“Well, go on,” he said. “Commence!” “Not at all!” Fred returned, amiably. “Fine spring weather to-day. Lovely to see all the flowers and the birds as we go a-strolling by. The little bobolinks--” “You look here! That's the only walk I ever took with her in my life. I mean by--by asking her and her saying she would and so forth. That other time just sort of happened, and you know it. Well, the weather wasn't just the best in the world, maybe, but she's an awful conscientious girl and once she makes an engagement--” “Why, of course,” Fred finished for him, “She'd be too pious to break it just on account of a mere little blizzard or anything. Wonder how the weather will be next Sunday?” “I don't know and I don't care,” said Ramsey. “You don't suppose I asked her to go _again_, do you?” “Why not?” “Well, for one thing, you don't suppose I want her to think I'm a perfect fool, do you?” Fred mused a moment or two, looking at the fire. “What was the lecture?” he asked, mildly. “What lecture?” “She seemed to me to be--” “That wasn't lecturing; she was just--” “Just what?” “Well; she thinks war for the United States is coming closer and closer--” “But it isn't.” “Well, she thinks so, anyhow,” said Ramsey, “and she's all broken up about it. Of course she thinks we oughtn't to fight and she's trying to get everybody else she can to keep working against it. She isn't goin' home again next summer, she's goin' back to that settlement work in Chicago and work there among those people against our goin' to war; and here in college she wants to get everybody she can to talk against it, and--” “What did you say?” Fred asked, and himself supplied the reply: “Nothin'. I started to, but--” Ramsey got up. “Now look here! You know the 'frat' passed a rule that if we broke any more furniture in this house with our scrappin' we'd both be fined the cost of repairs and five dollars apiece. Well, I can afford five dollars this month better than you can, and--” “I take it back!” Fred interposed, hastily. “But you just listen to me; you look out--letting her think you're on her side like that.” “I don't--” “You _don't?_” Ramsey looked dogged. “I'm not goin' around always arguin' about everything when arguin' would just hurt people's feelings about something they're all excited about, and wouldn't do a bit o' good in the world--and you know yourself just _talk_ hardly ever settles anything--so I don't--” “Aha!” Fred cried. “I thought so! Now you listen to me--” “I won't. I--”