Show t THE 3 BROWN MOUSE f I i HERBERT QUICK r Copyright ht by Th The Merrill Bobba-Merrill Dobb Company CHAPTER XII to 10 10 I I At tho the Farmers' Farmers Institute Every Iowa county has Its Farmers Farmers' institute Usually It I Is held In the county seat and Is a gathering g of ot farmers for the purpose of listening io to improving discussions and addresses both instructive and entertaining The Woodruff district was Interested Inthe in inthe inthe the the Institute however because of the I fact that a school rural-school exhibit was one one ne of at its features that year and that Colonel Woodruff had secured an urgent Invitation to the school to take part In It t. t L Such exhibits are now so common that It Is not worth while for us to describe It t but then the sight of a class lass of ot children testing and weighing milk examining grains for viability and foul seeds planning crop rotations rota ota rotations Judging grains and live stock vas ras so new In that county as to be the thereal thereal thereal real sensation of the institute l TWO persons were a good deal embarrassed embarrassed em em- by the success of ofie 1 lie ie e exhibit ex ex- hibit One was the county superintendent superintendent superintendent who was constantly in receipt of t undeserved compliments upon her wisdom In fostering really practical work In the schools The other was Jim IrwIn who was becoming famous and nd who felt he had done nothing to deserve deserre fame tame Professor Withers an extension lecturer from irom An Ames Anies es took Jim to dinner at af the best hotel In the town for the time purpose of talking over cr with ith him the needs of the rural schools j. j Youve got to come do down don n to our farmers' farmers week next year and tell tellus us about bout these things said he to Jim Cant Can't you 7 Jims Jim's brain reeled He go to a gathering gathering gath gath- ering of real educators and tell his crude notions I How Bow could he get the money for tor his expenses But he ire had that gameness which goes with supreme supreme supreme su su- su- su preme preme confidence In the thing dealt wi with tho nil Til come said he I 5 Thank you said the Ames man Theres There's a It small honorarium attached you know Jim was staggered d. d He tr tried ed t to re remember re- re member ember what an honorarium i Is Was he obliged t to pay an honorarium for forthe forthe forthe the chance to speak before the the college g gathering Well hed he'd save mon money y and p pay y It 4 I Ill I'll Ill I'll try to take care of the honorarium honorarium hon hon- said he le Ill I'll come The me professor laughed It was the first st Joke the gangling innovator had hud perpetrated t ed f LIt It wont won't bother you to take care of I It said he but if youre you're not too extravagant extravagant extravagant ex ex- it vill will pay your e expenses and give gl you rou youa a few dollars over J Jim Im breathed more more freely An honorarIum honorarium hon hon- was paid to the person recel receiving lag ing the hop honor or the then What a relief r All AU right he exclaimed Ill be glad to com cornel comer I K Lets consider that settled said the professor And now I must be going back to the opera My t talk on soil sickness comes next I It Itell Itell t tell you the winter wheat crop has been been been- But Jim was not able to think much of f the winter whiter wheat t problem as they went Rent ent back to the auditorium He was worth the appreciation of a college professor trained to to think on the v very ry matters Jim had been so 50 long mulling over in isolation and blindness I Calista SImms thought she saw something shining and saint saint like lIke about the comely face of her her t teacher acher as he lie came to her at l her er post In thc the room room a which the school exhibit was wa held beld p ik I I Io o V VH Vb I b H Come and f tell rell ll Us Ua About Those 1 Calista was as In charge of the little dren whose work was to be demon demon- that day and was In In Ina a a state of j i exaltation to which her starved beIng belag be- be lag Ing 8 had hitherto been a stranger Perhaps Per Per- haps japs there was something similar In her Jr condition of fervent happiness to that of Jim She Shet too was doing something something some some- thing ng outside the sordid life of the Simms as cabin She the yearned over encin child and In her are and would have laave been glad ElaU to die dle for them them and and besides beside shwas vrn Was rat not Newton Bronson in charge o orn of the i C. C corn m exhibit and a member of th the rn orn judging corn team I. I To th time tho i eyes of at the town girls who nho about among the exhibits sh she Was Vas h P PoOrly dressed but If they could have v til that seen the clothes she hc ha had bad l worn on