The Bienville Democrat. [volume] (Arcadia, Bienville Parish, La.) 1912-1980, 1922-04-20
CHAPTER Vft.-Continued.

B.
Concluding his reading, which was
oral, the volatile Mitchell made use
0f his voice in a manner of heathenish
boisterousness, and presently reclined
upon a lounge to laugh the better. His
stricken comrade, meanwhile, rec0v-
cred so far as to pace the floor. "Tm
soin' to pack up and light out for
home!' he declared over and over.
And even oftener he read and reread
the card to make sure of the actual
ity Of that fatal coincidence, ID. 70.
cum, 49,
1T / could do It," he vOciferated,
\ III l could stand up there and debate
4 one O their darn ole debates in the
4 first place-if had the gall to even
| try it, why, my gosh! you don't sup.
pose I'm goin' to get up there and
/ argue with that girl, do you? That's
hot way to get an education: stand
up there and argue with a girl before
couple o. hundred people! My
gosh"
"You got to-" his PROSTATE compan.
Ion cackled, weakly. "YOu can't get
out Of It. You're a gOner, ole Buddy"
I'll be sick, I'll be sick as dog
III be sick as the sickest dog that
eyer--"
mo use, ole man. The frat
senlors'll be on the job. They'll know
whether you're sick or not, and they'll
have you there, right on the spot to
the minute"
The prediction was accurate. The
too fatherly frat seniors" did all that
Fred said they would, and more. For
the honor Of the "frat," they coached
the desperate Ramsey in the technic
Of Lumen debate, told him many more
: things to say than could be said in
six minutes, and produced him, de-
spairing, CHASTITY and believed, In the
large hall of the Lumen society at
eight o'clock on Friday evening.
Four other "twelve.minute debates"
preceded his and the sound of these,
In Ramsey's ears, was the sound of
Gabriel practising on his horn in the
early morning of Judgment day. The
members Of the society sat, three rows
deep, along the walls Of the room,
leaving clear oblong Of green car
pet In the center, where were two
email desks, twenty feet apart, the
rostrums Of the debaters. Upon a
platform at the head Of the room sat
dreadful seniors, the officers of the
society, and, upon benches near the
platform, the debaters Of the evening
were aligned. One Of the fraternal
seniors sat with sweltering Ramsey
and the latter, as his time relentlessly
came nearer, made a last miserable
squirm.
"Look here, Brother Colburn, I got
to get out o here.'
mo, you don't, young fellow"
"Yes, l do" Ramsey whispered, pas
slonately. Honest, I do. Honest,
Brother Colburn, l got to get drink
of water. l got to-" :.
mo. You can't"
Honest, Colburn, got"
"Hushw
Ramsey cast his dilating eyes along
the rows of faces. Most of them were
but as blurs, swimming, yet he was
aware Che thought) Of a formidable
and horrible impassive scrutiny Of
himself, a glare seeming to pierce
Through him to the back of the belt
round his waist, so that he began to
have fearful doubts about that belt,
about every fastening and adjustment
q his garments, about the expression
~ his countenance. and many other
Mlngs jumblng together in his con-
4 sctousness. Over and over he whis-
pefed gaspingly TO himself the open
Ms words of the sentence with which
senior had advised him to begin his
fgument. And as the moment of su-
rene agony drew close, this whisper.
s'sss became continuous: "ln making
N y nfst appearance before this honor
IN membership | feel constrained to
III making my first appearance be-
wy ms honor'ble membership | feel
/ su'slfalaed to say in making my first
| appearance before this honor'ble mem
It had come. The chairman
uounced the subject of the fourth
spman twelve-minute debate; and
/ ioellm, hitherto unperceived by
!. rose and went forward to one
small desks in the open space,