The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1922-03-01

ana fOur otner boys Weyiaiu young
Bender on the street after school, In
tending jocosities rather than Violence.
but the victim proved sensitive. you
take your ole hands on O. mew he
said nercely. as they began to push
him about among them.
~Ole dirty Yves !" they hoarsely bel
lowed and squawked. In their chang
ing voices. "washes his earsi" i.
| "washes his neck " Dora Yocum
told his mama to turn the hose on
himr
Wesley broke from them and backed
away. swinging his strapped books in
a dangerous circle. you keep of !"
he warned them. IT got as much
right to my pers'nal appearance as
anybodyi"
This richly fed their humor, and
they rioted round him. keeping outside
the swinging books at the end Of the
strap. "Pers'nal appearance !" :.
"Yowl Ole dirty Yves, he's got per-
snail appearanceI" "Who went
and bought 1t for yop. wesr :.
Nobody bought II for him. Dora
Yocum took and give him onei"
"You leave ladies' names alone J"
| cried the chivalrous Wesley. "You
ought to know better, on the public
street, you-pupsr
Here was serious affront, at least
TO Ramsey Milho.la1d's way Of think
ing; for Ramsey also now proved
sensitive. He qu!cted his friends
"Shut upland advanced toward
Wesley. "You loo!. herel Who you
calm 'pups'?'
Everybody" Wesley holly re-
turned. Everybody that goes around
mentioning ladies' names on the pub
lie streets are pups"
"They are. are .heyf" Ramsey as
hotly demanded. "Well, you just look
here minute; my own father men
lions my mothers name on the public
streets whenever lie wants to, and you
just try calm my father pup, and
you won't know what happened to
your
"What1l you do about itT'
| IL Dut u utW VI sOut b"'N
Ramsey. That's what I'll do, because
anybody that calls Eiy father or moth
| er a pup"
"Oh, shut up! wasn't talkin' about
your ole father and mother. I 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. II 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.. Bender's fist but
from the solid bundle Of books at the
end Of the strap. Ramsey saw eight
or ten detectives instantly: there were
Wesley Blenders standing full length In
the air on top of other Wesley Ben
ders, and more Wesley Blenders zig
Jagged out sidewise from still other
Wesley Benders; nevertheless, he
found one of these and it proved TO be
flesh. He engaged it wildly at fisti-
cuffs; pounded 1t upon the countenance
and drove it away. Then he sat down
upon the curbstone and, with his dizzy
eyes shut, leaned forward for the bet
ter accommodation of his ensangulned
nose.
Wesley had retreated to the other
side of the street, holding grimy
handkerchief to the midmOst parts of
his pallid face. ''There, you ole d-n
pupw he shouted, in voice which
teach you to be careful how you men,
ton Dora Yocum's name on the public
streets ~
At this, Ramsey made a motion as
If TO rise and pursue, whereupon Wes-
ley fed, wailing back over his shoulder
as he ran. "You wait till l ketch you
out alone on the public streets and
III"
His voice was lost in an Outburst of
hootng from his former friends, who
sympathetically surrounded the
wounded Ramsey. But In a measure,
at least, the chlvalrous fugitive had
won his point. He was routed and
outdone, yet what survived the day
was a rumor, which became a sort of
tenuous legend among those interest
ed There had been fight over Dora
Yocum, II appeared, and Ramsey MIL
holland had attempted to maintain
something derogatory to the lady,
while Wesley defended her as a
knightly youth should.
The boys. unmindful Of proper gal
lantry, supported Ramsey on account
Of the way he had persisted In lickin'
the stufin' out of Wesley Bender after
receiving that preliminary wallop from
Wesley's blackjack bundle Of books.
The girls petted and championed Wes-
ley; they talked outrageously Of his
cOnqueror; fiercely declaring that he
ought to be arrested; and for weeks
they maintained new manner toward