Page Four
ROGCE NEWS
Friday. May JSO, tOMi
Senior Destinies
Are Foreseen
By DAVID JOHNSON
From my Fifth Avenue pent
house, I could hear the varied
noise of the great city below
me. The clans of street-cars,
the rumble of an occasional far
away elevated, and the growl of
traffic came up to my ears like
the hum of insects in a hive.
My thoughts swept back across
the continent to the quiet foot
hills of Ashland, my home. Nos
talgia seized me; I yielded.
I stepped from the train, and
surveyed the station platform.
The harsh hand of Time had
swept over this beautiful little
hamlet but had left it as it was
thinly years ago. Of course, bus
iness had picked up a little.
I wandered up town. In the
foyer of the Lithia Springs hotel,
I saw a large illuminated sign.
It read, "Wardlow Howell. Chi-
ropracter." Once fairly into the
lobby, I could see his office on
the mezzanine floor. A familiar
figure was sitting on- a small
wicker couch outside ' the door.
I dashed up the stairs and cried.
"Why, Bernard Applegate, it is
you, isn't it?" He looked at me
and moaned, "No, I was he, but
I never will be again". A' in tie
abashed at this, I looked instde.
There, presiding over a chubby
fellow wrapped in a sheet, was
Wardlow. He bore down merci
lessly on the stomach of the
figure. "That," he cried, "is good
for what ails you."" Personally,
I had my doubts. The man on
the table sat up, and I recogniz
ed Robert Yeo. I went In and
made myself known, but I didn't
stay long, because Wardlow'
fingers seemed to be itching to
get hold of my person. I paid
my respects to the group and left
the place rather hurriedly.
As I came down into the lobby
again, I saw Gerald Critcblow
and Benjamin Goldy behind the
counter, totalling up the ac
counts for the da;'. Of course,
I spoke to them. They seemed
very glad to see me. As I step
ped out into the sunshine, a fel
low dashed up to me and cried.
"Your picture for a quarter,' de
veloped in one minute." After
staring into his face intently for
a moment, I recognized Kenneth
Darling. We renewed acquain
tances and talked until Thunder
saw another prospective customer
and dashed off to waylay him.
An ice-wagon clattered by, and
on the driver's seat, I saw
Francis Spindler. On the tail
board, swinging ice-tongs very
nonchalantly, I aw Leonard
Gosnell and John Lanini. They
went by too fast for me to hail
them, ' but to see old classmates
so hard at work pleased me.
Mary Poley came hopping
down the street on the arm of
Preston Becot, who was recit
ing poetry into her ear. They
were both very glad to see me,
and invited me up to dinner,
saying that I must see the kid
dies, they were iust too cuta for
words. Preston looked at me and
msa vx i
muttered, ."Kiddies, what rimes Hattie Gray, go by, chatting
with kiddies, let me see ". and i 8a'ly. a11 witn imposing volumes
off they wandered. under their arms. I went back
T now wiiii.o ,.., ,-, i 'Ho the lobby and asked Lee
Ing off the sidewalk in front oflwhat tnpy were doin- He to,d
his irrorerv .tnro nrt t,,nnd me tnat tnev were teaching at
to have a chat with him. He was
glad to gee me, and reminded me
of the time I cried on his should
er during' the senior class play
In which we both took part.
While we wera talking, Donald
Kelts and the former Miss Wil
cox came in and' demanded a
pound of sugar. While Wallace
was sacking " the commodity.
Ralph" McConnack and Vincent
Sawyer came in; and asked Wal
lace - when he wanted his win
dows washed. All these people
recognized me. After srending a
delightful half hour with Wallace
and his customers, all of whom
were old friends, I began to look
for a place to -eat my lunch. I
stepped into the Ashland hotel
lunch' room,- and sat down at
the counter. As I gazed out into
the street, I swallowed hard
and a lump came Into my throat
as I thought of the happy youth
with kiddles, let me see ", and
I had been in ' this quiet, little
village. The waitress bent over
me and asked what I wanted.
Looking up, I saw LaVerne
Ramsey. At the same time, she
recognized me. This broke me
all up-, and through the flowing
tears, I managed to carry on a
fairly good conversation.
Finally, I mastered the lump
in my throat, and ordered oysters
on the half-shell. She went to
give the order, and as the swing
ing doors opened into the kit
chen, I saw Glenn Head presiding
over the stove. Of course, I had
to go out into the kitchen and
speak to bim. He wiped the lard
cut of his eye and sat down. We
spent a happy hour together. I.
the while,' eating my ousters.
