me we talked of it! He seemed to understand, and I
was sure he agreed with me." She bit her lip. "He was only pretending--I
see that now!"

"I 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 it
as anybody."

"I've no doubt!"

Ramsey made bold to look at her out of the side of his eye, and as she
was gazing tensely forward he continued his observation for some time.
She was obviously controlling agitation, almost controlling tears, which
seemed to threaten her very wide-open eyes; for those now fully
grown and noticeable eyewinkers of hers were subject to fluctuations
indicating such a threat. She looked "hurt," and Ramsey was touched;
there was something human about her, then, after all. And if 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 a few minutes sometimes, better
than he'd always thought he could.

"Well," he said, "Colburn prob'ly wouldn't want to hurt your feelings or
anything. Colburn--"

"He? He didn't! I haven't the faintest personal interest in what he
did."

"Oh!" said Ramsey. "Well, excuse me; I thought prob'ly you were sore
because he'd jollied you about this pacifist stuff, and then--"

"No!" she said, sharply. "I'm not thinking of his having agreed with
_me_ and fooling _me_ about it. He just wanted to make a pleasant
impression on a girl, and said anything he thought would please her. I
don't care whether he does things like that or not. What I care about
is that the _principle_ didn't reach him and that he mocked it! I don't
care about a petty treachery to me, personally, but I--"

Fraternal loyalty could not quite brook this. "Brother Colburn is a
perfectly honor'ble man," said Ramsey, solemnly. "He is one of the most
honor'ble men in this--"

"Of course!" she cried. "Oh, can't I make you understand that I'm not
condemning him for a little flattery to me? I don't care two straws
for his showing that _I_ didn't influence him. He doesn't interest me,
please understand."

Ramsey was altogether perplexed. "Well, I don't see what makes you go
for him so hard, then."

"I don't."

"But you said he was treach--"

"I don't _condemn_ him for it," she insisted, despairingly. "Don't you
see the difference? I'm not condemning anybody; I'm only lamenting.

"What about?

"About all of you that want _war_!"

"My golly!" Ramsey