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Show THE UINTAH BASIN FARMER J BROWN MOUSE By HERBERT QUICK Miiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiimm? (Copyright by The Bobbs-Merri- ! Company) ll Continued. CHAPTER X 9 The disgraceful Incompetency I word, representing everything he had Always despised, rang through Jims mind a 9 lie walked home. He could think oj nothing else as he sat at the simple jupper which he could scarcelie was inly tasfc . Incompetent competent. He picked up a pen, and To the began writing. He wrote, Honorable the Board of Education of the Independent District of And lie heard a tap at the door. His mother admitted Colonel Woodruff. "Good evening, Colonel, said Jim. Take a chair, won't you? I No, replied the colonel. and see if you the boys thought Id at the schoolhouse cant tell me something about the smut in my wheat. I heard you were going to work on that tonight. I had forgotten ! said Jim. I wondered if you hadnt, said the colonel, and so I came by for you. I was waiting up the road. Come on, and ride up with me. The colonel had always been friendly, but there was a new note In his manner tonight. He was almost deferential. He worked with the class on the problem of smut. He offered to aid the boys in every possible way in their campaign against scab In potatoes. He suggested some tests which would show the real value of the treatment. The boys were in a glow of pride at this with Colonel Woodruff. This was real work I Jim and the colonel went away together. It had been a great girls the wonders of the universe which are touched by the work on the farm. He hoped to make good and contented farmers of them, able to get the most out of the soil, to sell what they produced to the best advantage, and at the same time to keep up the feifility of the soil itself. And he hoped to teach the girls in such a way that they would be good and contented farmers wives. An I say, Interposed Con Bonner, that we can rest our case right here. If that aint the limit, I dont know what Is Jennie turned to Jim. Now, Mr. Irwin, said she, while you have been following out these very interesting and original methods, what have you done In the way of teaching the things called for by the course of study? Tin willing, said Jim, to stand or fall on an examination of these children In the very textbooks we are accused of neglecting. Jennie looked steadily at Jim for a full minute. How many pupils of the Woodruff school are here? she asked. All rise, please! A mass of the audience, In the midst of which sat Jennies father, rose at the request. Why, said Jennie, I should say we had a quorum, anyhow! Well rn Mrs. u it xtt MtSt." vve dont mtl wont: out c ' mm - Ilaaleon children MICKIE, THE PRINTERS DEVIL Just Plain Foolishness . brought Suppose we up to be yust fanners. move to town where does the culture I County Superintendent, " Should Say get down among the people. Its the What for? only way I have of getting the truth. Oh, nothing just to please me. She descended from the bench, . . . And say, Jim, I glanced over a shook hands with everybody near her, communication you have started to and sat down by the attorneys table. the more or less Honorable Board of Now, said she, this is no formal Education. proceeding and we will dispense with Yes? red tape. If we dont, I shall get all Well, dont finish It. . . . And tangled up in It. Wheres Mr. Irwin? say, Jim, I think Ill give myself the Please come in here, Jim. Now, I reformer know theres some feeling In these luxury of being a wild-eye- d for once. things there always seems to tie; Yes, said Jim, dazed. but I have none. So Ill just hear And if you think, Jim, that youve why Mr. Br.onson, Mr. Peterson- and got no friends, just remember that Im Mr. Bonner think that Mr. James E. for you. Irwin isnt competent to hold a certifiThank you, Colonel. cate. And well show them theyre In a Jennie was able to smile at them horse race. and everybody felt more at ease, now, I dont see . . said Jim. save Jim Irwin, t lie members of the Youre not supposed to see, said board 'and Wilbur Smytlie. That inthe colonel, hut you cun bet that dividual arose, and talked down at well Le with them at the finish ; and, Jennie. by thunder! while theyre getting a I for the proponents here, full meal, weli got at least a lunch. said appear lie, and I desire to suggest cerSee? tain principles of procedure