Cheraw chronicle. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1896-2005, 1922-03-09
CHAPTER VII.-Continued.

Concluding his reading, which was
oral, the volatile Mitchell made use
Of his voice in a manner of heatheniSh
boiSterOusness, and presently reclined
upon q lounge to laugh the better. His
stricken comrade, meanwhile, recOv-
cred so far as to pace the floor. I'm
goin' to pack up and light out for
home!" he declared over and over.
And even oftener he read and reread
the card TO make sure Of the actual
ity of that fatal coincidence, I'D. Yo-
cum, '1S,"
"If / could do it." he vociferated,
''If I could stand up there and debate
one O. their darn ole debates in the
first place-if l had the gall to even
try it, why, my gosh! you don't sup
pose I'm goin' to get up there and
argue with that girl, do you? That's
a hot way to get an education: stand
I'D there and argue with girl before
couple O. hundred people! My
gosh"
| "You got to-" his PROSTATE compan-
ION cackled weakly. "You can't get
out of it. You're goner, ole Buddy" J"
"Tll be sick. I'll be sick as dog !!
I'll be sick as the sickest dog that
ever"
mo use, ole man. The frat
seniors'll be on the job. They'll know
whether you're sick or not, and they'll
have you. there, right on the spot to
the minute!"
The prediction was accurate. The
too fatherly frat seniors" did all that
Fred said they would, and more. For
the honor of the frat they coached
the desperate Ramsey In the technic
of Lumen debate, told him many more
things to say than could be said in
six minutes, and produced him, de-
spairing, ghastly and bedewed, In the
large hall of the Lumen society at
eight o'clock on Friday evening.
Four other "twelve-minute debates"
preceded his and the sound of these,
in Ramsey's ears, was the sound of
Gabriel practising on his horn In the
early morning of Judgment day. The
members Of the society sat, three rows
deep, along the walls of the room,
leaving a clear oblong of green car
pet in the center, where were two
small desks, twenty feet apart, the
rostrums of the debaters. Upon a
platform at the head Of the room sat
dreadful seniors, the officers Of the
society, and, upon benches near the
platform. the debaters of the evening
were aligned One Of the fraternal
seniors sat with sweltering Ramsey
and the latter, as his time relentlessly
came nearer, made q last miserable
squirm.
Look here, Brother Colburn, got
TO get out o here"
mo, you don't, young fellow"
"Yes. do" Ramsey whispered, pas,
sionutely. Honest, l do. Honest
Brother Colburn. got to get drink
of water. l got to-" =.
"No. You can't"
Honest. Colburn, / got"
Hush"
Ramsey cast his dilating eyes along
the rows of faces Most of them were
but as blurs. swimming, yet he was
aware (he though) Of formidable
and horrible impassIve scrutiny OF
himself, a glare seeming to pierce
through him to the back of the belt
round his waist, so that he began tC
have fearful doubts about that belt
about every fastening and adjustment
of his garments. about the expression
of his countenance. and many other
things iumbling together In his con
seriousness. Over and over he whis
pere6 gaspingly 10 himself the open
ing words of the sentence with which
senior had advised him 10 begin his
argument. And as the moment of SUI
preme agony drew close, this whisper
ing became continuous: an making
my first appearance before this honor
hle membership | feel constrained t
say in making my first appearance be
fore this hOnur'ble membership | fee
constrained To say in making my first
appearance before this honOr'ble meu
-"
& hal come. The chairman
announced the subject Of the fourth
Dora Yocum, hitherto unperceived by
Ramsey. rose and went forward To one
of the small desks In the open space