Willard Middle School - Target Yearbook (Berkeley, CA)

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Tom Canty Returns to His Mother AFTER the real King Edward had returned to his rightful place as the ruler 'of England, Tom Canty went to Offal Court to see his mother and sisters again. He climbed up the rickety staircase with as much haste as possible for he was anxious to tell his mother of the money which had been given him and of the many adventures which had befallen him during his stay in the palace. At the top he opened the door and looked in, but to his great surprise the room was empty of any signs of life, even the straw on which he used to sleep was gone. He stood still a minute and looked about him in bewilderment. What could this mean? XVhere could they have gone? He finally decided after a moment's thought to go down stairs to Father Andrew to see if he knew. He knocked at Father Andrew's door, but there was no answer. He finally opened the door a crack and peeped in. This room was the same as the other, empty of anything except a few spiders and a family of little gray mice. just then a woman who was passing by stopped a minute in sur- prise to see such a well-dressed boy as Tom now was in such a place as Offal Court. Tom caught sight of her and cried out just as she started on, Just a moment, please, madam. Could you tell me where the Cantys, who used to live upstairs, have gone to, and also Father Andrew? Why certainly, lad, she replied. The father of the two girls, John Canty, left this part of the country after he killed Father Andrew and- After he killed Father Andrew? interrupted Tom. How awful! And the woman and the two children have moved down the street into the building next to the Blue Flag Tavern, continued the woman. Oh, thank you kindly, madam, and Tom, without waiting to hear more, ran down the few, remaining stairs and down the street to the build- ing next to the BlueFlag. While wondering where to find his mother, he noticed a familiar figure playing in the street, and in an instant he recog- nized it as that of his sister Nan. Wfith a cry of joy he rushed forward and took her in his arms. At the same time Nan caught sight of him. She imme- diately seized his hand and was pulling him up the stairs and into one of the doors in the narrow hall. Mother, Bet, come quick!', she cried. He's come back! Tom's back. At this the mother and Bet ran forward and both tried to hug him at once. My son, at last you have returned, she said over and over. At last you have returned. You must tell us of all of your adventures nowf' So Tom, seated on a box, told of the palace, the royal dinners, and all other things he thought might interest his mother, who gasped when he related how he had dared to talk to the king and the princess, and felt very proud of him when he told how he had saved the three people from execu- tion. And, mother, he said, I am called the king's ward and have been given money so that we can move to a better place, and you can wear clothes which are not ragged and torn. You, my sisters, he said turning to Bet and Nan, may have a soft bed and will not have to sleep on straw any more. And so it came to pass that because of Tom's strange adventure with the Prince, the fortune of the Canty family was changed from poverty to comfort. Mary Stevens.

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of che three, the Laird mentioned Scotty, his son, a captain in the Black Watch, who three weeks before had left for France. He was to take com- mand of his battalion at the front. His father was very proud of Scotty and thought that without doubt he would come home with at least three or four medals of honor. The conversation continued when soon the Dutch clock on the wall struck eight. The Laird hearing the bells sat bolt upright. Will they come, Babby? Do you think they'll come again tonight? Help me if they do! What could they be, Babby, dear child? Sandy, stay here and al- ways take care of Babby. Promise me that. Oh, my God, they've come, Babby! Listen! Sandy thought the man must be delirious, but suddenly he heard a strange noise. It sounded like many knocks on the walls coming from all parts of the room at once. They continued for about a minute and then stopped completely. Sandy all this time had been in a daze, not knowing what was happening about him except that he sensed something very pecu- liar. When he came to his senses, he found Babby tending to her father who had suddenly become very weak and faint. He said nothing for a moment, waiting for Babby to finish her tasks. Isn't that horrible? she said, looking up at him as she pulled the blan- kets closer around her patient's head. I mean that knocking noise. What do you suppose it is? Daddy has no enemies and Heaven knows no money any- one could want to get. That noise will come again in a few minutes. I think I shall put some cotton into dad's ears. He,ll go insane if he hears it again. The cotton is in the medicine chest over there. He followed her instruc- tions, and on returning he watched her with a strange, new light of admira- tion in his hazel eyes as she gently put the soft, white cotton in her father's large, bony ears. Both of them sat still, scarcely talking, watching the Laird as he slept fitfully. The knocking continued all evening, coming at five-minute inter- vals. At the stroke of twelve by the little Dutch clock the noise stopped completely, not returning again that night. At last both went to bed. Sandy was soon lulled to sleep by the Laird's deep breathing. The next day Sandy had a man come to the castle to clean out the parti- tions, thinking that there might be something between them to make the troublesome noise. However, nothing was found. On Friday night the noise came again. It continued regularly until about ten-Hfteen o'clock. It was then that Sandy, almost driven mad by che continued, puzzling noise, sat up in bed and cried loudly, Stop it, whoever or whatever you are, and let peaceful people sleep. If you have something to say, then say it! and the noise stopped. I Nothing had been found out about this strange happening until three days after the noise had stopped. It came in the form of a telegram sent to the Laird of Dunberry. It stated that Scotty, the Laird's son, had been criti- cally ill over the period of three days, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday night exactly at ten-fifteen o'clock. It also stated that four medals of honor gained by Scotty would be sent to his father. He was buried in Flanders Field. Whether the knocking was just a coincidence or a form of telepathy connected with Scotty's death no one ever knew. The Laird was very sad, but not too sad to be happy at Sandy and Babby's wedding on Christmas Day. -Charlotte Lowe.

