Vashon Island news-record. [volume] (Vashon, Wash.) 1919-1954, 1922-02-03

rarely sill lli he speak to her except
as a reply What few remarks he
ventured upon his own initiative near
ly all concerned the landscape, which
he commended repeatedly In weak
voice, MS kind Of pretty" though once
he said he guessed there might be bugs
In the bark of Il log on which they sat !;
and he became so immoderately per
Snnal as to declare that If the bugs
had to get on anybody he'd rather
they got on him than on Milla. She
Of him. asked where he got his sweet
nature, and in other ways encouraged
him to continue the revelation, but
Ramsey was unable to get forward
with it, though he opened and closed
his mouth great many times in the
effort to do So
AT five o'clock everybody was sum
moned again 10 the rendezvous for a
ceremony preliminary to departure;
the class found itself in large circle,
standing and sang The Star Spanglcd
Banner" Ordinarily, on such an open
air and out-ofschool occasion, Ramsey
would have Joined the chorus uprOar-
iously with the utmost blatancy of
which his vocal apparatus was cnpa-
Bile; and most Of the other boys eX-
pressed their humor by drowning out
the serious efforts of the girls but
lie sang fcebiy, not much more than
humning through his teeth. Standing
beside Milla, he was incapable Of his
former inelegancies and his voice was
in a semi-paralyzed condition, like the
rest of him.
Opposite him, across the circle, Dora
locum stood a little in advance Of
those near her, for of course she led
the singing. Her clear and earnest
voice was distinguiSha5le from all
others, and though she did not glance
toward Ramsey he had queer feeling
that she was assuming more superior
ity than ever, and that she was Jelly
scornful Of him and Milla. The old
resentment rose-he'd "show" that girl
yet, some day
When the song was over, cheers
We're given for the class, "the good ole
class of Nineteen Fourteen" the
school, the teachers, and for the pic.
mic, thus officially concluded; and then
the pcnickerS, carrying their baskets
and faded wild flowers and other sou,
venirS and burdens, moved toward the
big express wagons which were TO
take them back into the town Ram.
Sey got his guitar case, and turned IL
Milla.
"Well-g'by."
why, no." said Milla. Anyway,
not yet. You can go back in the same
wagon with me. It's going to stop nj
the school and let us all out there,
and then YOU could walk home with
me if you felt like it,
"Well-well, I'd be perfectly will
Ing" Ramsey said. "Only heard we
all had TO go back in whatever wagon
we came out in, and l didn't come in
the same one with you, So"
Milla laughed an leaned toward him
little. 81 already tended to that
she said confdentially. 81 ASKED
Johnnie Fiske, that came out in d.
wagon, to 20 back in yours, so iEe'
makes room for you"
"Well-then | guess | could do it,
He moved toward the wagon with her
81 expect i don't make much differ
ence one wa! or the othe.."
And you can carry my basket II
/ You want tc," she said, adding solicit.
ously, unless its too heavy when you
already got your guitar case to carry
l,amsey."
THIS thoughtfulness of hers almost
overcane him; she seemed divine.
I'LL be glad to carry the basket
too" he fatered. Tit don't weigh
anything much"
"Well, let's hurry, SOS we can get
places together"
Then, as she unanswered him
| through the little crowd about the
wagon, with soft push this way and
| gentle pull that. and hurried him ur
| The improvised steps and found a place
where there was room for them both
to sit, Ramsey had another breathless
sensation heretofore unknown to him
He found himself taken under a dove
like protectorship; wonderful, mex
preSsible Being seemed TO have become
his proprietor.
isn't this just perfectly loyely?''
she said cozily, close to his ear.
He swallowed, but found no words
for he had no thoughts; he was only
an incoherent tumuIt. This was his
first love.
isn't it, Ramsey?" she urged. The
coy voice had just the hint of n re
proach. Don't you think It's just
perfectly lovely, Ramsey?"
"Yes'm."
ITO be Continued Next Week,