The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1922-06-01


Go and Call on Her."
and too hastily amended his intention.
i never liked any girl enough to 60
and call on her"
Ramsey Mllholland" she cried.
why, when we were in school half
the room used to be talking about how
you and that pretty Mila-"
mo, no. Ramsey protested, again
too hurriedly. Il never called on her.
We just went walking"
A moment later his color suddenly
became fiery. Il don't mean--I mean
- he stammered. ut was walking,
Of course mean we did go out walk
Ing, but 1t wasn't walking like-like
this" He concluded with a fit of
coughing which seemed to rack him.
Dora threw back her head and
laughed delightedly. Don't YOU apollo
gize ~ she said. Il didn't when | said
1t seemed to me that we've gone walk
ing so often, when in reality it's only
four or five times altogether think
can explain, though: l think 1t came
partly from feeling have that can
rely on you-that you're a good, solid,
reliable sort of person. | remember
from the time we were little children.
you always had sort of worried, hon
est look in school. and you used to
make dent in your forehcad-you
meant 1t for a frown-whenever I
caught your eye. You hated me so hon
estly, and you were so honestly afraid
l wouldn't see it"
"Oh. no-nO-"
"Oh, yes-yes" she laughed, then
grew serious. "3ly feeling about you
that you were a person to he relied
on meant think it began that eve.
ming in our freshman year, after the
Lusitania, when l stopped you on the
campus and you went with me, and
couldn't help crping, and you We're SO
nice and quiet. | hardly realized then
that it was the first time we'd ever
really talked together-of course | did
all the talking and yet we'd known
each other so many years. l thought
of 1t afterward But what gave me
such a different view of you I'd al
ways thought you were one of that
truculent sort of boys. always just
bursting for fight; but you showed
me you'd really never had a fight in
your life and hated fighting, and that
you sympathized with my feeling about
war" She stopped speaking to draw
in her breath with a sharp sigh "Ah.
don't you remember what I've told you
all along? How 1t keeps coming
closer and clOser-and now it's almost
here! Isn't it unthinkable? And what
can we do to stop it, we poor few who
feel that we must stop it,
"Wcll-" Ramsey began mcomfort-
ably. "0f course Il"
you can't do much" she said al
know. None Of us can. What can any
little group do? There are so few of
us among the undergraduates-and
only one In the whole faculty. All the
rest are for war. But we mustn't give
up; we must never feel afterward that
we left anything undone; we must
fight to the last breath! I"
'Fight'?" he repeated wonderingly.
then chuckled.
oh as figure of speech" she said
impatiently. "Our language Is full of
barbarlc figures left over from the
dark ages. But, oh, Ramsey !'-shr
touched his sleeve-"Tve heard that
Fred Mitchell is saying that he's going
to Canada after Easter, to try TO get
into the Canadian aviation corps. If
it's true, he's dangerous frebrand,
think. Is ii trueW
~ guess so. He's been talking that
way, some"
But why do you let him talk that
way?" she cried. Hes your roommate;
surely you have more influence with
him than anybody else has, Couldn't
YOU"
He shook his head slowly, while upon
his face the family indicated model
ings of grin limited of an inner
laughter at some surrepttious thought.
well, You know, Fred says himser
sometimes, don't seem TO be much of
a talker exactly"
81 know. But don't you see? That
sort of thing Is contagious. Others VIII
think they ought to 20 If he does; he's
popular and quite leader. Can't you
do anything with himF
She waited for him to answer.
Cant you?" she insisted.
The grin had disappeared and Ram
sey grew red again.
He seemed to wish to speak, to
heaye with speech that declined to be
spoken and would not rouse up from
his inwards. Finally he uttered words.
T-I-well, L"
"Oh. | know" she said. "a man
or a boy always hates to be intrud-
ing his own convictions upon other
men, especially in a case like this,
where he might be afraid of some
Idiots thinking him unmnnlike. But
Ramsey" Suddenly she broke off
and looked at him attentively; his dis