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As Plbloelbmls Retnres As Phoehus charlot arles away With rays of sunlight blending Darkness Comes to ella' the rlay On mghtfall fast flescendzzzg The clouds flrlft hy Zlflth rosy hues The sun s last rays are ammg Ana' softly fall the eveamg flews To show the :lay zs wanmg As mght pr e par es 1ts watch to lzee p Wfhlle every vale aclormng All the worlal prepares to sleep Until the hlrth of 11101'l11lIg Baldwm Wood s A lF1I'1lQIDlClll 111111 Need AY GILSON was 1n the employ of Curtls and Co Though he was only twenty two he was Mr CUYIIS most trusted employee Mr Cuft1S owed ten thousand dollars to a man 1n New York Clty Most men would have just put a check 1n an envelope and not worr1ed about lt However thls was not true of Mr CUft1S who was SIXEY years old and Wlse to the ways of the world He had once lost some money 1n the ma1l and bes1des he New York Ray l1ved 1n a l1ttle flat on Pepper Street 1n the small Clty of M1ddle town Connect1cut HIS only compan1on was h1s b1g coll1e Prmce Prxnce would come to the street corner around wh1ch Ray s car came every n1ght and r1de home w1th h1m There would be a Joyful reun1on and a happy eve n1ng together by the HICSICIC Ray took Pr1nce everywhere that he could take h1m on bus1ness tr1ps campmg and other pleasure tr1ps Of course he took Prmce w1th h1m on h1s errand for Mr CuftlS It was almost dusk when he started and It was seventy m1les to h1S dest1nat1on He had almost cov ered the d1stance when h1s rear t1re blew out He drove off the road to re place lt w1th the spare t1re He had almost completed h1s task when a car on the road slowed down and a man jumped off the runnlng board St1ck ern up' he yelled runnlng towards Ray wlth a gun 1n h1s hand Ray looked around h1m w1ldly However any attempt to escape would be foolhardy as the flat t1re was on the left and the car d1d not protect h1m He d1d the advlsable thlng under the c1rcumstances and l1fted h1s hands He noted w1th dlsmay that the man s compan1on had parked the car close to h1s own and had gotten out to help hlS compan1on w1rh the robblng Get h1s stuff Jake ordered the man cover1ng Ray Iake qulckly re l1eved Ray of the ten thousand dollars and some money of h1s own Say Jake sald the man cover1ng Ray let s take thls C0Ok1C for a l1t tle r1de 0 if . I . , A A V. ' , ' , K, 2 - fz .7 1 - ' Q 1 , 1 , -6 , , 0 C R . , ' . - , 0 . O U . . . . i , . , n I Q ' 3 was naturally cautious. That is why he sent Ray Gilson Monday night to , . . . . . . . , . . . . , . .-, . . ' . 3 . , . l 3 ' u ' ' me ' J , . ,, . . . . , . . . , . . ff ' ,, ' . ' 9 1 ' . I ' Il I, ' ' IC , ' ' . ' s 3 J ' ,,