I feu evening f when Jim Irwin first firs hops called um vat at theIr cabin they COUld i pi- iK have ave understood the sense o ot of well being being en-being and happiness In Calista's I SOU soul at the tile feeling of her dress and the he boughten cloak she wore wor wore and and my any of them even WIt without knowledge o of f thIs tills might have understood Calista's Calls Calls- tas ta's Joy at tl the e knowledge that Newton Bronson's eyes were on her from his station by the big pillar Hello CalIsta said Jim How now Howare Howare are you enjo enjoying Ing It Oh said CalIsta and drew a long lo long ong g breath Ahm Aim enjoying rIght Ight much Mr Jim Any of the home folks coming In to 0 see Yes seh answered CalIsta All the he school board have stopped b by this morning Jim looked about him There they were now over In a corner with their he leads heads ds together He went toward them hIs Is face still beaming with that thai radiance radl- radl ance nce which had shone so plainly to the he e eyes es of Calista Simms but they saw aw in It only a grin of exultation over hIs ils defeat of them at the hearing before be- be fore ore Jennie Woodruff When Jim had drawn rawn so close as almost to call for forie forthe forthe the ie extended hand he lie felt the repulsion lepul- lepul ion slon of their attitudes and sheered ot oft off ofton on n some pretended errand to a dart dark corner orner across the room They resumed theIr their talk And as I was sayin went on Bonner Jonner I want to get this gu guy Jim IrwIn An bean bein the cause of his gittin gIttin gIt- gIt tin In the school Id I'd like to be on the board oard to kick Ick him ot off but If you fellers tellers fel- fel lers ers would like to have some one elseI else I wont won't run run and If the right feller I Ina is na named amed ed Ill I'll line up what friends I got gotor for or him You got no friend can git as many Otes as you can cnn said Peterson I tank ank you ou better run What say Ez asked Bonner Suits me al all right said Bronson I 1 guess we we three have had our fight out ut and understand each other I dont don't like the way Colonel Woodruff Wood- Wood rut ruff acts said Bonner H He rounded up p that that gang gang of kids that shot us us all allo to o pi pieces ces at that hearing didn't he I tank not replied Peterson eterson I tank ank he was Interested In how managed It Well said Bonner Donner he seems to take ake a n lot of Interest in this exhibition here lere I think wed we'd better w watch the time colonel That decision of Jennies Jennie's was crooked yell Veil said Haakon Peterson Peterson talk of f crookedness wit Yenne e Woodruff ont dont dont get wery fur wit me me Oh I dont don't mean anything bad Haakon replied d Bonner but It wasn't an nn right all-right decision I think he's hes stuck on the guy The caucus caucus broke up after making sure ure that the three members of tl the e school chool board would be as one man In Ia maintaining a hostile front to Jim IrwIn and his te tenure ure of office It looked rather like a foregone conclusion conclusion conclusion sion In a l little district wherein there w were re scarcely twenty lye ye votes Th The three members members' of tl the f boar boa board d with their immediate immediate frIends frIend's friends and and dependents could muster two two or three ballots aH ts each and and who was there to fo oppose them S CHAPTER XIII The The Colonel Takes the Field Jim stood apart and alone with his thoughts thoughts after his reb rebuff by the time caucusing caucusing cau cau- cusing cuBing members of the school board I L dont don't see said a n voice over oer against the cooking exhibit what there Is In this to set people talking Buttonholes I Cookies Humph It was waS- was was-Mm Mrs Bonder Bonner who had bad clearly come to scoff scot With her lier was Mrs Mrs' Bronson whose attitude was that of ofa a person torn between conflicting g In in- Her IIer husband l had ad Indicated to the crafty cratty Bonner and the subtle Pct Peterson that he was still loyal to the school board but while consorting with the censorious Mrs z Bonner she I evinced restiveness when th the school I and Its work was condemned lI Was not nother nother her ber Newton in n charge of f a a u part of this I show Was he lie not an open and defiant defiant de de- fiant champion of Jim Irwin and a constant and mid enthusiastic attendant upon not only his classes es but a varIety variety variety vari varI- ety of evening and Saturday affairs And had bad not Newton become a better a boy wonderfully better boy Mrs Bronson's heart was filled with could not be res resentment nt Dent that she also enrolled among Jim IrwIns IrwIn's supporters And when Mrs Bonner sneered at the buttonholes and cookies Mrs Bronson knowing how mow the little