"My name is George
Warner, and I come from Vermont. I began teaching a district school
when I was sixteen years old, and I would be teaching now, if it were
not for the war. My specialty is mathematics. X equals the war,
y equals me and x plus y equals me in the war."
"Your name is Warner and you are from Vermont," said Dick eagerly.
"Why, there was a Warner who struck hard for independence at Bennington
in the Revolution."
"That's my family," replied the youth proudly. "Seth Warner delivered
a mighty blow that helped to form this Union, and although I don't know
much except to teach school I'm going to put in a little one to help
save it. X equalled the occasion, y equalled my willingness to meet it,
and x plus y have brought me here."
Dick told who he and Whitley were, and he felt at once that he and this
long and mathematical Vermont lad were going to be friends. Whitley
also continued to look upon Warner with much favor.
"I respect anybody who can talk in mathematics as you do," he said.
"Now with me I never know what x equals an' I never know what y equals,
so if I was to get x an' y together they might land me about ten
thousand miles from where I wanted to be. But a fellow can bend too
much over books. That's what's the matter with them eyes of yours,
which I notice always have to take two looks where I take only one."
"You are undoubtedly right," replied Warner. "My relatives told me that
I needed some fresh air, and I am taking it, although the process is
attended with certain risks from bullets, swords, bayonets, cannon balls,
and shells.
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