Show i 0 MOUSE 7 1 s y I I f fa a 1 r G d DOBBS CHAPTER CHAPTER XIV XIV Continued Continued 12 12 Never Ne thought of It replied Bronson Bron- Bron son Bon I 1 had the phone only a afew ale few le- le years rears Drive faster 1 I II I 1 want to get there or I would i answered the doctor Dont worry From what your our wife told me over the phone phone I dont don't believe the boys boy's eaten any morA mor strychnine than I have have and and probably not so much lIe He was alive then Alive and making nn an argument r against taking the emetic replied the thet t doctor But I guess she got It down I him i 1 Thus reassured Mr Bronson was J calm even en If somewhat tragic In calmI calmness calm calm- I ness v when hen he entered the death chamber chamber chamber cham cham- sit sit- ber with the doctor Newton was sittIng sitting sit sit- ting tang up his eyes wet and his face pale His mother had won the argument argument argument ment and Newton had lost his dinner Haakon Peterson occupied an arm arm- chair all this asked the doctor How are you rou feeling Newt Any pain 1 Im all right said Newton Dont DontI J I give me any more o o 0 that nasty stuff I 1 INo No said the doctor but If you dont don't tell me just what youve you've been eating and doing and pulling oft off on onos onus onus us os Ill I'll use this thIs and and the doctor exhibited ex ex- a huge stomach pump you ou do with that asked I Newton faintly Ill put this down Into your hold and unload you that's what Ill I'll do Is ls the election over ver Mr Peterson i asked Newton Nekton Yes Tes answered Mr Peterson and lIand the votes counted elected asked Newton Colonel Woodruff answered Mr Peterson The vote was twelve to eleven Well Wen dad said sald Newton I spose you'll be sore but the only way I could see to get In half a vote ote for Colonel Woodruff was to get poisoned and send Bend you after atter the doctor If you'd gone It would n a been a tie anyhow and probably you'd a persuaded somebody somebody someo some some- o body to change to Bonner That's what's the matter with me I r killed your ote vote Now you can do whatever you like to me but me-but but Im I'm sorry I scared mother Ezra Bronson seized Newton by the throat but his fingers fingers' failed to close Dont pinch dad said Newton ewton Ive been using that neck an Its It's tired Mr Bronson dropped his hands to his sides Bides glared at his son for a moment momento o and breathed a sigh of relief Wh Why you darned Infernal little k fool said he Ive I a notion to take a to j you ou If It I Id I'd d been there the theote vote ote would have been eleven to thirteen 1 I There was plenty there for forthe forthe the the colonel If he needed em said Haakon whose politicians politician's mind was wasal al already eady fully adjusted to the changed conditions Ay tank the Woodruff district will have ha a school chool board from dis time on once more Colonel Woodruff Is the man we have ha needed Im with you there said sold Bronson And as ns for you OU young man If one or both of them horses Is hurt b by the run I give them Ill I'll lick you within an anI anInch anInch I Inch of your life life life- Here comes Dilly o driving em era now now now- I guess they're there all right I wouldn't want to drive a good team to death for an any young hoodlum like him him him- All right how much do I owe uwe you DOC Doer CHAPTER XV j The Glorious Fourth A good deal of water ran under the Woodruff district bridges In the weeks between the school election and the Fourth of July picnic at EI Mile Eight ht gro grove But nut few surface Indications there were of an any chan change e In the little community In this annual gathering of friends frier-ds and neighbors Wilbur Sm Smythe tho f ma made e the annual address and was inI In I rather finer fettle than usual as he i paid pal his fen fervid id tribute to the starry flag and to this very place as the most favored spot In the best county county county coun coun- ty of ot the greatest state In the most powerful Intellectual freest and most Progressive nation in the best possible o of worlds Jim Irwin In read the Declaration rather rathe r well Jennie Woodruff thou thought ht as sh she sat on the platform between 11 Deacon A Avery Aery the oldest settler In the ther I r district and Mrs Columbus Brown the sole Mile local representative of ot the I h i Daughters of the the- American h tin troD tion n. n Colonel Woodruff r presided In his j I-Gnad Army of ot the Republic uniform The fresh tresh northwest breeze made I free free- freewith with the oaks onks elms hickories and ond t box ox elders fIllers of ot Mile Eight J rove move and the waters te of or Pickerel creek glimmered a 8 hundred yards awn away beyond the flitting figures of ot the boys who preferred preferred pre pre- to shoot oft off their own Wa r and torpedoes and chasers father Bather ther than to listen to those of ot Wilbur Still SUlI farther off ocr could be beard the voice of ot a lone lemonade r f li r a ep hA hn advertised ice cold lem lcm made mad In the shade with a new brand spade by an old maid as asa asa asa a guaranty that It was the coldest lemonade ever sold Under the shadiest trees a few Incorrigible Incorrigible In In- corrigible Marthas were spreading the snowy table-cloths table on which would soon be placed the bountiful repasts stored In ponderous