ultra frock; Kate was fourteen again, she asked, Jessica shook IIO earnest, very, very pleading. you mightV Jessica laughed, again with the odd sensation of warmth. hWhy, you're still a kid, Katharine Cheswick. Andeyes, Itll stay with you P She reliected. ;erlt110L1g'li I'm sure I dorft know why Ilm letting you bully me so. I'm rather supposed to be unbulliablef But she did know. She wanted very definitely to stay in that home-house and observe a friend and a friendys family as they were, for it seemed to her that it had been years since she had been intimate- ly associated with anyone who had not a pose to maintain, and the plain American back- homeness of her was hungry for unstudied sini- plicity. Have a care! this was infidelity to her clique! That cliqueebut would it toh, the thought was uglyj hesitate upon occasion to be unfaithful to her? mfhen you mustn't think of going in tonight. You can get your things in the morning. Real- ly, Jessica, I havent been so pleased in ages. And Chilt! HeIs always bragged about our knowing you, anyway, and I dont know what helll say to having you to ourselves a whole week. But it's the children 1,111 gladdest for. Why, Babbie has always been mad about you; her room is full of pictures and articles.u IIO Kate! That your baby should be read- ing art magazinesll, tQIy babies, please. what he calls the once-over. is only threeeeil UJessica ? ttYes! She was born the year lFiresl got the Prix, and we just had to give her your name; Slicesheis grown up under a little colored print of that picture? Jessica Bowen was suddenly, startingly speechless; there was a ridiculous lump in her throat. This was the friend she had forgotten. She could not possibly have said anything more about those children, but she felt a swift poign- ant desire to see that little girl, that little girl who had her name! But KlHaye you kept up your music, Kate Pit was, after a pause, what she said. Kate, whose mind was as easily diverted as it had been at fourteen, failed to note anything unusual in the abrupt change of topic. She said quite naturally, with her little deprecating shrug, that she hadeafter a fashion, but of course it never amounted to anything. tINonsenseW Jessica screwed up her nose, disdainful of such modesty. l'I remember very distinctly; you played beautifully. Come, Katy, play for me. For pity's sake, don,t be kittenish P h'Iel just think Even Junior gives ieni Of course, Jessica

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WESTWARD H0 11 llMiss-ABowenfl said the younger Jessica quite distinctly, if with effort. tIYou little preciousV Of a sudden, inex- plicably, Jessica remembered a remark of Kit- tridge Ellthorpels that she. had at the time classed as clever and discerning. IIBlatant, in- ane fools who squeeze babies and reminisce? He had been talking about the usual run of people-ettthose canaillej, he called them,eand she had applauded. Yet here she was, she, in- tellectual, superior, artistic, squeezing a baby very hard indeed, and enjoying it. Chilton Hargrave appeared at that instant to break the startled reflection. He was almost comically surprised at seeing her; as he phrased it Ilknocked flat? Uessica Bowen! Well of all the fools luck P IIDo you mean mine, in being herePIi she asked demurely, and amused him quite as much as if she had said something really witty. HHere, I say, come off a fe110w! But straight, Jessica, 1,111 pleased as Punch to have you. I mean it? IIAnd for a week, Daddy? crowed Babbie from the davenport. IllVIaybe I wont put their eye out when I get to school tomorrow!u ttBabbieV It was Kateis eternal remon- strance. Jessica enjoyed the dinner at which Chilt Har- grave pressed food upon everyone and glowed; at which Kate, lowevoiced at the foot of the ta- ble, directed the saffron maid and corrected Jun- ior; at which Junior blushed and gulped and squirmed; at which the small Jessica laughed a good deal and behaved most beautifully; at which Barbara talked endlessly, without one final ' gfi Afterwards they sat rather stodgily in the living room and said the same thing many times. Bar- bara waved a Latin book at them as she vanished up the stair. ItWish me luck; Iirn goini up and wrestle with Cicerofy she explained. liCicero lit He and his book seemed very, very far behind to Jessica, butecloser tonight than he had been for years. It was only after she had gone to bed that she had time really to think. And her thoughts were such a riotous set. Impressions of that shock- headed scrap of impudence called B'abbie, the boom of Chilfs hospitable voice, Katels chatter, the perfect little Jessica. Sometime or other she absolutely must paint that baby-sometime soon, in case she should outgrow her loveliness. What a shame she had only a week! A shame? No, that was funny! Only this morning she had been gazing with despair on those seven days ahead. And Lrnore than likely she would be bored to oblivion before they were done, calling Kate and Kateis family all the inane idiots her friendseher Other friends-might have considered them. Her other friends. The Hemmingway Castletons and Zanchia Maroffski and the DyEnseignes and Kit- tredge Ellthorpe. Jessica found her brow creas- ing at the thought of him. Sooner or later, if she went to Florida, she was sure she would mar- ry that man. And, after all, why not? He was her sort, the sort she had elected to beusuccess- fully artistic, rather scornfully superior, opulent- ly Bohemian. Such a union would be logical, nat- ural. 3iutebuteJessica strained at those buts. They had always existed, but tonight they seemed to have doubled power. She was still struggling with them when she fell asleep. The presence of the saffron servant girl in her room waked her. IIMiz I-Iahgrave said yol wanted yo, breakfast at ten? the yellow dignitary explained, Itso I brung it up. Is they anything else ?il Ith, she shouldnt have bothered! Why didnlt she call me with everyone else? No, thank you, this will be quite all. Is Mrs. Hargrave busy ?li Jessica sat up and pulled the proffered peignoir about her shoulders, little lines of consternation between her nicely-arched brows. But gratifica- tion was there, too. NNo, she isn't bust said Kate, putting in her head at the door. HShe was just wondering whether or not she might come in? ItPlease do! Kate, you wretch, you shouldn't have done this. How did you know I breakfasted in bed at tenPlt HBabbie knew. of her magazines? W'ell, its just perfectly wonderful, but I can't have you doing it. Honestly, I'm quite over- whelmed. I suppose all your family has de- parted? nYes, even Jessie. Chilt and I had an awful argument about sending her to kindergarten. He wanted to have a governess at home. So we sent her? Jessica laughed rather immoderately at that. ItOh. Kate! How like you! You could always make me do anything you liked? Come, thatis hard on me; I didnt know I was such a selfish brute. But then I suppose I am- By the by, Jessica, are you quite rested ? Rested? I wasn,t tired. Why ?i, III thought if you liked weid go down town for a biteto get your things, you know, and look about I de love to. I went down yesterday, but it was no fun, all alone. So I came out to see you? ITm mighty glad it was no fun. then. Per- haps it will be better today. Tonight the Drakes and the VVyatts are coming to dinner, and 1,11 t'phone Jim Emmond theis unattached, and so I I suppose she read it in one