Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1922-05-13
CHAPTER lx--contlnued.

|
cts, picked leaf from lilac bush be-
side the path, and put the stem Of the
Leaf seriously into corner of his
mouth, before finding anything to say.
"Well-well, all right he finally re-
sponded. "I'll tell you---if it's any
thing know about"
"You know about It," said Dora.
THAT Is, you certainly do If you were
at your frat meeting last night.
Were your"
Yes, / was there" Ramsey an
swered, wondering what In the world
she wanted to know, though he sup
posed vaguely that 1t must be some
thing about Colburn. whom he had
several times seen walking with her
"Of course l couldn't tell you much,"
he added with an afterthought. "You
see, good deal that goes on at a frat
meeting isn't supposed to be talked
about"
"Yes," she said. smiling family.
though with a satire that missed him.
tive been a member of sorority since
September, and ! think have an Idea
of what could be told or not told.
Suppose we walk on, If you don't mind.
My 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 so 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. IF 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 saying 1t
was your frat that sent the first tele-
gram 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 mes
sage last night. What l 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 sow
"'Afraid soT 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 that?'
"Oh, it's all so shocking and wick
ed and mistaken |" she cried. "Even
the faculty has been doing 1t, and half
the other 'frats' and sorofitles And
1t was yours that started It."
"Yes, we did," he said. thoroughly
puzzled. We're the Oldest frat here,
and Of course"-he chuckled modestly
--''0f course we think we're the best.
Do you mean you believe we ought
to've sat back and let somebody else
start til"
"Oh, moi" she answered, vehementIy.
Nobody ought to have started 1t |
That's the trouble; don't you see2 II
nobody had started 1t none of II might
have happened. The rest mightn't
have caught 1t. II mightn't have got
into their heads A war thought is the
most contagious thought In the world
but II II can be kept from starting, 1t
can be kept from being contagious.
It's Just when people have got into an
emotional state. or state Of sm0ul-
dering rage, that everybody ought to
be SO terribly careful not to think war
thoughts or make war speeches-or
send war kilograms ! thought--oh,
was SO sure I'd convinced Mr. Col
burn of all this, the lact time we
talked Of 1t! He seemed TO under
stand, and was sure he agreed with
me- She bit her lip. "He was only
pretending see that now I"
II guess he must a. been" said
Ramsey. with admirable simplicity. |
HE didn't talk about anything like
that last night. He was as much for
1t as anybody"
ave no doubtl''
Ramsey made bold to look at her |
out Of the side Of his eye, and as she
was gazing tenseiy forward he contin-
ued his observation for some time. She
was obviously controlling agitation, al
most controlling tears, which seemed
to threaten her very wide-open eyes;
for those now fully grown and notice
able eye-winkers Of hers were subject
to fluctuations indicating such a
threat. She looked hurt" and Ram
sey was touched. There was something
human about her, then, after all. And
II he had put his feeling into words at
the moment, he would have said that
he guessed maybe he could stand this
ole girl, for few minutes sometimes
better than he'd always thought he
could.
WELL he said, "Colburn prob1y
wouldn't want to hurt your feelings
o. anything. Colburn--'
''He? He didn't / haven't the
fhintest persona. interest what he
"a l