The St. Johns herald., 1922-10-05
Copyright by Doubleday. Page & Go
CHAPTER xI.-cOntInued.

CHAPTER XI.-contInued.
 -14-
 'AI right. then" Fred settled him self upon the window seat with pipe, 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-I mean my spine, not yours particular lyl You sit down-I mean anybOdy's spine, doggOne itl" And as Ramsey increased the manifestations of his suspicious, lifting tennis racket over the prOstrate figure, "Oh, murder, !" Fred said, resignedly. "All right, we'll change the subject. That fat little Werder cutie made out a pretty good case for Germany, didn't sheT
 Ramsey disposed himself in an easy chair with bis feet upon the table, and presently chuekled. "You remem- Der the time had the fuss with Wes- ley Bender, back in the ole school days?"
 ''Yep."
 "All the fiubdub this Werder girl got of tonight puts me in mind of the way talked that day. I can remem- Der 1t as well as anythingI Wesley kept yelpin' that whoever mentioned lady's name in a public place was a pup. and of course I didn't want to hit him for that; a boys got a reg'lar instinct for tryin' to make out he's on the right side in 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. So told poor ole Wes that my father spoke my moth- CTS name in a public place whenever he wanted to, and dared him to say my father was a 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 ike 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. '.''
 "Well, you take "a governmental only just some men. the way I 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 its instinct to do it, just the same for a man as 1t is for a boy-or else the principles just the same, or something. Well, anyhow, If you want to know who started a scrap and worked 1t 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 it first, or thought they were, and who hit flrstf When you get the answer to those two questions everythings settled about this being attacked business. As near as l 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, myseIf-all the girls in the coun- try can debate their heads of, they can't change what happened and they can't excuse 1t. either"
 ,,4a,,% A,. Ro1t %1,o& 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, "Well, 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 'pacifst 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. Pm really serious now, and you listen to me. don't think argufy- ing and debating like that little Frau lein Werder's does much harm. She's a right nifty young rOlypoly, by the way, though you didn't notice. of course"
 "Why didn't I3" Ramsey demanded, sharply. "Why didn't noticeF'