The diamond drill., 1922-02-10


changes Immediately preceding hostiii-
ties were charmingly frank and un-
hypocrltical. although quite as Mixed
up and off-the-issue as IL they had
been prepared by professional foreign
Office men. Ramsey and Fred Mitchell
and four other boys waylaid young
Bender on the street after school. In
tending jocositles rather than violence.
but the victim proved sensitive. "you
take your ole hands of o. mel" he
said fercely, as they began 70 push
him about among them.
"Ole dirty wes" they hoarseE bel
lowed and squawked. In their chang
Ing voices. Washes his ears"
Washes his neck - {. Dora Yocum
told his mama to turn the hose on
himi"
Wesley broke from them and backed
away, swinging his strapped books In
a dangerous circle. "You keep of 7"
he warned them. 81 got as much
right TO my pers'nal appearance as
anybody"
This richly fed their humor. and
they rioted round him. keeping outside
the swinging books at the end of tha
strap. "Pers'nal appearance
"Yowl ole dirty Yves. he's got per-
snail appearance "Who went
and bought II for you, wesr
Nobody bought II for him. Dora
Yocum took and give him onel"
"You leave ladies' names aione!"
cried the chlvalrous Wesley. "You
ought to know better. on the public
street, you-pups
Here was a serious affront, at ieast
TO Ramsey Milhollands way OF think
ing; for Ramsey. also now proved
sensitive. He Quieted his friends
"Shut upv"--and advanced toward
Wesley. You look herel Who you
callln' 'pups'Y'
Everybody - Wesley hotly re
turned. Everybody that goes around
mentioning ladies' names on the pub
lie streets are pups"
They are. are theyr' Ramsey as
hotly demanded. "Well. you just look
here minute; my own father men
tions my mothers name on the public
streets whenever he wants TO. and you
just try callIn' my father pup, and
you won't know what happened to
youw
"What'll you do about itT'
"Ill put n new head on YOU" said
Ramsey. That's what I'll do, because
anybody that calls my father or moth
er pup"
"Oh. shut up wasn't talkin' about
your ole father and mother. said
everybody that mentioned Dora Yo-
Gums name on the public streets was
a pup. and mean II Everybody that
mentions Dora Yocum's name on the
pub"
"Dora Yocum!" said Ramsey. "I got
a perfect right TO say II anywhere
want 10. Dora Yocum. Dora Yocum.
Dora Yocum -"
"All right then, you're n pupl"
Ramsey charged upon him and re-
celved a suffocatlng blow full In the
face. not from Mr. Bender's fist but
from the solid bundle of books at the
end OF the strap. Ramsey saw eight
Wesley Benders standing full length In
the air on top OF other Wesley Ben
I ders. and more Wesley Benders zig
Jagged out sidewise from still other
Wesley Benders; nevertheless, he
( found one OF these and IL proved TO be
flesh. He engaged II wildly at fisti-
cuffs pounded II upon the countenance
~ ~ gaf
upon the curbstone and, with his dizzy
eyes shut leaned forward for the bet
ter accommodation OF his ensanguined
( nose
| Wesley had retreated TO the other
side OF the street. holding n grimy
handkerchief TO the mldmost parts OF
! his pallid face. There, you ole d--n
pup" he shouted, In a voice which
threatened n sob. "I guess thatli
teach you 10 be careful how you men
tlon Dora Yocum's name on the public
streets"
At this, Ramsey made q motion ~
IL to rise and pursue whersupon W =
ley fed, wailing back over his shou','Nr
| as he ran, "You wait I'LL I ketch y,,u
out alone on the public streets and
rlS-"
His voice was lost In an cutburst OF
hooting from his former friends. who
| sympathetically surrounded the
wounded Ramsey. But In . measure.
at least, the cbivalrous fugitive had
won his point. He was routed and
outdone. yet what survived the day
was a rumor, which became = sort Of
tenuous legend among those interest
ed There had been a fight over Dora
Yocum. II appeared. and Ramsey MIL
holland had attempted to maintain
something derogatory to the lady.
while Wesley defended her rs q
knlghtly youth should.
The boys. unmindful Of proper gal
lantry. supported Ramsey on account
OF the way he had persisted In lickin'
the stufin' out OF Wesley Bender after
receiving that preliminary wallop from
| Wesley's blackjack bundle OF books.
Il