Show the he Brown Mouse CHAPTER XII XI- XI i I 1 15 15 f j i jA iA A School District Held Up fl one Woodruff was on his feet as asade ode ade his way through the crowd t tithe the door u Ir Irwin Is here ladles and gen gen- 5 said he and I move that we from him as to what we can cnn do dot jet t the offer otTer of ot our friends In Pot Pot- omle county but before I yield Of I want to say that this ng g has been worth while Just ve ye been the occasion of ot our all nIl ing lag better acquainted with our rand fand neighbor Mr SImms What What- nay ay have been the lack lac of under under- J lag Ing g on our part of his qualities ere all cleared up by that speech 1 y I the e best I have ever heard in Ire re applause In the midst of Old Man Simms slunk away I In his seat to escape Then the chairman said that If was no objection they would i from their well known citizen I growing fame was more re re- ble for the fact that It had been beena as a country schoolmaster schoolmaster-he he ot of add that he referred to Mr D. D Irwin More and louder ape ap- ap e lends ends and neighbors said Jim lask ask me to say to you what I want wanto o do I want you to do what you lio to do nothing do-nothing nothing more or less Jear year I was glad to be tolerated and nd the only change In the situ situ- i Ulles I i ilex es In the Ule fact that I have anI an an- t place o me unless me-unless unless there teen feen a n charge change In your feelings tome tome to to- me e and m my work I hope there teen een for I know my work Is good t I only believed It then ire re re It Is I scouted Con Bonner Ir Y front seat thus signalizing j stute s definite choice I ice In the ban wagon Tell TeU us ou wan want Jim bat ib t do 1 want want asked Jim Ca than han anything else I want such cogs as this and this often and a place i j them If It I stay i lu in the Wood Wood- District strict I want this meeting to toa a permanent organisation to with me I cant can't teach tench this dig dig- 1 I Nobody can teach te ch any I thIng All any teacher can cnn do til peoples people's activities in teach teach- l You are arc gathered here 1 clde ide de what you'll do about the matter of keeping me at wort worl as lied aired red man Wj tTY tf tn to Vt n be A W TT our Vl hired I T l noon v O r T I Ti n r t y man wa n I It do the shape O of a civic i ra t Ich will take In every man and andin in the district Heres Here's the nd now's the time to make that station an an an organization the ob ob- 4 which shall be to put the whole fit at school and to boss me In rk for the whole district wounds good cried H Haakon akon 1 on Vell Yell do dat I 1 e m n I want you to work out a dg g scheme for the school Jim n We want a place where 1 n learn to cook keep house ra of babies sew v and learn wives and mothers Theres There's y right In this neighborhood pea pea-at jach an anything the ilie young oung peo- peo nt to learn I want a physician here on once ce cele le to examine the Ole children as fi r f health and a dentist to look lob I teeth and teach them how h for them Also an oculist to tol toI l I bj e a their e eyes es And when Bettina comes home from the hospital 1 ed nurse I want her to have a visiting I nurse right here In the District i JO l' l ant t a room counting-room for the theof theof f tot of the farm accounts and the theo of o our observation atlon In farming operation co-operation in letting us have llave t t Mint l ant t some manual training equip equip- or r working wood and metal i and a blacksmith and wagon Q of n which the boys may learn to repair tools design build build- T-ld T d practice the best agricultural ring tr ring I 1 want to do work In rt 6 r according to the most modern i discoveries and I want your 4 station on in that and und a poultry I f. f t in the district ant ant tant nt a n laboratory In which weon we weon irk on seeds pests soils feeds like For the education of ot lidren fu must come out of these i nt these things because they e essary ary If we are to get the cult cul cul- It t of life we should get get and i gets culture out of ot any sort of ot I j they get It out of ot life Ufe or the they I I t It at all g want you ou to build as freely treely school as for or your our cattle cuttle and end and hogs school ChOOl will make for tor you you this this i d of rural school school school-a a social life II Ill be the social center beJ be- be Awill will 1 be the educational center Jwill J b siness center of ot the coun- coun I w p nt t all these things and more ont lont t expect them all at once that this district is too small all of them and therefore I 1 I bigger Digger district one district one that will the financial strength to carry I Program I have sketched This a presumptuous thing for me lose se If you think so let me you dont don't please keep this IIa together In a It permanent orAn orp or- or p An of ot grownup members of ot the J chool and by pulling toS to- to S can do these things things all all of ot d many more more and and you'll he Woodruff District a good goodlive