The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1922-05-03
CHAPTER Ix.-continu.d

-11-
Most intentionally aston,sh.,
Ramsey took his hands out Of his n"e,.
IN. picked a leaf from a lilac bnsh ~
AIDE the path. and put the stem ~ ".
,eof seriously into corner n, ~.
mouth. before finding anything to saw '
.Well-well. all right" he fnallv ~
sponded. "Ill tell you'll it's snv.
thing know about"
"You know about It." said noro
~That Is, you certainly do II Won wer.
At your frat meeting last n,sh,
Were your"
ayes. was there" Ramsey an.
swered. wondering what in the world
.he wanted to know though he sun.
posed vaguely that 1t must be some.
thing about Co.burn. whom he had
several times seen walking with her
~Of course ] couldn't tell you much"
No added, with an afterthouyht "yor
.ee. q good deal that goes on at frat,
meeting isn't supposed to be talked
about"
"Yes," she said, smiling family,
though with satire that missed him
eve been . member OF sorority since
September. and think | have an idea
ri what could be told or no, told
Suppose we walk on. II you don't mind
Ny question needn't embarrass you"
Nevertheless. as they slowly went on
together, Ramsey was embarrassed
He felt "queer." They had known
each other so long; in way had
shared 50 much. sitting daily for years
near each other and undergoing the
same outward experiences; they had
almost "grOwn up together" yet this
was the first time they had ever talked
together or walked together.
"Well-" he said III you want TO
ask anything It's all right for me to
tell you-well. just as soon. guess"
at has nothing to do with the secret
proceedings Of your frat" said Dora.
primly. "What | want TO ask about
has been talked Of all over the place
today. Everyone has been saving II,
was your frat that sent the first tele.
sram TO members OF the government
offering support In case Of war with
Germany. They say you didn't even
wait until today. but sent off a mes.
sage last night What wanted to
ask you was whether this story is true
or not?"
"Why. yes" said Ramsey, mildly.
that's what We did"
She uttered an exclamation. a sound
Of grief and OF suspicion confirmed.
"Ah. was afraid So"
"'Afraid SOL What's the matter?'
he asked and because she seemed ex.
cited and troubled. he found himself
not quite so embarrassed as he had
been at first; for some reason her agi
tation made him feel easier. What
was wrong about tha'?"
''Oh. it's all so shocking and wick
ed and mistaken" she cried. Even
the faculty has been doing II. and haiti
the other 'frats' and sor0'ities, And
1t was yours that started IT,"
ayes, We did" he said. thorough!
puzzled. "We're the oldest frat here
and OF course"-he chuckied modestly
-''Of course we think we're the best
DO you mean you believe we oughl
tO've sat hack and lie, somebody else
start itr'
oh ne!" she answered. veaempntly
Nobody ought to have started II
That's the trouble: don't you see: II
nobody had started II meme "f Il might
have happened. The rest mighin,
have caught II. Ii ,nightn't have got
into their heads. A war thought Is the
most Contagious thought In the world
but II Il can he kept from starting. u
can be kept from being contagious
It's just when PEOPLE have SCI INTO III
emOtI",al state. or state 81 siheu'
de1ng rage. that everybody ought Il
he ~ terribly careful H"t {" think wal
thoughts or make war sIeseai~s--'i
send war telegrans! 'housat-'a'
was ~, sure I'd convinced Mr.. Col
burn Of all this, the LIT tine w
talked u II! lie se+,ued Z" a''uer
stand. and WAS sure he agreed VIII
ME-" She bit her lip. "He was ""'!
pretending-I So that now
II guess h. must "a been, SAT-
Ramsey. with admirable sin'p'cA!
~He didn't talk shout anything "A'
that las, night. He wus as muen ~
Il ~ anybaiy."
"rve no Doubt -
Ramsey made hold to i"oS NJ "e
out Of the sid. II his eye. and as $"
was gazing teusely forward ne 'o". ..
ued his observation for some time 81"
was obviously controlling ag'ta'''''' ~
mus, c"mrllinr tears, which see'ne'
to threaten her very wide'open e!ts
Tor those now fully grown ana ''''','
able eye.wlnkcrs Of hers were su''''
to nuSuations Indicating such
threat. She looked hurt. All" Nam
sey wns tonchcd There WAS s'"''" A.,
human abor;lrr. then. after a"' a"
he had pu, his feeling int" worn, -, "
me moment. he would have saw w., 49,,
he guessed m,yhe he could stand III
!. ole girl, for a few minutes s"n''' '"' ),
te"e''er lhnn>he'd always 'h'"s"