The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1922-02-17

had become angelic.
He spent the rest of the day daw-
ding helplessly about her; wherever
she went he was near, as near as pos
sible, but of no deliberate volition of
mis- own. Something seemed to tie him
to her, and Milla was nothing 10th.
He seldom looked at her directly, or
for longer than an instant, and more
rarely still did he speak to her except
as a reply. What few remarks he
ventured upon his own initiative near
~ all concerned the landscape, which
he commended repeatedly in weak
voice, as ''kind of pretty" though once
he said he guessed there might be bugs
in the bark Of log on which they sat;
and he became so immoderately per-
sonal as to declare that If the bugs
had to get on anybody he'd rather
they got on him than on Milla. She
said that was "just perfectly lovely"
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 to the rendezvous for a
ceremony preliminary to departure;
the class found itself in a large circle,
standing. and sang 'The Star Spangled
Banner" Ordinarily, on such an open
air and out-of-school occasion, Ramsey
would have joined the chorus uproar-
iously with the utmost blatancy Of
which his vocal apparatus was capa-
BILE; and most of the other boys ex-
pressed their humor by drowning out
the serious efforts of the girls; but
he sang feebly, not much more than
humming through his teeth. Standing
beside Milla, he was incapable of his
former inelegancies and his voice was
in semi-paralyzed condition, like the
rest Of him.
Opposite him, across the circle, Dora
Yocum stood a little in advance of
those near her, for Of course she led
the singing. Her clear and earnest
voice was distinguishable 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
were given for the class, 1.-THE good ole
class of Nineteen Fourteen" the
school, the teachers, and for the pic
mic, thus officially concluded; and then
the picnickers, 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 to
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 at
the school and let us all out there,
and then you could walk home with
me if you felt like it."
t"Well-well, I'd be perfectly will
ing" Ramsey said. "Only I heard we
all had to go back in whatever wagon
we came out in, and / didn't come in
the same one with you, So"
Milla laughed and leaned toward him
a little. Il already tended to that"
she said confidentially. II asked
Johnnie Fiske, that came out in my
wagon, to go back in yours, so that
makes room for you."
"Well-then 1 guess 1 could do it."
He moved toward the wagon with her.
81 expect it don't make much differ
ence one way or the other"
"And you can carry my basket II
you want to-" she said, adding solicit
ously, ''unless it's too heavy when you
already got your guitar case to carry,
Ramsey"
This thoughtfulness of hers almost
overcame him; she seemed divine.
"I-Fll be glad to carry the basket,
Ntoo," he faltered. "It-it 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 up
the improvised steps and found place
where there was room for them both
to sit, Ramsey had another breathless
sensation heretofore unknown to him.
He found himself taken under dove
like protectorship wonderful, mex
pressible Being seemed to have become
his proprietor.
isn't this just perfectly lovelyT
she said cozily, close to his ear.
He swallowed, but found no words.
for he had no thoughts; he was only
an incoherent tumult. This was his
| first love.
isn't it, Ramsey?" she urged. The
coy voice had just the hint of re-
proach. "Don't you think it's just
perfectly lovely, Ramsey?"
"Yes'm."
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