St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1922-04-15
CHAPTER XIV.


ace grew into distinctness. he was In
d,onont with himself for feeling less
md less Indignation toward her In pro-
norton to the closeness Of his ap-
nroach. The pity that came over him
was mingled with an unruly admira-
t,on causing him to wonder what un-
notriotic stuff she could be made Of.
She was marked. but not whipped; she
SIN held herself straight under all the
hammerlng and cutting which, to his
knowledge, she had been getting.
She stopped him, "for only a mo-
mont" she said, adding with wan
nroudness: '"That is, if you're not one
~ those who feel that I shouldn't be
spoken tor
mo" said Fred, stiff1y. Il may
share their point Of view, perhaps, but
don't feel called upon to obtrude 1t
on you in that manner"
" see," she said, nodding. 1--WE
wanted to speak with you about Ram
sey.'
"All right"
She bit her lip, then asked, abrupt
": "What made him do IT."
'Enlist as a private with the regu-
larsf'
mo What made him enlist at ALI"
"Only because he's that Sort" Fred
returned briskly. "He may be mex
plIcable to people who believe that his
going out to fight for his country Is
the same thing as going out to COM
nit. a mur-"
She lifted her hand. Couldn't
you"
Il beg your pardon" Fred said at
once ppm sorry, but don't know just
how to explain him to you"
"Why"
lie laughed, apologetically. "Well,
you see, as l understand 1t, you don't
think it's possible for a person to have
something within him that makes him
care SO much about his country that
he"
"Wait!" she cried. Don't you think
I'm willing to suffer little rather
than to see my country in the wrong?
Don't you think Pm doing it?''
swell, l don't want to be rude; but,
Of course, 1t seems to me that you're
suffering because you think you know
more about what's right and wrong
than anybody else does"
"Oh, no. But l."
I'VE wouldn't get anywhere, prob
ably, BY arguing It," Fred said. You
asked me-"
II asked you to tell me why he en-
listed"
1.-THE trouble Is, don't think can
tell that to anybody who needs an an
swer. He just went. Of course. There
/ Isn't any question about 1t. | always
thought he'd be the first to co."
oh no." she said
"Yes. | always thought sou
4 think you were Mistaken" she
said, decidedly. ut was special req.
son-to make him act so cruelty"
Cruelty" Fred cried.
1T vast"
"Cruelrto whomY'
On, to his mother-to his family.
N TO have him 90 Off that way, without
] q word"
"Oh. no; he'd bee1 home," Fred cor
rected her "He went home the Sntur-
= gay before he enlisted, and settled 1t
with them. They're all broken up, of
course but when they saw he'd made
up ms mind. they quit opposing him.
and ! think they're proud Of him about
y. maybe. In spite Of feeling anxious.
You see, his father VII; M artillery
nun II the Wcr with Spain. and his
grandfather was colonel at the end
+ Of the Civil war, though he went into
! II Us private, like Ramsey. He died
When ramsey was about twelve; but
ramsey remembers him; he was talk
ing Of him little the night before he
enlisted"
Dora made a gesture Of despairing
protest. You don't understand! !"
What Is 1t don't understands
Kamsey! know why he went
ana It's just killing mel"
rred looked at her grayely. II don't
.u!Lk you need worry about it," he
!. salu. There's nothing about his go
Jug mat you are responsible for"
. y, que repeated her despuirIng gesture.
Al lou don't understand. But it's no
use, II doesn't help any to try to talk
y though ! thought maybe it would.
svn'ehow." She went little nearer
4.'.',e oormitory entrance, leaving him
"hcre he was. then turned. II sup
pose you won't see Aim?" &
-, ! don't know. Most probably not
- ~ We mcet-if we should-in France.
!, W know where he's stationed; and
- gong with the aviutlon-if It's
e' ready! And he's with the regu-
h 80 he II probably be among the first
% 50 over"
-, see. She turned sharply away,
..lls back over her shoulder in
nNcu voice. THANK you. Good-byl"
u' ffeds heart had melted; gazing
yer, ne saw that her proud young
Nv aad lowered now, and that her
+, a'oers were moving convulsively
hs. 'ah after her and caught her as she
steps, ' >''> >''' '''''0''
- gee mere" he cried. Don't"
p ''ite' a wet face "Nu. no! He
u bitterness because l told him