tb live In and die in and n-and and I shall shallIn i. i d to live ve and die In it at your youri i ac 4 By HERBERT QUICK DICK Copyright by br The Merrill Bobbe-Merrill Bobba- Bobba service as the neighborhoods neighborhood's hired man I As Jim Jimm sat down there was a hush hushIn In the crowded room as If the people were dazed at his assurance There was no applause until Jennie Woodruff Woodruff Wood Wood- ruff now seen by Jim for the first time over oyer next the blackboard clapped her gloved hands together and started it then It swept out through the windows windows win win- dows in a storm The dust rose from stamping tees teel until the kerosene lamps were dimmed by It IL And as the noise subsided Jim saw standing out In front the stooped form of B. B B B. B Hamm one of the most prosperous men in the district Mr Chairman Ezra Chairman Ezra Bronson he roared this fellers feller's crazy an from the sound of things youre you're all as crazy as he is If this fool scheme of his goes through my farms farm's for tor sale Ill I'll quit before Im I'm sold out for taxes Just a minute B. B B. B Interposed Colonel Woodruff This TIlls aint as dangerous as you think You dont don't want us to do all this In fifteen minutes minutes min min- utes do you Jim Oh as to that replied Jim I 1 Just wanted you ou to have In your minds what I have in m my mind mind and and unless w we can agree to work toward these things theres there's no use In my staying But time time time-that's that's another matter Believe Believe Belleve Be Be- lieve with me and Ill I'll work with you Get out of here said the colonel to o Jim In an undertone and leave leave- the rest to your friends Jim walked out of uie we room and took the way toward his home A horse tied to the pole hitching had his blanket under foot and Jim replaced It t on his back patting him kindly and talking horse language to him Then he went up and down the line Une of teams eams readjusting blankets tying loosened knots and assuring himself that his neighbors' neighbors horses were securely securely se se- se- se tied and comfortable He knew horses better than he knew people he thought If he could manage people as he could manage horses horses but but that would be wrong Horse management was despotism man-government man must be like the government of a society of ot wild horses borses the result of the common work of the members of the herd Two figures emerged from the schoolhouse door and as he turned toward toward to to- toward ward his home after his pastoral calls I r y I i 1 r l Tell Us What You Want Jim on the horses they overtook him They were the figures of ot Newton Bronson Bronson Bron Bron- son and the county superintendent of ot schools Dad wants you OU back there again said Newton What for Inquired Jim You silly boy said Jennie you you talked about the good of the schools all nIl of the time and never said a word about your own salary What do you OU want They The want to know Oh I Jim In the manner of ot one who suddenly remembers that he has forgotten his umbrella or his pocket knife I ul forgot ill H fl about it I haven't thought about t at at all aU Jennie 1 I Jim said she you reed beed a n I UI know it Jennie said he ua a aad d I know who I want I want want want- Please come back said Jenni Jenn and anel tell papa how much youre you're 1 to hold told the district up for I You run back said Jim to Newton Newton New New- ton and tell ten your father that whatever whatever what what- ever Is 15 right In the way of salary will willbe willbe be satisfactory to me I leave that to the people Newton darted off leaving lea the schoolmaster standing In the road with the count county superintendent I UI cant can't go back there said JimIm JimIm Jim Im proud of or you OU Jim said Jennie This community has found Its mas mas- ter They cant can't do all you OU ask now nor ver very verj soon but finally they'll thell do just as ns you want them Olem to do And Jim I want to say that Ive I've been the biggest little fool In the county 1 CHAPTER Theory and Practice Superintendent Jennie sat at nt her desk In no very satisfactory actor frame of ot mind In the first place the court was to convene on the following londa l Monday so that her OD room one room office was not to tobe tobe tobe be hers for a few days das To Wilbur WlIbur Smythe who did her the honor of calling callIng call call- Ing occasionally she lemarl remarked ed that If they didn't soon Boon build the new courthouse so as os to give her such accommodations accommodations ac nc- as her office really needed they might take tute their old office so ounce so there I o Fair woman woman said sald Wilbur as h ht creased his Prince Albert In a parting bow should adorn the ilie home I Bosh I 1 sneered Jennie rather rother pleased all the same suppose she isn't fair and hasn't any ony homo home I This question of adorning a home was no nearer settlement with Jennie than It had ever been though Increasingly increasingly In in- a matter of ot speculation I. I There were two or