St. Tammany farmer., 1922-02-25
RAMSEY
Milholldnd
by ..-..
Booth Harrington
e
Illustrations by
lrwin Myers
Copyright BY Doubleday. Page & &C

49,
pertinent Qf Dora weren't girD, nor
did the thought enter his mind until an
hour or so later. "Well," he added, Il
suppose there is little more to be
said.'
He was so right, In regard to his OWL
performance, at least, that, thereupon
drying up utterly, he proceeded to
stand a speechless figure in the midst
Of a multitudinous silence, for an eter-
nifty lasting forty-fve seconds. He made
a racking effort, and at the end of this
epoch found words again. I'm making
my argument in this debate, would
state that"
"Two minutes u said the chairman.
"Refutation by the negative. Miss D.
Yocum. Two minutes"
II waive them," said Dora, primly.
~ submit that the affirmative has not
refuted the argument Of the negative" "
every we'll" With his gavel the
chairman sharply tapped the desk be-
fore him. 1.-THE question Is now be-
fore the house. Resolved, that Ger
many is both morally and legally justi-
fed in her invasion of Belgium All
those in favor Of the"
But here there was an interruption
Of a kind never before witnessed dur
ing any proceedings Of the Lumen So
clety. It came from neither Of the de-
baters, who still remained standing at
their desks until the vote settling their
comparative merits In argument
should be taken. The interruption
was from the rear row Of seats along
the wall, where sat new members OF
the society, freshmen not upon the
program Of the evening. A loud nasal
voice was heard from this quarter, a
loud but nasal voice. shrill as we'll as
nasal, and full of a strange hot pas
sion. "Mr. Chairman!" it cried. Look
a-here, Mr.. Chairman! Mr.. Chairman,
I demand to be heard You gotta gim-
me my say, Mr.. Chairman! I'm a.
gunna have my say! You look-a-here,
Mr.. Chairman!
Shocked by such breach Of order,
and by the unseemly violence Of the
speaker, not only the chairman but
everyone else looked there. A short,
strong figure was on it's feet, gesticu-
latng f1ercely; and the head belonging
to it was a large one with too much
curly black hair, fiat swarthy face
shiny and not Immediately shaven !;
there was an impression of ill-chosen
clothes, too much fat red lip, too much
tooth. too much eyeball. Fred Mitchell
recognized this violent interrupter as
one Linski, a fellow freshman who SAT
next him In one of his classes. "What's
that cuss up to?" Fred wondered, and
SO did others. Lnski showed them.
lie pressed forward, showing himself
through the two rows In front of him
till he emerged upon the green carpet
OF the open space, and as he came, he
was cyclonic with words.
"You don't put no such stuff as this
over, l tell you!" he shouted In his
hot, nasal voice. '"This here's a free
country, and you call yourself de-
batting society, do you? Lemme tell
you l belong to debating society in
chicago, where come from, and them
fellas up there they'd think they'd
oughta be shot fer q fake like what
you people are tryin' to put over, here,
tonight. l come down here to git some
more education, and pay fer it, too,
IN good hard money I've made sweatin'
n Ofhf cG
cago; but If this Is the kind of educa-
ton I'm a-gunna git, I better 20 on
back there. You call this square de-
bate, do you2"
He advanced toward the chairman's
platform, shaking frantic fist. "Well,
If you do, you got another think
comm, my capitals frlen'! You went
and give out the question whether it's
right fer Choimuny to go through Bel
GUM; and what do you do fer the
Choimun side? You pick out this here
big stiff"-he waved his passionate
hand at the paralyzed Ramsey-"you
pick out boob like that fer the Cho-
nun side, poor fish that gifts stage
fright so bad he don't know whether
he's talk1n' or dead; or else he fakes
1t; because he's a speaker so bum II
looks more to me like he was taking.
You git this big stiff to fake the Choi-
nun side, and then you 60 and stick
up goll agains' him that's got brains
and makes pactis' argument that
wins the case agains the Cholmuns
like cuttin' through hog lard! But
you amt a-gunna git away with It.
mister. Lemme tell you right here
and now, may be mix blood, but I
got some Choimun In me with the rest
what l got, and before you vote on
this here question you gotta hear q
rev Wolds from somebody that can
talk! This whole war is a capitals
war, Belgium as much as Choimuny,
and the United States Is sellin' it's soul
to the capitals right now. l tell YOU.
takin' sides agains' Choimuny. Orders
fer explosives and ammunition and
guns and Red Cross supplies is comm
into this country by the millions. and
the capitals United States is fat al
ready on the blood of the workers Of
Europe! Yes, 1t is, and Til have nv
say, you boorjaw faker, and you can
hammer your ole gavel to pieces at |
mel" |
lie had begun to shrek; moisture |
fell from his brow and his mouth; the |
society was on It's feet,
Ony,ir