Vashon Island news-record. [volume] (Vashon, Wash.) 1919-1954, 1922-02-24


his thoughtful steps, which were those
Of one lost IN rcycrIc. lie Ind forgot
ten that gprIngtlmo wAs all about him
and, with his hcnd down, walked nm.
regardful Of the new gnyetIcs flung
forth upon the air by great clusters Of
towering shrubs, Just come into white
blossom and lavender
He was unconscious that somebody
behind hIm going the same way, came
fastening to oycrtnkc him and cnllcd
his name, Ramsey Ramsey MIlhol.
IHndW Not until he had been called
three times did he realize thnt he wns
being hNIlod-and In girls voice
BY that time the gIrl herself was be
side him, and Ramsey halted, quite
tnkcn Nbnck, The girl was Dora Yo.
cum.
She was pale, Il little brenthless,
and her eyes were bright and severe,
~ wnnt to speak to you" she said,
GuicEly. 81 want TO ask you about
something Mr.. Colburn mud Fred
Mitchell are the only people know IN
your frat except you, and | haven't
seen either Of them today or I'd have
asked one Of them"
Most intentionally astonlshcd,
Ramsey took his hands out OF his peck
cts picked n leaf from a lilac bush be-
side the pnth, and put the stem of the
lenf seriously into corner Of his
mouth, before finding anything to say.
"Well-wcIl, all right" he finally re-
spondcd, 'rl tell you--if It's any
thing know about"
"Eou know about It," said Dora
"That Is, you certainly do If you were
at your frat meeting last night.
Were youi"
Eyes, was there" Ramsey an
swercd wondering what IN the world
she wanted to know, though he sup
posed vaguely that II must be some
thing about Colburn, whom he hHl
several times seen walking with ",
"Of course couldn't tell you murh,"
he added with an afterthOught, you
see, Il good deal chat goes on nj n frat
meeting isn't supposed to be talked
about"
Eyes" she said, smiling family.
though with satire that missed him
"rve been member Of q sorority since
September, and think have M idea
OF what could be told or not told
Suppose we walk on II you don't mind
My question needn't embNrrass you"
Nevertheless, ms they slowly went on
together, Ramsey was embarrassed.
lie felt queer" They had known
each other so long; in n 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 over 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 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 SOP
"Afraid SOY what's the matter?'
he asked, and because she seemed eX-
cited and troubled he found himself
not quite so embarrassed rs he had
been at first; for some reason her agi-
tation made him feel easier. "What
was wrong about that?"
ooh, it's all so shocking and wick
ed and mistaken" she cried. Even
the faculty has been doing it, and half
the other 'frats' and sororitics And
it was yours that started It,"
"Yes, we did," he said, thoroughly
puzzled. Were the oldest frat here,
and of course"-he chuckled modcStly
-"of course we think we're the best.
Do you mean you believe we ought
toVe sat back and let somebody else
start it?"
ooh, mol" she answered vehemently.
Nobody ought to have started 1t!
That's the trouble; don't you see? II
nobody had started it none of 1t might
have happened The rest mghtn't
have caught it. It mightn't have got
into their heads. A war thought is the
most contagious thought in the world;
but if 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-
dcring rage, that everybody ought to
be so terribly careful not to think war
thoughts or make war spceches-or
send war kilograms! | thought--oh.
I was so sure I'd convinced Mr.. Col.
burn of all this, the last time we
talked of it, lie seemed to under
stand, and was sure he agreed with
me- She bit her lip, Gle was only