Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1922-07-28
CHAPTER XIV.

mICOfyI where he WOu1Q pass ner I'M
less he altered his course; and as he
drew nearer her and the details Of her
face grew into distinctness, he was in
dignant with himself for feeling less
and less indignation toward her In pro-
portion to the closeness Of his ap-
proach. The pity that came over him
was mingled with an unruly admira-
ton, causing him to wonder what an
patriotic stuff she could be made Of.
She was marked, but not whipped; she
still held herself straight under all the
hammering and cutting which, to his
knowledge, she had been getting.
She stopped him, 'for only a mo-
ment," she said, adding with a wan
proudness: "That Is, If you're not one
Of those who feel that / shouldn't be
spoken tor
mo" said Fred, stifay. II may
share their point of view, perhaps, but
1 don't feel called upon to obtrude it
on you in that manner"
II see," she said, nodding. 1--WE
wanted to speak with you about Ram
sey."
"All right"
She bit her lip, then asked, abrupt
ly: what made him do it?''
Enlist as private with the regu-
lars?"
mo. What made him enlist at allT
"Only because he's that Sort" Fred
returned briskly. "He may be mex
plicable to people who belieye that his
going out to fight for his country Is
the same thing as going oHt to COM
NIT a MUIR"
She lifted her hand. Couldn't
you"
II beg your pardon" Fred SAID at
once. 'Tm sorry, but don't know just
how to explain him to you"
"Why|
He laughed, alphabetically. swell,
you see, as | understand 1t, you don't
think it's possible for person to have
something within him that makes him
care so much about his country that
he"
"Wait !" she cried. Don't you think
I'm willing to suffer a little rather
than TO see my country In. the wrong?
Don't you think I'm doing it?"
"Well, don't want to be rude; but,
of course, 1t seems to me that you're
suffering because you think you know
more about what's right and wrong
than anybody else Does"
''Oh, no. But /"
eve wouldn't get anywhere, prob
ably, by arguing it." Fred said. "You
asked me-"
81 asked you to tell me why he en-
listed"
"The trouble is, don't think 1 can
tell that to anybody who needs an an
swer. He just went, of course. There
isn't any question about it. l always
thought he'd be the first to CO."
"Oh, not" she said.
"Yes, | always thought So"
II think you were mistaken" she
said, decidedly. sit was a special rea-
son-to make him act so cruelty"
"'Cruelly'w Fred cried.
"It was!
Cruel to whomY'
"Oh, to his mother-to his family.
To have him go off that way, without
a word"
"Oh no; he'd been home" Fred cor
rected her. "He went home the Satur-
day before he enlisted, and settled it
with them. They're all broken up, of
course; but when they saw he'd made
up his mind, they quit opposing him,
and think they're proud Of him about
1t, maybe, In spite of feeling anxious.
You see, his fathers was an artillery
man in the war with Spain, and his
grandfather was colonel at the end
of the Civil war, though he went into
it as a private. like Ramsey. He died
when Ramsey was about twelve: but
Ramsey remembers him; he was talk
ing of him little the night before he
enlisted"
Dora made q gesture of despairing
protest. "YOu don't understand"
"What is it I don't understands"
Ramsey! / know why he went
and it's just killing mel"
Fred looked at her grayely. II don't
think you need worry about It," he
said There's nothing about his go
ing that you are responsible for
She repeated her despairing gesture.
"You don't understand. But it's no
use. It doesn't help any to try to talk
of it, though thought maybe it would,
somehow" She went little nearer
the dormitory entrance, leaving him
where he was, then turned. II sup
pose you won't see him?"
81 don't know. Most probably not
till we meet-if we should-in France.
don't know where he's stationed; and
I'm going with the aviation-if it's
ever ready! And he's with the regu-
lars; he'll probably be among the first
to go over"
II see." She turned sharply away,
calling back over her shoulder in
choked voice. "Thank you. Goodbye"
But Fred's heart had melted; gazing