still thoughtful.
And he added: "Graceful girl, she is."

At this, the roommates looked at him with startled attention. Ramsey was
so roused as to forget his troubles and sit forward in his chair.

"Yes," said the musing Colburn, "she's a mighty pretty girl."

"What!"

This exclamation was a simultaneous one; the astounded pair stared at
him in blank incredulity.

"Why, don't you think so?" Colburn mildly inquired. "She seems to me
very unusual looking."

"Well, yes," Fred assented, emphatically. "We're with you there!"

"Extraordinary eyes," continued Colburn. "Lovely figure, too; altogether
a strikingly pretty girl. Handsome, I should say, perhaps. Yes,
'handsome' rather than 'pretty'." He looked up from a brief reverie.
"You fellows known her long?"

"You bet!" said Ramsey.

"She made a splendid impression on the Lumen," Colburn went on. "I don't
remember that I ever saw a first appearance there that quite equalled
it. She'll probably have a brilliant career in the society, and in the
university, too. She must be a very fine sort of person." He deliberated
within himself a few moments longer, then, realizing that his hosts
and Brethren did not respond with any heartiness--or with anything at
all--to the theme, he changed it, and asked them what they thought about
the war in Europe.

They talked of the war rather drowsily for a while; it was an
interesting but not an exciting topic: the thing they spoke of was so
far away. It was in foreign countries where they had never been and
had no acquaintances; and both the cause and the issue seemed to be in
confusion, though evidently Germany had "started" the trouble. Only
one thing emerged as absolutely clear and proved: there could be no
disagreement about Germany's "dirty work," as Fred defined it, in
violating Belgium. And this stirred Ramsey to declare with justice that
"dirty work" had likewise been done upon himself by the official
person, whoever he or she was, who had given him the German side of
the evening's debate. After this moment of fervour, the conversation
languished, and Brother Colburn rose to go.

"Well, I'm glad you gave that Linski a fine little punch, Brother
Milholland," he said, at the door. "It won't do you any harm in the
'frat,' or with the Lumen either. And don't be discouraged about your
debating. You'll learn. Anybody might have got rattled by having to
argue against as clever and good-looking a girl as that!"

The roommates gav