The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1922-05-12
CHAPTER xI.-continued.


and proceeded, There's something
about her, when she stands there, she
stands so straight and knows just what
she's up to, and everything, why,
there's something about her makes the
cold chills go down your spine-l
mean my spine, not yours particular
ly! You sit down. mean anybodys
spine, doggone It'll" And as Ramsey
increased the manifestations of his
suspicious, lifting tennis racket over
the PROSTATE figure, "Oh, murder"
Fred said, resignedly. "All right, we'll
change the subject. That fat little
Werder cutie made out pretty good
case for Germany, didn't she?"
Ramsey disposed himself in an easy
chair with his feet upon the table,
and presently chuckled. "You remem-
Der the time had the fuss with Wes-
ley Bender, back in the ole school
days?"
yep"
"All the f1ubdub this Werder girl got
off tonight puts me in mind of the
way 1 talked that day. can remem-
Der it as well as anything Wesley
kept yelpin' that whoever mentioned
a lady's name in public place was a
pup, and of course didn't want to
hit him for that; boys got a regular
instinct for tryin' to make out he's
on the right side in a scrap, and he'll
always try to do something, or say
something, or he'll get the other boy
to say something, to make it look as
If the other boy was in the wrong and
began the trouble. Sol told poor ole
Yves that my father spoke my moth
ers name in a public place whenever
he wanted to, and l dared him to say
my father was pup. And all so on.
A boy startin' up a scrap, why, half
the time he'll drag in his father and
mother if there's any chance to do it..
He'll fix up some way so he can say,
well, that's just the same as if you
called my father and mother a fool
or something like that. Then, after
ward. he can claim he was scrappin'
because he had to defend his father
and mother, and of course he'll more
than half believe it himself.
swell, you take government-it's
only just some men, the way | see 1t,
and if they're goin' to start some big
trouble like this war, why, of course
they'll play just about that same old
boy trick, because it's instinct to do 1t,
Just the same for man rs it is for a
boy-or else the principles just the
same, or something. Well, anyhow, if
you want to know who started scrap
and worked it up, you got to forget all
the talk there is about it, and all what
each side says, and just look at two
things: Who was fixed for 1t first, or
thought they were, and who hit first?
When you get the answer to those two
questions everything's settled about
this being attacked business. AS near
as 1 can make out, this war began
with Germany and Austria's startin'
to wipe out two little countries; Aus
tria began shootin' up Serbia, and
Germany began shootin' up Belgium.
I don't need to notice any more than
that, myself-a the girls in the coun-
try can debate their heads off, they
can't change what happened and they
can't excuse it, either"
He was silent, appearing to feel that
he had concluded conclusively, and the
young gentleman on the window seat,
after staring at him for several mo-
ments of genuine thoughtfulness, was
gracious enough to observe, swell, old
Ram, you may be little slow in class
but when you think things out with
yourself you do show signs of some
thing pretty near like real horse-sense
sometimes Why don't you ever say
anything like that toto some of
your pacifist friends?"
"What do you mean? Who you
talkin' about? Whose 'pacifist
friends'?"
"See, here" Fred exclaimed, as
Ramsey seemed about to rise. "You
keep sitting just where you are, and
don't look at me out of the side Of
your eye like that-pretendin' you're a
bad horse. I'm really serious now, and
you listen to me. I don't think argufy-
ing and dc ating like that little Frau
lein Wer Is does much harm. She's
a right n y young rolypoly. by the
way, thou h you didn't notice, Of
course"
"Why didn't II" Ramsey demanded,
sharply. "Why didn't I notice?"
"Oh, nothing. But, as was saying
/ don't think that sort Of talk does
much harm: everybody knows it goes
on among the pro-Germans, and it's
all hot air, anyhow. But think Lin
skis sort of talk does do harm, prob'ly
among people that don't know much !;
and, what's more, I think Dora 70.
GUMS does some, too. Well, you hit
Linski in the snoot, so what are you =
Sit still! My lord You don't think
I'm askin' you to go and hit Dora. do
you? / mean: Aren't you ever goin'
to talk to her about it and tell her
what's what?"
"Oh, you go to bed !"
mo, I'm in earnest" Fred urged.
Honestly, aren't you ever goin' tor"
"How could 1 do anything like that?"