The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1922-03-24

aBut why do you let him taik ~
-.v,r .be cried. "He's your rommste'
mrelv you. have moe innuence wltn
him than anybody else has. cou'on'
you" ,.
he shook his head slowly, while upon
his face the family indicated model-
fnes Of q grin limited OF an lnIel
laughter at some surreptitious thousnt.
.we,l. YOU know, Fred says himseI
sometimes. don't seem to be much OF
q taiker exactlyw
81 know. But don't you see! That
sort Of thing Is contagious. Others wi''
think they ought to 90 If he does; ne :
popular and quite leader. can't you
do anything with him?"
She waited for him to answer.
Cant your she insisted.
The grin had disappeared and Ram
sey grew red again.
s. He seemed to wish to speak 70
heaye with speech that declined to De
spoken and would not rouse up from
his inwards. Finally he uttered ~ords.
T-I-well, +"
"Oh, / know" she said. "A man
or . boy always hates TO be intrud-
ing his own convictions upon other
men, especially in q case Ike tnis.
where he might be afraid OF some
idiots thinking shim unmanlike. But
Ramsey" Suddenly she broke on
and looked at him attentively; his dis
comfort had become SO obvious that
suspicion struck her. She spoke sharp
". Ramsey, you aren't dreaming or
doing such a thing. are you?s
What such 4 thlng?"
Fred hasn't Influenced you, has he!
You aren't planning to 60 with him.
are you?"
"where?"
ITO join the Canadian aviation"
no; hadn't thought of doing IT.
She sighed again. relieved. Il had
queer feeling about you just then
that you were thinking Of doing some
such thing. You looked 80 odd-and
you're always so quiet, anybody might
not really know what to think. But
I'm not wrong about you, am I, Ram
| sey3"
They had come to the foot Of the
steps that led up to the entrance OF
her dormitory, and their walk was at
an end. As they stopped and faced
each other, she looked at him earnest
ly; but he did not meet the scrutiny.
his eyeiids fell.
I'm not wrong. am l, Ramsey"
"AbOut whst?" he murmured, un-
comfortably.
"You are my friend, aren't you?"
"Yes."
'aThen it's all right" she said. "That
relieves me and makes me happier
than l was just now, for Of course II
you're my friend you wouldn't let me
make any mistake about you. be-
lieve you. and now, just before 60
in and we won't see much of each
other for week-if you still want me
to 60 with you again next Sunday"
"Yes-won't you, please?'
Eyes. ii you like. But l want to tell
you now that count on you in all this
even though you don't talk much a.
you say; I count on you more than
do on anybody else, and trust you
when you say you're my friend, and !,
makes me happy.
"And think perhaps you're right
about Fred Mitchell. Talk isn't ev.
erything, nobody knows that better
than l, who talk 80 much and
think that, instead Of talking to Fred
steady, quiet influence like yours
would do more good than any amount
Of arguing. So I trust you, you see
And I'm sorry had that queer doubt
Of you" She held out her hand. "Un
less happen to see you on the campus
for q minute. in the meantime, IT.
goodbye until week from today. 81
well. 50. goodbye until then!"
"Wait," said Ramsey.
"What IL it?'
He made great struggle. "Tm MOI
influencing Fred not to CO." he said
"I-don't want you to trust me to d.
anything like that"
"Whats"
Il think it's all right for him to e,
II he wants to-" Ramsey said, mi.
erably.
"You do? For him to 90 to fight -
He swallowed. "Yes."
"Oh" she cried, turned even redde
than he, and ran up the stone step.
But before the storm doors close
upon her she looked down to where b
stood. with his eyes still lowered,
lonely seeming figure, upon the pave
ment below. Her voice caught upon
sob as she spoke.
IF you feel like that, you might q
well 60 and enlist. yourself" she said