News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1922-02-01

| N''i NHo"H' ana boys liked
TO be seen with him But one dav
mere was Encouragement of th4
seating in the schooIroom Wesley
Tender was given desk next in front
of bers Yocum's; ana within week
me whole room knew that Wesley had
begun voluntarily to wash his neck
the back of it, anyhow.
This was atathe bottom of the fight
between Ramsey Milholland and Wes-
ley Bender. and the diplomatic ex-
changes Immediately preceding hostili-
ties were charmingly frank and un-
hypocritical, although quite as mixed
up and Off-the-issue as If they had
been prepared by professional foreign
office men. Ramsey and Fred Mitchell
and four other boys waylaid young
Bender on the street after school, in
tending jocosities rather than violence.
but the victim proved sensitive. "You
take your ole hands off o. mel" he
said fiercely, as they began to push
him about among them.
"Ole dirty Wes" they hoarsely bel
lowed and squawked. in their chang
ing voices. WASHES his ears" (.
Washes his neck" Dora Yocum
told his mama to turn the hose on
| him ~
Wesley broke from them and backed
away, swinging his strapped books In
dangerous circle. You keep off I"
he warned them. II got as much
right to my pers'nal appearance as
| anybody"
This richly fed their humor, and
they rioted round him, keeping outside
the swinging books at the end Of the
strap. "Pers'nal appearance
Vow Ole dirty Yves, he's got per-
s'nal appearance" "Who went
and bought it for you, Yves"
Nobody bought it for him. Dora
Yocum took and give him one"
"You leave ladies' names alone!"
cried the chivarous Wesley. "You
ought to know better, on the 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 upland advanced toward
Wesley. "You look here! Who you
calm 'pups'?"
Everybody Wesley holly re-
turned. Everybody that goes around
mentioning ladies' names on the pub
lie streets are pupsv"
"They are, are they?" Ramsey as
holly demanded. "Well, you just look
here a minute; my own father men
tons my mothers name on the public
streets whenever he wants to, and you
just try calm my father pup, and
you won't know what happened to
you ~
"What'll you do about it,"
"Tll 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! | wasn't tallin' about
your ole father and mother. l said
everybody that mentioned Dora YO-
GUMS name on the public streets was
a pup, and mean it Everybody that
mentions Dora Yocum's name on the
pub"
Dora Yocum :" said Ramsey. 81 got
"a perfect right to say it anywhere l
want to. Dora Yocum, Dora Yocum,
Dora Yocum ="
"All right then, you're a pup"
Ramsey charged upon him and re-
ceived a suffocating blow full in the
face. not from Mr.. Benders fist but
from the solid bundle of books at the
end of the strap. Ramsey saw eight
or ten detectives instantly: there were
Wesley BenderS standing full length I'm
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 it proved to be
flesh. He engaged 1t wildly at fisti-
cuffs pounded il upon the countenahce
and drove 1t 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 grlmy
handkerchief to the midmost parts OF
his pallid face. There. you ole d-n
pup" he shouted, in a voice which
threatened sob. 81 guess thatll
teach you to lee careful how you men
tion Dora Nocum's name on the public
streets :"
At this, Ramsey made a motion as
if to rise and pursue. whereupon Yves
ley fled. walling back over his shoulder
as he ran you wait till 1 ketch you
out alone on the public streets and
IN"
His voice was lost in an outburst Of
hooting from his former friends. who
alphabetically surrounded the
wounded Ramsey. But in a measure.
at least, the chivalrous fugitive hat
won his point. He was routed and
0utdone, vet what survived the day