Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1922-06-02
CHAPTER VII

lie never saw her again. She sent
him a picture postal" from Oconomo-
woo, Wisconsin, which his father dis
engaged from the family mail, one
morning at breakfast, and considerable
ly handed to him without audible COM
ment. Upon 1t was written, "Oh, you
Ramseyw This was the last of Milla.
Just before school opened, In the
autumn, Sadie Clews made some reve-
lations. "Milla did like you," said
Sadie. "After that time you jumped
in the creek to save her she liked you
better than any boy in town, and
guess If it wasn't for her counsln Mi1t
up in Chicago she would Of liked you
the best anywhere. 1 guess she did,
anyway, because she hadn't seen him
for about a year then.
''Well, that afternoon she went
away was over there and took in
everything that was goin' on, only she
made me promise on my word of honor
4 wouldn't even tell Albert. They
didn't get any wire from the uncle
about the touring car; 1t was her cou-
sin Milt that jumped on the train and
came down and liked it all up for
Milla to go on the trip, and every
thing. You see, Ramsey, she was
turned back a couple of times in school
before she came in our class and /
don't know how old she is and she
don't look old yet, but I'm pretty sure
she's at least eighteen, and she might
be over ] didn't think such a great
deal Of this Milt's looks myself, but
he's anyway twenty-one years old, and
got good position, and all their fam
sly seem to think he's just fine! It
wasn't his father that took in the tour
ing car on the debt, like she said she
was writing you; It was Milt himself
He started out in business when he
was only thirteen years old, and this
trip he was gettin' up for his father
and mother and ATilla was the first
vacation he ever took. Well, Of course
she wouldn't like my tellin' you, but
/ can't see the harm Of it, now every
things all over"
"All-all over? You mean 1Iiila's
going to be-to be married?"
"She already is" said Sadie. "They
got married at her Aunt Jess and I'm
Gle Purv's house, up in Chicago, last
Thursday. Yes, sir; that quiet, little
Milla's regular old married woman
by this time, I expect, RamseyP
When he got over the shock, which
was not until the next day, one pre-
dominating feeling remained: 1t was
q gloomy pride-a pride in his proven
maturity. He was old enough, it APP
peared, to have been the same thing
as engaged to a person who was now
a Married Woman. His manner thence
forth showed an added trace of seri-
BUSINESS and self-consideration.
Having recovered his equipoise and
something more, he entirely forgot that
moment of humble admiration he had
felt for Dora Yocum on the day of his
fattest prostration. When he saw her
sitting in the classroom, smiling bright
ly up at the teacher, the morning of
the schools opening in the autumn,
all his humility had long since van
ished and she appeared to him not
otherwise than as the scholar whose
complete proficiency had always been
so irksome to him.
'Look at her!" he muttered to him
self. Same ole Teachers Petr'
Now and then, as the days and sea-
sons passed, and Dora's serene prog
ress continued, never checked or even
fiawed there stirred within him some
lingerings Of the old determination
to "shOw" her; and he would coniure
up q day-dream of Dora in loud Ia
mentatiOn, while he led the laughter
Of the spectators. But gradually his
feeling about her came to be merely
a dull oppression. He was tired of
having to look at her Gas he stated
IT'D and he thanked the Lord that the
time wouldn't be so long now until
he'd be out Of that ole school. and
then all he'd have to do he'd just take
care never to walk by her house. If
was easy enough to use some other
street when he had to go down town.
"The good ole class Of Nineteen
Fourteen is about gone" he said to
Fred Mitchell, who was still his most
intimate friend when they reached the
senior year. eyes, sir; it's held to-
gether good many years, Fred, but
after June it'll be busted plum up,
and I hope nobody starts a move to
have any reunions. There's a good
many members Of the ole class that
can stand and there's some 1 can't,
but there's one 1 just won'tI If we
ever did call reunion, that ole Yo-
cum girl would start in right away
and run the whole shebang, and that's
where I'd resignl You know, Fred,