Yeatman High School - Yeatman Life Yearbook (St Louis, MO)

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,,,.: ' ' ,f 4. A 2l' ':- f 3 AAAVA This time, though, it must be thoughts about the plan--the details. ' 'Let's see, 'get off and walk homeasyou always have done. Above everything else, holler--loud'--that's what he said, I'm sure. 'And don't appear self -consciousl' Gosh, it is an extreme thing to do but have to go on with it now! Will we never get there? Six-thirty! Ought to be almost there--yes,--- as he looked out into the darkness--- that was Herman's Junction-- not much fartherf ' But it was seven twenty-eight when Pe- ter finally stepped into the night at Hals- bury. Accomodations trains don't hurry for anybody. As he walked through the darkness, many things came into his thoughts. Al- ways there was a feeling of dread, of anx- iety, fear! But--- I may as well see it through now! Goodness, I hope they'll be there--What if they aren't? --Unconsciously he wiped his brow with the back of his hand. Why, it's wet, clammy! It was cold, and he pulled his coat closer about him and walked on. Two more blocks-- He reached the front gate, opened it, and walked in. Such a feeling of utter helplessness never before came to him. The shadows all about him, caught him in their pointed talons and like a lamb, he felt his utter helplessness. He made the turn past the parlor, noted how badly the trellis needed fixing---walked on. There in front of him loomed the rose bushes. He passed under the dining room win- dows. Softly, silently, accurately, two shadowy forms--shadow talons--pounced on him and bore him down to the walk. He screamed in unfeigned terror. Annie! Annie! For God's sake, helpl' ' A light suddenly shone through the win- dow into the black night. Another scream rent the air, then silence smoothed the jagged tears. At this point another shadow talon out on the sidewalk stopped, stepped into the darkness and protection of the bushes. Then the two black forms emerged from the yard with a third. Ratherlimp it seemed. Pug: Fwy- Two Pete! Pete! Come on! What's the matter? You 're not hurt! Oh! Boys? I--well--I don't think that was such a bad yell. Golly, you certainly frightened me. Then anxiously, but was it very nice?' ' They went on. The shadow in the bushes, just another six-four supporter, laughed softly and went on. A joke eh! Pretty good, tho'! A ripping good one, ha, ha, haw, haw--Must try it some time, haw, haw! Pk ak Pk PK lk The next morning as the sun rose, a weary man lay in a certain boarding house in the city. That man was Peter. We know why he was weary. According to the plan, he was to remain at this place which Frank had previously seen the own- er about, for several days. At the end of a few days, his wife would surely be ready to give up all the clubs and meetings in the world for him! But Peter's conscience hurt--badly. The boys, Frank especially, considered the whole thing so far---good fun. ' 'Why Pete! it 's for four or five days only. Nothing to worry aboutl' ' persisted Frank. Those four or five days went by. In the meantime, as soon as Peter's wife was able, she had to explain as best she could, to a group of courts and city officials, just what she had seen. After her story was told, every officer, detective and sleuth in the city had Peter's picture, his- tory and name at his tongue 's end. News- papers came out with headlines concerning the Halsbury mystery. Everybody was appalled. Somewhat swelled up over the com- motion they had stirred up, the last day of Peter's intern, Frank and Louie were bound for his temporary abiding place. As men do, they talked about their case. They laughed even. After overhearing their talk, a burly plain clothes man quiet- ly walked them to jail. Even While they were cooling their heels in the hoosgow, a very mutinous man was chafing at no great distance from them.

