"Ole dirty Wes!" they hoarsely bellowed and squawked, in their changing
voices. "Washes his ears!"... "Washes his _neck!_"... "Dora Yocum told
his mama to turn the hose on him!"... "Yay-ho! Ole dirty Wes tryin to be
a duke!"

Wesley broke from them and backed away, swinging his strapped books in
a dangerous circle. "You keep off!" he warned them. "I got as much right
to my pers'nal appearance as anybody!"

This richly fed their humour, and they rioted round him, keeping outside
the swinging books at the end of the strap. "Pers'nal appearance!"...
"Who went and bought it for you, Wes?"... "Nobody bought it for him.
Dora Yocum took and give him one!"

"You leave ladies' names alone!" cried the chivalrous Wesley. "You ought
to know better, on the public street, you--pups!"

Here was a serious affront, at least to Ramsey Milholland's way
of thinking; for Ramsey, also, now proved sensitive. He quoted his
friends--"Shut up!"--and advanced toward Wesley. "You look here! Who you
callin' 'pups'?"

"Everybody!" Wesley hotly returned. "Everybody that hasn't got any
more decency than to go around mentioning ladies' names on the public
streets. Everybody that goes around mentioning ladies' names on the
public streets are pups!"

"They are, are they?" Ramsey as hotly demanded. "Well, you just look
here a minute; my own father mentions my mother's name on the public