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

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,.'r-Sri:-::-r.':.r........... 'M'-2':::r:::':1' ' e 'I .- - college and dad laughed at me when I asked him for the salesmanship, and told me I couldn't even sell baby buggies from door to door. Now, won't you help me out ? A sly twinkle in the manager's eyes told Jim of his success. Yes, son, I'll help you. At one time I worked for your father, but I never could show him anything. If you think you can, I'd like to be on hand to see you do it, he chuckled, I'1l have one of my office girls Hx you up with samples, and here's my hand for your success ? Mr. Johnson called to one of the many girls in the establishment and, to his surprise Jim saw Mabel's best friend coming toward him. She recognized him immediately and after a short talk with the manager led jim into the stockroom of the establishment. VVhat can I do for you ? she said. Mr. Johnson told me that what you wanted was to be done and that I was to 'fix' you up. So Jirn explained again what he wanted to do and how he intended to do and how he intended to do it, while she listened with a. generous smile on her face. How perfectly lovely ! she said when he had sketched his plan. Now, you choose two samples while I get some other things. Jim had been uneasy before, but now he was petrified, and well might he be, for picking out two samples from a two hundred thousand dollar stock of baby carriages was not an easy task. There were piles upon piles before him. It was indeed a mighty spectacle, and a famine of baby carriages looked improbable in the face of such a col- lection. It was many times more than the astonished james had ever imagined could exist, let alone exist in a city where the mar- riage license clerk made only about twenty dollars a week, and fourteen dollars of that came from direct taxes. Jim scratched his head in perplexity as he tried to select two stylish buggies as would satisfy any prospective buyer. Now, every- one will have to admit that that wasn't an easy or pleasant task for a young man fresh from college, with no knowledge whatever of the taste of youthful parents. Trigonom- etry or history wouldn't help out here. He knew that just plain common sense was all that was necessaryg so he tried to summon to remembrance what sort of a wheeled vehicle he had ridden in so many years be- fore, but twenty years was a long time to think back to. Then he tried reasoning what kind of babies there were. There are twins and triplets and, of course, single bab-ies! Most common of these three classes are the twins and single ba-bies, and this made his selection as easy as choosing his own wear- ing apparel. Now, young men of this world are not supposed to be up to the ideal in taste as to baby vehicles, but picked judges would have certainly agreed that james Richard did his sex justice in his selection of two polished carriages. Jim himself was very well satisfied. But Fate balances every joy with an equal sorrow. If the Bircher boy could only re- peat, at will, the yell of horror that came to his lips upon beholding Mabel's returning friend, he would make a fortune in the theatrical world. She had three babies on her arms! Besides these, she clapsed a great bundle of infant paraphernalia. Well, here you are, Mr. Bircher, thanks to the manager and myself for details. I don't want any praise, but I do think I did my duty toward my best friend's husband- to-be, she said as she tucked the babies in their beds of downy white. When your customers see how darling they look, they can't help ibut buy. Oh, but they do look so awfully cute l jib was dazed. He touched one of the kids to make sure he wasn't seeing things, but- great thundering Jehoshaphat! They were bisque babies! A remonstrance was not then long coming, I really can't go on the street with those things ! 'ljust like a man, she said at once. Don't you realize the value of those babies? They make the buggies look real with those life- like faces of theirs. It's a novelty and is bound to take with your customers. You can't succeed without them! Aw, no one's going to pay any attention to those things, said Jim. Eighty-nine

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-.........,...........-.......... .,,, .........,-...-.... ... ..... . .......,..,, ....,. ..,,. ...-,. .,....... .,. . ...,. . .........,,.....-.........,....,,...4-........,.-.-.,..,....-......-f,.,......,..,..,1-....................,........-..--...... wssiifiifsi:---,a.2i2f' - ' . . .Ein rf '1' X . 6' - , 5 if? , .s.5f:::LCI.lfii:fii' ll.:1.116-1:11:L1::7:::::::::::r:L:::::::::.,.... '.... ' ' ' :.::1::::::::.::r:z::::::...------e 5 I 'H--1-- ,..:sL......iv....-' J.- -...-. .,.., ...-....-..-......,...,.......,,..,. ..... .... .... .- ,, ,W .,- V , ,--A-, ...... , ,W , , , -ss--I Wa. Well, inquired the curt, paper-headed person who opened the door, What do you want ? Please, madame, he began, could I sell you a buggy for babies? They're very nice, and only twenty-nine fifty each, on time- You insulting wretch! Who are you to come insulting a poor., lone, respectable lady who has lived forty years in single blessed- ness? How dare you stand there- But he wasn't standing there. He was three blocks away, pacing as hard as his already winded lungs would permit, drag- ging along behind those buggies at as rapid a gait as they were ever intended to make. Drops of perspiration fell from his be- wildered brow as he thanked his lucky stars for his fortunate escape from that spinster with the murderous tongue. Nevertheless, with a fool's grit he attacked another home- like institution, resolved to sell at least one part of his wares or die in the attempt! He reached the steps, halted, and rang the bell, but he couldn't stay. He fled, leaving bug- gies, dolls and all to their fate. He had just reached the corner, when an awful voice shouted from where he had just fled, Auch! mein Gott, three babies, help ! At the same instant he felt a tight grip on his arm, and as he turned to see who his tormentor was, he recognized the officer who had been such a hero in saving his babies but a few minutes before. Back to the house they marched, arm in arm, up to the excited mistress of the house who was wailing out dire curses upon the cold-hearted father. Say, began the officer, I just got through rescuing those kids from an auto- mobile and now you're trying to leave them at this poor widow's door. I've got a notion to pull you in. You'd get two years for this. Poor Jim tried to explain, but the angry policeman wouldrft give him time. Instead 'he gave him a shove and said, Go on, get away from here and don't let me see you again this blessed day. Get ! He got. It was a mighty sad and dejected lad who plodded down that street pullingstwo infant carriages. Fate, thou ever deciding god, thy burden is indeed hard upon some! Had not Bircher's son tried? Had he not been encompassed with difficulties and discour- agement? His dad, it seemed was against him, the law was against him! Maybe though, a fellow's wife-to-be might stand up for him-but horrors upon horrors, Mabel was coming down the street! He wondered what she would think of his ap- pearance, but he knew in his heart she was too hasty to wait for an explanation, and she couldnlt imagine him wheeling dolls. He had to do something before she saw him. Kind Providence came to the rescue. Be- fore him loomed one of the many bridges! He hailed it as a divine blessing sent es- pecially for him, and as a grateful receiver, rushed up to it and threw the two buggies, contents and all, down into the swiftly How- ing current. Instantly he felt heavy grip upon his arm. Y ou ! he exclaimed as he recognized the same burly officer. Yes, me, the patrolman answered after a shrill blast on his whistle to summon an- other officer, and for God's sake think of what you've done! 'We've got to save those kids! So saying, without even stripping off his coat, he leaped over the bridge down into the water, and after a short struggle, emerged upon the bank with the two buggies -but there were no babies in them. Down again he went. He dived and again he dived. He took off his coat and dived again. During all this time, -lim gazed as one entranced. hynotized. Mabel now ap- proached but she had eyes only for him and asked, What luck brought you here to meet me ? L0ve's dream did not last long, however, for a whole squad of blue-coated enforcers of the law suddenly appeared. They looked at Jim and then at Mabel, and then down into the water. The ser- geant immediately drew his own conclusion, with a loud and strong voice he shouted, N inety-one