After lunch, I went Into the
lobby of ' the hotel, and there
was Lee Port, at a table, on
which wa a sign saying, "Pub
lie Stenographer". Assisting him
was Charles Whitmore. As I
stepped out of the swinging
doors, I saw Mary Isley, In com
pany with Sylvia Provost, Louise
Anderson, Gertrude Irwin, and
Normal school. I was very pleas
ed to hear this.
I crossed the street, and was
very nearly run down hy Keith
Lenox, who in company with Vir
gil Davis, was driving along in
a truck loaded with farm pro
duce. He evidently didn't rec
ognize me, as he drove right on
In the Tidings building, I saw
Lucille Anderson hammering vic
iously on a typewriter. Read
ing copy nearby was Mary Her
bert. In the Manager's office,
Beulah Hervey was taking down
notes as Maxie Thompson dic
tated. As I was talking to all of
them. Naroleon Kskridge came
in with some newg about the
Chamber of Commerce, of which
he was president. We made a
theater engagement for the next
evening.
Max Roberson flew over the
city, meanwhile, in a plane that
he had designed himself. I knew
it was he, as I heard several
citizens talking proudly about
"our Max", who. they said, wav
planning a flight to the land of
He was going to take with
him as mechanic. Perry Ashcraft
Going along also, to act as mls-
slonaires to the Ozmonlans, were
Dorothy Applegate, Iris Atter-
bury. Harriet Carlton, Lizzie Da
vis, and Norma Gordon.
As I passed the City Hall. I
heard a score or more of femin
ine voices cheering loudly. I
went up the stairs to the coun
cil room, and there at the hpad
of the table was Beth Joy, spout
ing violently about women's
rights in Congress. Gathered
about the table were Helen Kan
asto. Dorothy Lamb. Sylvia Mar
tin. Elinor High. Cleo Sherard.
Thelnia Cole. Francis Cramer.
Ima Crowson. Ardis DeArmond.
Thelnia Good. Louise Sheiderlt
er. and Lucille Thackera. They
all recognized me. and wanted
to hear my views on the matter
of women in Congress, but I
hastily declined and made my
farewells.
Clyde Dunham came tip to me
as I was leaving the building,
and invited me Into hia office.
Accordingly, I went up the stairs
again, and Clyde, pausing before
the door marked "Mayor" un
locked it. and motioned me with
in. I was amazed to find that
one of my old schoolmate
should have risen to be Mayor
of the town of his youth. "These
women", muttered Clyde, look
ing" hopelessly at the ceiling.
After visiting with Clyde for
a long' time. I went back up the
street in" the direction from
which I had -come. I looked into
the Flower "Shop, and saw Mary
Louise SaTider, arranging some
red roses-in a -vase. I, of course,
went in and ask'ed her if she
remembefed 'me! "She said. "Who
wouldn't"" "We s;ent a delightful
half minute together.
As" I went out again into the
blinding sunlight "of the summer
afternoon"," Karlok Johnson came
up to me and -tiied to sell me
some" Insurance. "After" I had
made- myself known." he tried
very earnestly tar collect fifteen
cents' that he had toaned me dur
ing the' depression." Failing in
that, he said'thaf he was glad
to see me 'anyhow? -and went on
about his' business.
Edgar Blake -had a wagon
backed up to'the'ciirb in front
of the library, with a sign on it
whlrh read, "Travelling Dentist".
I didn't go in to see bim, because
well, you know these" dentists.
In a white uniform, ln".the rear
of the wagon, I could 'ee'- Bu
nice Coates. She was ' fbttrar's
office girl and nurse.
Marie Rigdon and ' torrlHne
Smith went swinging dawn" Ithe
walk as I turned up Greg ha oar I
Hopped and talked awhile ""wUb
them. It seemed that they frie
running a beauty parlor.
I walked by the homes: "of
several old fi lends, and turned
down by the Junior high school.
Out on the playground were a
great many little girls, watching
an older person flip a basket
ball through a net. Going closer,
I recognized Dorothy Bergstrom.
I supposed from this that she
was the physical training teach-
I stayed in Ashland two days,
renewing manf' old acquain
tances and having a glorious
time. The Lithia water still bur
ped up in the park, and Ashland
Medford rivalry was still ram
pant. As I got on the train to leave
town, I saw June Wolcott anil
Maxine Miller standing ir. the
door of the Depot Cafe, of whi- i
they were evidently proprie
tresses. The train slowly pulled out of
the station, and as I leaned out
of the window of my Pullnmn.
looking my last. I saw Keller
Mabbot drive away from the
platform with some travelers in
a nice, new, taxicah.
Have you heard Karl's latest
joke about the Scotch girt? On
joining a chorus, she was asked
to bring a pair of "tighta" to
practice the next evening. She
brought her parents.