St. Tammany farmer., 1922-02-11

"Yow! Ole dirty Yves, he's got per
s'nal appearances! "Who went
and bought it for you, Wes?"
Nobody bought it for him. Dora
Yocum took and give him one !'
"You leave ladies' names alone!'
cried the chivalrous Wesley. "You
ought to know better, on ne public
street, you-pups!"
Here was a serious affront. at least
to Ramsey Milholland's way of think.
ing; for Ramsey, also now proved
sensitive. He quieted his friends
"Shut up !'-and advanced toward
Wesley. you look here! Who you
CALM 'pups'?' 81.
Everybody! !" Wesley hotly re-
| turned. Everybody that goes around
| mentioning ladies' names on the pub
lie streets are pups!'
'They are are they?' Ramsey as
hotly demanded. "Well, you just look
here minute; my own father men
tions my mothers name on the public
streets whenever he wants to, and you
just try callln' my father pup, and
you won't know what happened to
your
"What'll you do about it%'
"Tl put new head on you," said
Ramsey. "That's what I'll do because
anybody that calls my father or moth
er pup"
"Oh, shut up! I wasn't talkin' about
your ole father and mother. l said
everybody that mentioned Dora Yo-
>cum's name on the public streets was
a pup, and mean 1t! Everybody that
mentions Dora Yocum's name on the
pub"
Dora Yocum!" said Ramsey. 'I got
a perfect right to say it anywhere I
want to-. Dora Yocum, Dora Yocum,
Dora Yocum -" .-
"All right then, you're a pup!"
Ramsey charged upon him and re-
ceiyed suffocating blow full in the
face, not from Mr.. Bender's fist but
from the solid bundle of books at the
end of the strap. Ramsey saw eight
or ten objectives instantly: there were
Wesley Benders standing full length in
the air on top Of other Wesley Ben
ders, and more Wesley Benders zig
Jagged out sidewise from still other
Wesley Benders; nevertheless, he
found one of these and 1t proved to be
flesh. He engaged it wildly at fisti-
cuffs; pounded it upon the countenance
and drove it away. Then he sat down
upon the curbstone and, with his dizzy
eyes shut, leaned forward for the bet
ter accommodation Of his ensanguined
nose.
Wesley had retreated to the other
side Of the street, holding a grimy
handkerchief to the midmost parts Of
his pallid face. There, you ole d-n
pup!" he shouted, in a voice which
threatened a sob. II guess that'n
teach you to be careful how you men
tfon Dora Yocums name on the public
streets"
At this, Ramsey made a motion as
If to rise and pursue, whereupon Wes-
ley fled, wailing back over his shoulder
as he ran, you wait till I ketch you
out alone on the public streets and
I'll-"
His voice was lost in an outburst of
hooting from his former friends, who
surrounded the
wounded Ramsey. But in a measure,
at least, the chivalroust fugitive had
won his point. He was routed and
outdone, yet what survived the day
was a rumor, which became sort Of
tenuous legend among those interest
ed. There had been fight over Dora
Yocum, it appeared, and Ramsey Mil
holland had attempted to maintain
derogatory to the lady,
while Wesley defended her as a
youth should.
The boys, unmindful Of proper gal
lantry, supported Ramsey on account
Of the way he had persisted in lickin'
the stuffin' out Of Wesley Bender after
receiving that preliminary wallop from
Wesley's blackjack bundle of books.
The girls petted and championed Wes-
ley; they talked outrageously Of his
conqueror; fiercely declaring that he
ought to be arrested; and for weeks
they maintained a new manner toward
him. They kept their facial express
sions hostile, but perhaps this was
more for one another's benefit than
for Ramsey's; and several of them
went so far out Of their way to find
even private opportunities for reprov-
ing him that an alert observer might
have suspected them to have been less
Indignant than they seemed-but not
Ramsey. He thought they all hated
him, and said he was glad of it.
Dora was non-partisan. The little
orfg was so diligent at her books she
gave never the slightest sign of COM
that there had been n fight
ahout her. Having no real cognizance
# MpssSs. Bender and Mi!holIand e1
eept as impediments to the advance OF
learning she did not even look demtK'e4
CHAPTER w.