Arthur Somers Roche

“ A boy in love may be deaf to whispers; he cannot be deaf to shrieks that split the atmosphere. At recess time Roddy emerged from the school house to find awaiting him a group of children. In the van were Eloise and his sister, Angela. Eloise had pulled her scant skirts about her in imitation of the lady of that period. Before her, in an attitude that proved that Eloise was not the only potential emotional actress of the neighborhood, stood Angela.
"Miss Tennant, I ado-ah you-ah," shrieked Angela.
Eloise extended a kindly hand and patted the smaller girl upon the head. ”

“ Because there are certain rudenesses one can't be guilty of to a girl, one must suffer. Impotent, choking, fiery red. he stared at the giggling group.
"Spare me!" cried Eloise. Once again she faced him with her arms spread. A group of women came around the corner; they stopped and burst into laughter at the scene of burlesque emotion which met their eyes. Roddy looked at them; if there had been real enemies lurking in a real ravine he would have leaped upon their bayonets with joy. For these ladles were teachers in the school which he and the girls attended. ”

“ Mildred Tennant's casual manner had been impressive. She had not seemed to note that Eloise was making fun of Roddy. Eloise somehow felt that she was the absurd one, not Roddy. The girls "moved on."
He waited until the girls were out of sight. He even went half-heartedly through the pretense of leading a charge against the hidden rebels in the mythical ravine. But the fire had gone from his play. He knew that he was too old for this sort of thing. Only an extreme pride enabled him to continue even for a moment. A boy must save his face, even to himself. in such ways we save our souls. ”

“ That love could ever touch, so hardy a person as himself had never entered his thoughts. Now, suddenly, he knew that there existed a Roderick Dory with whom he had held no previous acquaintance. Burning blushes suffused his cheeks as he contemplated this alien who was himself. ”

“ What a chamber of torment his classroom would be converted into if these ladies, if Miss Tennant especially, chose! Now Mildred Tennant had a little brother of her own. She was one of those rare adults who understand how soul crushing are the humiliations of childhood. She forced back her own mirth.
"Why, Roddy, what a wonderful uniform!" She turned to the other teachers. "I think that when our country is at war, it is glorious to know that even our young boys think of themselves as soldiers and are prepared to fight for their flag." She turned to Eloise. "Playing actress?" ”