three men men rather rather I good catches too who too who If It they were encouraged but encouraged but what was there to any of them This is what wha t Jennie asked her weight paper as she placed it on a pile of unfinished d examination papers And the weight paper echoed not a thing out of the ordinary I And then said Jennie Well Vell you little simpleton who and what are you so out of the ordinary that you should sneer at Wilbur Wllbur Smythe and Beckman Fifield and such men And echo answered answered an nn and What What and then the mall mail carrier currIer came In Down near the bottom of ot the pile she found this letter signed by a southern state stute superintendent of ot schools but dated at Missouri MIssourI Missouri Mis MIs- I UI am a member of ot a party of southern southern south south- ern educators state educators state superintendents In the main main main-en en tour of the country to see what we can cnn find of an Instructive Instructive tive nature In rural school work Professor Withers of ot Ames suggests that we visit your schools and especially especial especial- ly the rural school taught by a young man named IrwIn and I wonder If It you will be free on next Monday mewing If we come to your office to direct us to the place If It you could accompany us UR on the trip and perhaps show us some of ot your other excellent schools we should be honored and pleased And then Ulen came the Ole shock shock shock-a a party of state officials were coming Into the county to study Jim IrwIns IrwIn's school The They would never come to study Wilbur Wilbur Wil Wil- bur Smythes Smythe's law practice practice never never Inthe in inthe inthe the world world world-or or her work as county comity superintendent superintendent never never I and I-and and Jim was getting seventy-five seventy dollars a month and had a mother to support But there could be no doubt that there was something to Jim the JIm the man was out of the ordinary And wasn't that Just what wha t she had bad been looking for In her mind Jennie wired to her so southerner for forthe forthe forthe the number of his party and secured d automobiles for the trip She sent a note to Jim Irwin telling of the Ule prospective e visitation She w would uld show all concerned that she could do some things an anyhow how and she would send these people on with a good impression sion f nf of her Yi n at count s sim t I im r UH 3 She was glad of the automobiles the next Monday morning when at nine- nine thirty the train discharged upon her hera a dozen very alert very ery up date ver very Inquisitive southerners male and female most of whom seemed to have left eft their rs urs In the gulf region It was eleven when the party parked their machines before the schoolhouse I I door I There are visitors here before us said Jennie Seems rather like an educational shrine said Doctor of Mississippi How does he accommodate accommodate date so many visitors in that small edifice I am not aware said Jennie that he has been In the habit of receiving receIving receiving re re- so very many from outside tho the district Well Vell shall we go In Once Inside Jennie felt a n queer return return return re re- re- re turn of her old aversion erslon to JIms JIm's methods the methods the aversion which had caused her to criticize him so sharply on the occasion of her first visit The reason for the return of the feeling lay in the fact that the work going on was the same Bame sort but of ot a more Intense in intense In In- tense character It was so utterly unlike unlike un un- lIl like e a n school as ns Jennie understood the word that she glanced back at the group roup of educators with a little blush The school was In a sort of ot uproar Not ot that uproar of ot boredom and ml mischief mis chief of ot which most of us have lar memories but a sort of ot eager uproar up UJ roar In which every child was Intensely intensely In tensely Interested In the same thing and did little rustling things because of ot this Interest something like the hum at a football game or a dog dog- fight On one side of the desk stood Jim IrwIn and facing him was a smooth stranger of the old fashioned lightning lightning- r agent rid t type the type the shallower and laxer lax lax- or r Tort port of ot salesman of the kind whose tole business Is to get signatures on ont t tic dotted line and let some one else do de the rest In short he was a closer claret St back of him In evident distress distress distress dis dis- tress As s Mr Cornelius Bonner and group grouped about were Columbus Brown B B. B B. B Ezra Bronson A A. A B B. B Talcott aid nd two or three others from outside the Woodruff district With envelopes elope in their hands and me the light of ot battle rn m their e eyes es stood Newton Bronson Raymond Simms Bettina Hansen Mary Smith and Angle Angie Talcott Talcott Tal Tal- cott the boys bos filled with delight the girls rather frightened at being engaged engaged en en- In something like a n d debate bute wI with the salesman I TO 10 BE DE CONTINUED |