The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1922-02-10
CHAPTER IIl.-continued.

j.
I'll B
Here was a serious affronty at least
to Ramsey Milholland's way of think
ing; for, Ramsey, also now proved
sensitive. He quoted his friends
+'Shut up !'-and advanced toward
Wesley. "You look here! Who you
CALM 'pups'?"
Everybody" Wesley holly re-
turned. Everybody chat goes around
mentioning ladies' names on the pub
lie streets are pups!"
"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 a pup, and
you won't know what happened to
you'll"
"What'n you do about itY'
"I'll 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 talkin' about
your ole father and mother. / 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
perfect right to say it anywhere I
want to. Dora Yocum, Dora Yocum,
Dora Yocum!-"
"All right then. you're a pupil"
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 Benders standing full length In
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 it wildly at fisti-
cuffs; pounded it 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 ensanguined
nose. =
Wesley had retreated to the other
I side of the street, holding a grimy
handkerchief to the midmost parts Of
his pallid face. ''There, you ole d-n
pup!" he shouted, in a voice which
threatened sob. II guess that'll
teach you to be careful how you men
tion Dora Yocum's name ON the public
streets!'
At this, Ramsey made motion as
If to rise and pursue, whereupon Wes-
ley fed, wailing back over his shoulder
as he ran, "You wait till I ketch you
out alone on the public streets and
I'LL
His voice was lost in an outburst' of
hooting from his former friends, who
Sympathetically surrounded the
wounded Ramsey. But in a measure,
at least the chivalrous fugitive had
won his point. He was routed and
outdone, yet what survived the day
was rumor, which became a sort of
tenuous legend among those interest
ed. There had been a fight over Dora
Yocum, it appeared, and Ramsey Mil
holland had attempted to maintain
something derogatory to the lady,
while Wesley defended her as
Lniphflu unufh should
The boys, unmindful of proper gal
lantry, supported Ramsey on account
of the way he had persisted in lickin'
the stuffin' 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
conquerbr; fiercely declaring that he
ought TO be arrested; and for weeks
they maintained new manner toward
him. They kept their facial express
sions hostile, but perhaps this was
more flor one another's benefit than
for Rpmsey's; and several of them
went 60 far out of their way to find
even private opportunities for reprov-
ing him that an alert observer might
have suspected them to have been less
indignant than they seemed-but not
Ramsey! He thought they all hated
him, and said he was glad of 1t.
Dora was a non-partisan. The little
prig was 50 diligent at her books she