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[transcription of essay on previous page] A FALSE ALARM

The terrible moment arrived exactly one week and four days ago, on the evening of October first. For weeks and even months, Shirley and I had been hearing wild tales of such things happening to other people, but we couldn't conceive of such a fate befalling us....and yet, there it was right in front of me. At first I tried to ignore it. I reached for a book and began to read, but my eyes kept darting toward the lampshade. Each time, the note pinned there sent a chill through me.

BEWARE Shirley and Martha Be in your room at 9:30 tomorrow night. --Sophs

I read it once, twice, three times.

"It must be a mistake," I thought. "They couldn't mean us, we know all the priorities-well, almost all; we never go down the center walk without paying our respects to Lord Botetourt; we wouldn't think of taking one step out the door without our caps. What could we have done?"

I decided to take action. Forgetting momentarily that my friends across the hall were sophomores and might be a part of this conspiracy, I knocked on their door and mutely displayed my note.

Their shocked expressions delighted me, and in spite of my