Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1922-05-12
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
she 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
amelioration of DOra's appearance
could be actually proven.
"Well, I'll take it back. I don't
claim she's every last bit as awful
lookin' as she always has been," said
Ramsey, toward the conclusion Of the
argument "I'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
of her underclo'es shown below her
dress any more, about every other day,
and her eyewinkers have got to stick
in out some, and she may not be so
abbasalootly skinny, but she'll hat to
wait q mighty long while before |
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 he 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
sketched to his friend: and yet, so
pungent is the fascination of self-in-
flicted misery, he did look at her, dur
ing periods of study, often for three or
four minutes at q 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
ed 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
they somehow appeared to be the
property of the Teachers Pet. For
Dora held this post in "Declamation"
as we'll as in everything else; here, as
elsewhere, the hateful child'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
next--a CHASTITY contrast. He gave
selection from Shakespeare" assigned
by the teacher; and he began this con-
tinuous misfortune by stumbling vio-
lently as he ascended the platform,
which stimulated general giggle al
,.sndv in being at the mere calling Of
his name All Of the class were bright
'itli happy anticipation. for the poiS-
cradle Ramsey seldom failed their
hopes, particularly in Defamation"
He faced them, his complexion wan,
his expression both baleful and horri-
a I'm n6
voice, from which every hint of intel
ligence was excluded:
Most potent, grave and rev"
The teacher tapped sharply on her
desk, and stopped 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 signers my very nobe and ap-
proved good masters that have tan
away this sole mans dutter it is NOSE
true true I have marry dur the very
headan frun tuv my Tending hath this
extent no more rude am I in speech
in speech-rude am 1 in speech-in
speech-in speech-in speech"
He had stalled Perhaps the fatal
truth of that phrase and some sense
of its applicability to the occasion had
interfered with the mechanism which
he had set in operation TO get rid of
the recitation" for him. AT all events,
the machine had to run off its job all
at once. or it wouldn't run at all. He