Page 82 - 1923 Hartridge

What Is Life Without Mail?
I compared the number of the building opposite me to the number of the address in my hand; yes, they were identical, and this was my goal.
As I walked up the drive, I noticed the carefully-polished brass sign which modestly read “Hartridge School,” and the mere thought of enter­ ing a place where abode more than ten score of females sent chills up my
However, enter I must, alone and unassisted, if I wished to win my bet; and gathering my courage together, I walked up the broad steps. and rang the bell boldly.
No one answered, and I rang again. Still no response, and in a sud­ den spirit of daring, I flung open the heavy door and stepped inside !
Silence, emptiness, absolute quiet greeted me. Not a soul, not a sound, not a sign of human existence. In front of me lay a hall and offlce, bare, silent, deserted. To my right, two doors, shut, and I did not doubt, locked and bolted.
To my left lay a flight of broad stairs, and, hoping to find some sign of life on the second floor (for speak to someone I must) I started warily to climb them. Suddenly, on all sides, to my left, to my right, above, below, sounded bells. Now they were by my ear, now far away, now perilously close, then far down a corridor. They seemed to surround me, to hem me in by their clamor. Had I stepped upon a burglar alarm? Was this a decoy for innocent men like me? What zvas going to happen? Then I drew back against the wall, limp, and gasped at the sight that met my eyes.
From above, came pouring down the stairs, girls, girls, girls. They came one by one, or in twos, or in groups of threes and fours, running,
pushing, jostling, rushing, tripping down the stairs. Some clattered
down, skipping every other step or so, and landed at the bottom with a
bang, others seemed scarcely to touch the stairs as they skimmed lightly
along. Crowds and crowds of girls of all descriptions; short, tall, fat and
thin; red-haired, black-haired, blondes and brunettes; rosy-cheeked or pale-cheeked!
But what puzzled me most was that I seemed to be the center of at­
traction, for the one and only word they spoke as they rushed past me was,
U
Male, male, male.”
Now I knew I had rather a taking way with girls for many had told me so. And I noted with satisfaction that my trousers did break rather
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