which I "But Jennie says, began Jim. it belong indisputably to tlie conDon't tell me what she says, said take of this hearing. She's acting according duct the colonel. Have you a lawyer? asked tlie to her judgment, and lief lights and superintendent of the respondother organs of perception, and I county ent. dont think it f It t In that her father Jim. Noexclaimed A what? should try to influence her official a lias here lawyer! cnndu! I. But jou go on and review body Well, what do you call Wilbur them common brunches, and keep queried Newton Bronson your nerve. I havent felt so much Smythe? of the crowd. midst the from like a s raj since the day we stormed enough to hurt! lie aint lawyer I kinder like beI,ookont mountain. which the dramatists the said thing ing u wild eyed reformer, Jim. call A Voice. There was a little tempest of laughCHAPTER XI ter at Wilbur Smytlies expense, come in? Madame h. - e a Balance ! said the colonel, x Its Hard to Strike creamery. her parents infancy. May it please the court, said Wilbur Smythe, standing before the bar. Or, Madame County Superintendent, I should say . . . A titter ran through the room, and a flush of temper tinted Jennies face. They were laughing at her! She wouldnt be a spectacle any longer! So she rose, and handed down her first and last decision from the bench a rather good one, I think. Mr. Smythe, said she, I feel very ill at ease up here, and Im going to Fame or Notoriety. The office of county superintendent wo-- , as a matter of course, the least desirable loom of the courthouse. She anticipated nothPoor Jennie! ing more than the appearance of Messrs. Bronson, Peterson and Bonner in her olliee to confront Jim Irwin. the crowd In But at nine fifty-siJennies olliee exceeded its seating capacity, and Jennie was In a flutter as the realization dawned upon her that this promised to le a bigger and more puhlle affair thun she had anticipated. At nine fifty-ninRaymond Simms office door and there tiled the opened In enough children, large and small, to fill the room. In uddition there remained an overflow meeting in the hall, under the command of that distinguished military gentleman, ColoneJ Albert Woodruff. ' said the Say, Bill, come here, colonel, crooking his finger at the deputy sheriff. "What you got here, All said Bill, Aint "otnint' up the stairs, puffing. When lie hoped to open to the boys and hWspeU know it t u s teento vpo life. tlona worlc, reiatftJ Well. said the colonel, "It I were you, Id put them over a rapid review of the textbooks for a few days say between now and the twenty-fift- OUR COMIC SECTION privileges. He had used up a great deal of time io studying farm conditions. He had induced the boys to test the cows of the district for butterfat yield. He was studying the matter of a 1 ! evening. Jim, ference of the principals grouped about Jennie at the big lawyers table. They were talking about the methods adopted by Jim In his conduct of the Woodruff school just talking. The only new thing was the presence of a couple of newspaper men, who had queried Chicago papers on the story, and been given orders for a certain number of words on the case of the farm-han- d schoolmaster on trial before his old sweetheart. By the time at which gathering darkness made it necessary for the bailiff to light the lamps, the parties had agreed on the facts. Jim admitted most of the allegations. He had practically Ignored the textbooks. He had burned the district fuel and worn out the district furniture early and late, and on Saturdays. He had introduced domestic economy and manual training, to some extent, by sending the boys to the workshops and the girls to the kitchens and sewing-room- s of the farmers who allowed those It a little early for Sunday school picnics? This is a school, fight In our disIts Jennies trict, said the colonel. baptism of fire, I reckon . . . and say, youre not using the courtroom, are you? Nope, said Bill. Well, why not Just slip around, then," said the colonel, and tell Jennie shed better adjourn to the big room. Which suggestion was acted upon instanter by Deputy Bill. But I cant, I cant, said Jennie I to the courteous deputy sheriff. and I dont want all this , publicity, dont want to go into the courtroom. I hardly see, said Deputy Bill, how you can avoid it. These people seem to have business with you, and they cant get Into your office. All right, all Jennie quailed. But, shall