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72

The DeWolfe family whom I've mentioned had a tragedy of less consequence. Kate, the married daughter, was living with her mother while her husband, Bob Rockwell, was in overseas service during World War I. There was great exultation when Bob returned from the war and I think that he and Kate stayed temporarily with Mrs. DeWolfe. Bob got a job as superintendent of equipment for the Auburn interurban line. All seemed to be coming along fine. They had no children. Kate was not attractive to look at, unfortunately resembling her drunkard father, but she was a very pleasant woman. Suddenly Bob Rockwell disappeared, never to be heard from again! Rumor had it that he'd run away with another woman. It was my first experience of anything of this nature and it impressed me profoundly. 

Moving down the scale of seriousness, there was the Baird family. Mrs. Baird, Lillian, was a close friend of Mother's. Mr. Baird was a big, somewhat brusque man, who had a pretty good job with Dolan Ferry, a men's clothing manufacturer in Syracuse; I think Mr. Baird was a bookkeeper. There were two unmarried daughters in their 20s who were school teachers. They seemed to be quite attractive girls, well brought up, dressed well, seemed to have most of the attributes, particularly Helen, a rather sultry-looking brunette. Marion was a big blond, nice-looking but not with quite the appeal of Helen. I remember there was considerable shocked comment about a picture of Helen that appeared in the paper in connection with some society event; it was a portrait taken by a local photographer and it showed a hint of cleavage in the low-cut neck of the gown. There was not doubt that some women attached some significance to this in connection with Helen's virtue, or, at the least, with her intentions. Well, the years when on and the Baird girls never married and it was too bad. There were rumors that a young man had been interested in Helen but it fell through. This wasn't exactly a tragedy but it created a lot of talk and it impressed me as a sad situation for which there seemed no good explanation. 

The flu epidemic of 1918 had tragic possibilities for all of us but fortunately there were no cases of flu among any of the people I knew. But we were quarantined at home for many weeks in the fall after school should have opened and weren't allowed to leave the house. It was a difficult time and particularly so, coming at the very height of the climax of the European War. I don't think schools opened until October. Of course, I guess we kids were glad to get out of a month of school but it really wasn't too happy an experience under the circumstances. 

The next chapter will cover my four years at North High School but strangely enough, I can't remember a great deal about my experience in school itself. I remember a lot about what happened during the period but school itself didn't seem to make too much of an impression on me. 

Transcription Notes:
"no doubt" not "not doubt."