St. Tammany farmer., 1922-02-11
CHAPTER III.

CHAPTER III.
He had not forgiven her four years
later when he entered high school in
her company, for somehow Ramsey
managed to shovel his way through
examinations and stayed with the
class. He was unable to deny that
shs had become less awful lookin'
than she used to be. At least, he was
honest enough to make a partial re-
traction when his friend and class
mate. Fred Mitchell, insisted that an
aneltsration Of Dora's appearance
could be actually proven.
well, I'll take it back. 1 don't
claim sAe's every last bit as awful
lookln' ~ she Away. has been," said
Ramsey, toward the conclusion of the
argument. "1'll say this for her, she's
awful lookin', but she may not be as
awful lookin' as she was. She don't
come to school with the edge Of some
sf her snderelo'es shown below her
dress any more, about every other day,
and her eyewinkers have got to stick
In ont sor1e and she may not be so
abbasalootly skinny, but she'll haf to
wait a mighty long while before l
want to look at her without gettin'
sick!
The implication that Miss Yocum
cared to have Ramsey look at her,
either with or without gettin' sick, was
mere rhetoric, and recognized as such
by the producer Of it; she had never
given the slightest evidence Of any
desire that his gaze be bent upon her.
What truth lay underneath his -four
ish rested upon the fact that he could
not look at her without some symp-
toms of the sort he had tersely
.ketched to his friend; and yet, so
pungent II the fascination Of self-in-
hicted misery, he did look at her, dur
Ing periods OF study, often for three or
four minutes at stretch. His ex-
preston at such times indeed resem-
bled that of one who has dined I'M
wisely; but Dora Yocum was always
too eagerly busy to notice it. He was
almost never In her eye, but she was
continually in his; moreover, as the
banner pupil she was with hourly fire.
quency an exhibit before the whole
class.
Ramsey found her worst of all when
her turn came In 'Declamation," on
Friday afternoons. When she ascend
cd the platform, bobbed a little pre-
paratory bow and began, "Listen, my
children, and you shall hear" Ram
sey included Paul Revere and the Old
North church and the whole Revolu-
tionary war In his antipathy, since
property Of the Teachers Pet. For
Dora held this post in "Declamation"
as well rs in everything else; here, as
elsewhere, the hateful cllild's proWess
surpassed that Of all others; and the
teacher always entrusted her with the
rendition OF the 'patriotic selections"
Rumsey himself was in the same
section of declaimers, and performed
kltuoLiy Nv1Alldol. AIC saw u
selection from Shakespeare, assigned
by the teacher; and he began this con-
ttnuous misfortune by stumbling vio-
lently as he assembled the platform.
which stimulated general giggle al
ready in being at the mere calling Of
his name Al, of the class were hrigll;
with happy snticfI'a ion. for the mis-
cradle Ramsey seldom failed their
hopes, particularly In Defamation"
He faced them, his complexion wan,
his expression both baleful and horri-
fed; and he began in loud, hurried
voice, from which every hint of intel
ligence was excluded:
Most potent, grave and rev"
The teacher tapped sharply on her
desk, and stepped him. you've for
gotten to bow" she said. "And don't
say potent The word Is potent"
Ramsey Topped his head at the rear
wall Of the room, and began again:
Most potent potent grave and rev.
enerd sfgners my very nobe and ap-
p1OvcO EUuA AIuStciS tlidt 1 nave Ldll
away this sole mans dutter it is nose
true true / have marry dur the very
headan frun tuv my Tending hath this
extent no more rude am I in speech
in speech-rude am in speech-in
speech-in speech-in speech"
He had stalled. Perhaps the fatal
truth OF that phrase, end some sense
Of its applicability to the occasion had
fnterfered with the mechanism which
he had set in opera tion to get rid Of
the recitation" for him. At all events,
the machine had to run off it's job all
at once, or it wouldn't run at all. He
Eulped audibly. "Rude rude, rude am
I-rude am / in speech-in speech-in
speech. Rude am in speech
yes the irritated teacher said, as
Ramsey's failing voice continued husk=
lily to insist upon this point. Il think
you are!" And her nerves were a lit
tie soothed by the shout Of laughter
from the school-it was never difficult
for teachers to be witty. "Go sill down,
Ramsey, and do it after school,