I have right ! said she. to sit on the bench You will find it by far the most convenient place, said Deputy Bill. Was this the life to which public office had brought her? She was on the perched judicial bench, which Bill had dusted off for her, Deputy tipping a wink to the assemblage To while dAing It. And that crowd Jennie it was appalling. The school board under the lead of Wilbur Smythe took seats Inside the railing. Jim Irwin, who had never been In a courtroom before, herded with the crowd. She couldnt call the gathering to She had no idea as to the order. proper procedure. She sat there while the people gathered, stood about whispering and talking under their breaths, and finally became silent, all their eyes fixed o'n her, as she wished that the office of county superintendent had been abolished in the days of aimimiiiimiiinmniimmnmmimiMU: The Chicago papers had a news item which covered the result of the ex- aminations; but the great sensation of the Woodruff district lay In the Sunday feature carried by one of them. It had a picture of Jim Irwin, and one of Jennie Woodruff the latter authentic, and the former gleaned from the morgue, and apparently the porThere was trait of a lumber-jack- . also a very free treatment by the cartoonist of Mr. Simms carrying a rifle with the Intention of shooting up the school board in case the decision went against the schoolmaster. When it became known, said the news stflry, that the schoolmaster had bet his job on the proficiency of his school in studies supposed and alleged to have been studiously neglected, the excitement rose to fever heat. Local sports bet freely on the result, the odds being eight to five on General Proficiency against tlie field. The field was Jim Irwin and bis school. And the way those rural kids rose in their might and ate up tlie textbooks was simply scandalous. When the fight was over, and tlie dead and wounded cared for, tlie school board and the county superintendent were forced to admit that they wished the average school could do as well under a similar test. The local Mr. Dooley is Cornelius Bonner, a member of the board. When asked for a statement of his viewTs after tlie county superintendent had decided that her old sweetheart was to be allow'ed tlie priceless boon of earning forty dollars a month during the remainder of his contract, Mr. Bonner which was quelled by Jennies rapping on the table. She was beginning to feel the mouth of the situation. There is nothing In the school laws, as I remember them, said Jen ni'e, giving the parties any right to You may lie represented by counsel. advise your clients all you please, but I'm not going to waste time in listen ing to speeches, or having a lot of lawyers examine witnesses. I protest," said Mr. Smythe. Well, you may file your protest In Im going to writing, said Jennie. talk this matter over with these old friends and neighbors of mine, dont want you dipping into it, I say! Jennies voice was rising toward and Mr. Smythe recthe scream-line- , hand of fate. There was ognized the a little wrangling, and a little protest from Con Bonner, but Jennie ruled with a rod o Iron, and adhered to her ruling. When the hearing was resumed after the noon recess, the crowd was larger than ever, but the proceedings consisted mainly In a con- - said, Aside from being licked, were all right. But well get this guy yet, dont fall down and fergit that The examinations tind to show, said Mr. Bonner, when asked for his opinion on the result, that in to larn anything you sliud shtudy somethin ilse. But well git this guy or-r-rd- er yit ! said Colonel Woodruff, as Jim, they rode homo together, Im just beginning to understand what youre driving at. And I like being a wild-eyereformer more and more. (TO BE CONTINUED.) d Voracious Japanese Beetle. The Japanese beetle attacks 200 species of plants. Including of the cultivated fruit trees, beans and various shade an'J mental trees. over most corn, orna- Mind Your Own Affairs. Dont let the opinion of your neigh- bor be your law in tlie treatment of your husband and the management ol your house. COURSE A FELLOW CAN GET AWAY WITH WEARING 5ECAUSE NOBODY GEES IT BUT RAGGED UNDERWEAR LAUNDRESS , BUT IF MORE PEOPLE REALIZED GOOD GOSSIP ERS LAUNDRESSES ARE THEY'D OF VTHE an' Suppose i was in an explosion or somethin And Somebody found my body with buttons I'D BE OFF AND HOLES IN MY SOCKS , SAY ASHAMED |