The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1922-04-13

l guess we GOT TO StanO up there unu
try. anyway"
"All right" said Ramsey. 1T they
want me to commit suicide they can
send me one O. their ole Assignments
won't need to commit suicide, though,
I guess. All I'll do, I'll just fall over
in fit, and stay in it."
And, in truth. when he received his
first Assignment" one Monday morn
ing, month later, he seemed In
fair way to fulfill his prophecy. The
attention of his roommate, who sat
at a window of their study, was at
tracted by sounds Of strangulation.
"What on earth's the matter, Ram.
sey?"
"Look! Look at this! !"
Fred took the card and examined 1t
with an amazement gradually merg-
ing into a pleasure altogether too per-
ceptible:
ASSIGNMENT
Twelve Minute Debate. Glass of 1918.
Subject, Resolved: That Germany
is both legally and morally justified
in her invasion of Belgium.
(Debaters are notified that each Will
be held strictly to the following sched-
ule: Affirmative. min, first. Mega
tive, 4 min., first. Affirm, 2 min., Sec
ond. Neg, 2 min, secondly
Affirmative, R. MILHOLLAND. ID :
Negative, D. YOCUM. '1S.
Concluding his reading, which was
oral, the volatile Mitchell made use
of his voice in manner Of heathenish
boisterousness, and presently reclined
upon lounge to laugh the better. His
stricken comrade, meanwhile, recov-
cred so far as to pace the floor. I'm
goin' to pack up and light out Tor
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. Yo-
cum, 49,"
eff I could do It," he vociferated'
IF 1 could stand up there and debate
one O. their darn ole debates in the
first place-if I 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 girl before
couple O. hundred people! My
gosh"
"You got tot" his PROSTATE compan-
ion cackled, weakly. "You can't get
out of it. You're a goner, ole Buddy"
"rl be sick, I'll be sick as a dog :!
I'll be sick as the sickest dog that
ever"
mo use, ole man. The frat
seniorsll 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. Inc
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 a clear oblong of green car
pet in the center, where were two
small desks, twenty feet apart, the
rostrums of the debaters. Upon q
platform at the head Of the room sal
dreadful seniors, the officers of the
society, and, upon benches near the
platform, the debaters Of the evening
were aligned. One Of the fraterna
seniors sat with sweltering Ramsey
and the latter, as his time relentlesslJ
came nearer, made last miserable
squirm.
Look here, Brother Colburn, I got
to get out O. here"
mo, you don't, young fellow"
Eyes, dol" Ramsey whispered, pas
sionately. Honest, do. Honest
Brother Colburn, l got to get drink
of water. I got to!" -
mo. You can't"
Honest, Colburn, GOT"
"Hushp'
Ramsey cast his dilating eyes aloni
the rows of faces. Most Of them wert
but as blurs, swimming, yet he wal
aware Che thought) Of formidable
and horrible impassive scrutiny O
himself, glare seeming to pierce
through him to the back Of the bel
round his waist, so that he began Y
have fearful doubts about that belt
about every fastening and adjustment
of his garments, about the expression
Of his countenance, and many othe
things jumbling together In his con
seriousness. Over and over he whis
pered gaspingly to himself the open
Ing words Of the sentence with whicl
senior had advised him to begin nj
argument. And as the moment Of 81
preme agony drew close, this whisper
ing became continuous: I'm maxim
a >-.o.n~oo hofovo <h3c hnnOr