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f f ,f f 4. l 1 zfwwyfffiwmf Vw 41:7 Www 1' . rv J ,X fy., mmf Af.. ,, , 5 f, : 4:if,ffLff'fffg,g,W ' A 5 f ., , f, M , W A 1, ,i 4 f I , .4 A .5 mf . , ,, ,J HEARTS AND CLUBS ERNEST Fox Peter Outt was a forlorn man. Why? His wife refused to look after his food or his house. She refused, in fact, to admire him. In other words, she was too busy attending the Ladies Home Auxiliary of the D. A. F. T.--Martin Greggschnapperls Enlightening Views on Sociology, Madame Justine's Better Homes Class, etc. etc. It was one club after another. And, to hear Peter tell it, he was the joker. But joker no more! and he slapped his knee so hard that he winced from the pain. Frank Goodwyll and Louis-Louie-Jen main sat in the soft upholstered chairs at the club and listened, at first sympathet- ically, then, as his story unfolded, almost eagerly. Peter was older than the two Hboys , as he was wont to call them, but he just had to tell someone about his troubles. And, as he thought for awhile afterwards, to whom could he have told them better, for Frank immediately found a plan to put an end to all this gosh darned nonsense! What was that plan? Bust up the clubs? Lock wifie in the house? Divorce? Oh, none of these rash acts! In fact, it was something very good, er--novel. And,', rather triumphantly, I'll bet it works! from Frank. Louie was somewhat dubious. Peter was very dubious. Frank, however, like the king in The Lady or the Tiger, grew more enthusiastic in the face of oppo- sition, and he waxed eloquent in praises of his plan. In the end he convinced the two doubters. It's rather a case of extremes, don't you think?', asked Peter. Well! Don't she need extremes? asked Frank. ' tOh, I--I--well--I suppose you are right-- only it would really scare me to death. Tish! Scare to death! Why, man, it'll only wake her. Now, honestly, wonyt it?' ' Well--er--I guess so--Yes, it wouldfl So the plan was completed, a date was set for its execution and the conference was over. A few days later, after he had locked his desk, Peter washed up a bit and left the of- fice. If it had been any other night, he would have hurried to the station in order to catch the five-eighteen. Now, how- ever, he sauntered through the hurrying crowds, for on this night he would take the six-four. It wasn it his exact choice but--. Having reached the station, he looked about him. 'tH'm, fully an hourfs wait. Well,-- just then spying a chair, I might as well sit down. Long time to wait. Funny they run two trains to Halsbury every night--and just for commuters--like my- self! Well, I'm not the only man from the suburbs. Let 's see the paper. H'm, cloudy tonight--State income for the year-- what! Why--'Two practical jokers se-, verely fined,'--gosh! Can't read! Might take a walkf' He rose and sauntered out onto the re- sounding pavement. A cabman noting his approach opened the cab door inviting- ly, a newsboy nearby volubly shrieked bits of headlines, people brushed passed him, but he walked on seemingly oblivious to these things. UCrowds! Crowds everywhere. Men, women, girls, all--all going home to hot suppers and--I wonder--are they? That fat man in the Bessecks Eight--is he--Y Ridiculous--this ravingfl He walked to the next corner, turned, and went on. At five minutes to six, he again came to the station, boarded the car for Halsbury and again invited thought. I 'rzgr lfrflrv-O21 u

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WW fq,.f7,f,, V., ww wwf ffyiwi' g ,,,, , , n 1 if ,,,,. - :.:ii'iL i' .,. Now what would they do? What could they do? Tell why the joke was played? Disgrace Pete and his wife? All they would say was that, if no noise were made, they--the boys--would take them to Peter. But, owing to the fact that the public demanded better service than the force was used to give, the chief pished and tished their pleading and announced a near date for a trial. Guilty or not, public de- mand had to be fulfilled. The trial day came. Talk about crowds! Say! There were more people in that room which normally held fifteen hundred, than there were sar- dines in a can made for four. CAnd you never saw a can and only four sardines.J In the seats and out of them were people! In the aisles, at the back, men even tried to serve as jurymen! It was an exciting scene! Over there were the boys . In the chair aloft and aloof from the crowd was the Judge. Here was the broken hearted wife. It was a sad scene. Surely these words show that there are always two sides to a court room. The trial began. Lawyers argued and used mighty good debating mannerisms. fSixes ought to have been therej. Poor wifie cried and explained and cried 2 ' nl , G , , ., ,, Q 5 ff 1 the thousandth time they had told all they possibly could--that it was a joke. Now that they were scorned, they would keep still. So the law had them. If they wouldn't tell, why, naturally, they were guilty. One lawyer tried to give a pic- turesque scene wherein the two in cold blood were hacking poor Peter to bits. It was a gruesome bit of work but very effec- tive. Then the jury filed out, and after a short time, returned. Just as the leader was about to speak, a noise was heard in the back of the room. The Judge rapped for quiet. The noise became louder--louder. Then a voice shrieked, t'Let me in! Let me in, I sayll' A gaunt, be-whiskered man rushed down the aisle. HBoys! Judge! Annie! I ain't dead, I'm alive! Alive! It was only ---- t'Peter! 'fAnnie!'l Well, there couldn't be any sentence pronounced, could there? After the crowd had left, two rather middle-aged people walked slowly down the aisle, arm in arm. Oh Annie, how could I even have--- It's all right, Peter--I--I deserved it. ' 'Oh, but I 'm so--so happy--- Peter ----- it ended in a sweet, calm again. The boysf' remained dumb. For sigh. ak Pk if Pk bk 7 -V - als-cl 1 Page Fy'1y- Three