fingers had bad puzzled nuzzled themselves over o the one and aDd young faces had become floury and red over the other flared hared up a little And t I dont don't see said sh she any anything ny- ny thing to laugh at Id I'd Id like to help them Mrs Bonner was far too good a n diplomat to be cornered in the same enclosure with a rupture of relations And quite right too said she The little things ought ht to be helped at at home and by their mothers I Well VeIl said Mrs l Bronson take them SImms f. j. j now They have ha to have bave help outside their lr home Yes agreed ed Mrs 1 Bonner and a alot alot lot more help than a n hand farm can cru can give em In school I shouldn't wonder If there was a lot Jot we dont don't know about why they come north As for tor that replied Mrs Bronson Bronson Dronson Bron Dron- son I dont don't know as Its It's any of m my behave them- them business so long as ns they selves Again Mrs Bonner felt the time situation situa tion getting g out of hand Aint It some of our business she queried J. J I wonder now I By the way Newtie keeps his eye ee on that Simms girl I shouldn't wonder It If it t might turn out your OUr b business Pshaw I 1 l scoffed Mrs Bronson Puppy love hovel lo I j You cant can't tell how far It'll go persisted per Mrs Bonner I tell you ou these schools are re getting to be nothing more than bees from the time county superintendent down Well maybe said Mrs Bronson but butI I dont don't se see In everything boys bos and girls do 10 as quick as some I wonder said Mrs Bonner if Colonel Woodruff would be as friendly to Jim IrwIn Irvin If he knew that everybody everybody every every- body says Jennie decided decided he was to keep cep his kit because she wants him to get along In the time world so he can marry h her r I dont don't know as she Is so very friendly to him replied Mrs Irs Bron Bron- r 1 i liP 1 I 1 Have Invited Him to rake Make an Address son and Jim and Jennie are both of t tage age you know Yes but how about our schools be bein n ruined b lov affair by a interrogated Interrogated gated Mrs Bonner as they moved away Aint that your business and mine Instead of f desiring further knowledge knowledge knowl knowl- edge of what they were discussing JI Jim felt a dreadful dreadful- disgust at ot the whole thing Jennie was against him he believed and as for her being In Inlove inlove inlove love with him him to to hear these women discuss It was Intolerable He felt his face redden as at the hearing of some horrible Indecency And Alid while he was ragtag raging Inwardly paying the penalty of ot ofa ota a publicity to which he lie was not yet hardened he heard other voices Professor Professor Professor Pro Pro- fessor Withers County Gount Superintendent Jennie and Colonel Woodruff were making an Inspection Of the rural rural- school exhibit I hear he has been having some trouble with his school board the professor profess r was sa saying Yes said Jennie he has pro Proceedings Proceedings Pro Pro- before F FOn me to revoke re his certificate I On what grounds answered Jennie I found that his pupils were really going very ery well In the regular course of of study study- which study which he seems to be neglecting neg neg- Im glad you supported him said the time professor Im Im glad to find you helping him Really neally protested Jennie I dont dent think m myself myself- s 's What do OU ou think of his notions asked the time colonel Very advanced ad replied Professor or Withers Where did he Imbibe them all 1 lIes Hes a Brown n Mouse said sald the col col- col- col onel A phenomenon n In heredity heredity- 11 heredity p per perhaps r. r haps per a genius Ah AhI I see replied the professor a segregation yo you mean Certainly ly s said ld the colonel The he sort of mind that Imbibes things from Itself Well hes he's rather won ful declared declared de de- the professor protessor I had him himm 1 to lunch hinch today He He Ile surprised me I have Invited d him to make an address at Jat Lines Ames mes next winter during farmers farmers' week He Jennies Jennie's s tone showed her astonish astonish- meat ment Jim the underling Jim the t off t ox Jim the thorn In the county superIntendents superIntendent's superintendents superintendent's super super- side Jim the country teacher I It was stupefying x Oh you jou ou mustn't Judge him by his looks said the professor I really do hope hell he'll take some advice on the he matter of ot clothes put clothes put on a cravat and anda a different shirt and collar when he conies comes comes to Ames but Ames but I have no doubt be will wm will He hasn't any other said the co coa onel Well It wont won't signify If It he lie h has s tho the truth to tell tell us us said the time professor proCessor Jennie Has lIns he asked I ITO TO BE CONTINUED |