wicker baskets and hamp hampers rs It was a lovely day In Ina Ina ina a lovely spot spot spot-a a good example of ot the miniature forests which grew naturally natural natural- ly Iy from time Immemorial In favored locations on the Iowa prairies prairies half half a square mile mile- of woodland all about which the green corn rows stood aslant In the cool breeze waist-high waist and laid by They were passing down the rough board steps from the platform after the exercises had terminated In a arousing arousing arousing rousing rendition of America when Jennie Woodruff having slipped by everybody else to reach him tapped Jim Irwin on the arm He looked back at her over his shoulder with his slow gentle smile your mother here Jim she asked Ive been looking all over the crowd and cant can't see her She isn't here answered Jim Iwas I Iwas Iwas was In hopes bopes that when she broke loose and went to your Christmas dinner she would stay loose loose but but she went home and settled back Into her rut Too bad said sald Jennie Shed have had a nice time If she had come Yes said sald Jim I believe she would I want help said Jennie Our hamper Is terribly heavy Please I It was rather obvious to Mrs Bonner that Jennie was throwing herself at Jims Jim's head but that was an article of the Bonner family creed since the decision decision de de- which closed the hearing at the court house It must be admitted that the young county superintendent found tasks which kept the tile schoolmaster schoolmaster schoolmaster school school- master very close to her side Sit down Jim said Mrs Woodruff youve earned a bite of ot what weve we've J r l r II G Im said Jim but Ive I've Sorry a Prior Engagement got Its It's good enough what there Is of ot It and theres there's enough nough of ot It such as itIs It ItIs Is 1 Im sorry said Jim but Ive I've a prior engagement Why Jim 1 protested Jennie Ive been counting on you Dont Don't desert me I said Jim but butI Im awfully sorry I promised Ill I'll see you later One might have thought Judging by 1 1 nl 1 1 1 11 11 ti tIt tIt- to t 1 ha e t ule he co on e l s a 4 qu ca U sm lUU e in- in was pleased at Jennies Jennie's loss of her former swain Well VeU have to Invite him longer ahead of ot time said he Hes getting to be In demand Jim seemed to be in demand demand demand-a a fact that Jennie confirmed by observation He lIe received a dozen Invitations as he passed the groups seated on the grass one one of ot them from Mrs Cornelius Cornellus Bonner who saw no particular point In advertising disgruntlement The children ran to him and clung to his hands young girls gave him sisterly smiles and such trifles as chicken drumsticks pieces of cake and like tid tid- tid- tid bits His passage to the numerous group roup at a R square table under a big burr oak was quite an ovation ovation ovation-an nn ovation of the significance of which he was himself quite unaware But Jennie the Jennie the daughter of ot a politician politician poli poU- and a promising one herself herselt- Jennie sensed the fact that Jim Irwin had v won on something from the people of the Woodruff district In the way or ur deference Still he heas was as the gangling Ill-dressed Ill stricken over-stricken Jim Irwin of old but Jennie had no longer the feeling that ones one's standing v was ns somewhat compromised b by association asso asso- with him He had begun to put on something i more significant than clothes something something someI some some- thing which he had possessed all nIl the tho I time but which became valid only as asIt asIt asit It was publicly apprehended lIe He was clearly the central figure of his group In which she recognized the those queer children from Tennessee the the the Hansens Hansens Han- Han sens seas the Hamms and Colonel Wood Wood- ruffs ruff's lila lila-co limn bets ioie t name nanie Is not recorded Jim sat down between Bettina Hansen Hansen Hansen Han- Han sen a flaxen haired flaxen haired young Brur Brunhilde of seventeen and Calista Simms- Simms Jennie saw him do It while listening to toI Wilbur Wllbur Smythe's Smythes Sm thes account of ot the exacting exacting exacting ex ex- ex- ex I acting nature of the big law practice he was building up and up-and and would havo have been glad to exchange places with Bettina The repast drew to a close and ove ovet by the tho burr oak the crowd had grown to a circle surrounding Jim Irwin He seems to be making an address address ad ad- dress said Wilbur Smythe Well V ell Wilbur replied the colonel you had the Hie first shot at us Suppose we move over and see what's under discussion As they approached the group they heard Jim Irwin answering something which Ezra Bronson had said You think so Ezra said he and It seems reasonable that big creamerIes creameries cream cream- eries cries like those at Omaha Sioux City Des Moines and the other points can cnn make butter chea cheaper r than we ve would do here here but but weve we've tho the figures figures figures fig fig- ures that show that they arent aren't economical eco eco- They cant can't make good butter for forone forone forone one thing thins said Newton Bronson cock- cock lly ily Why cant can't they asked Olaf Olat Hansen Hansen Hansen Han- Han sen tho the father of Bettina Well Vell said Newton they have to have bave so much cream that they've got gotto gotto gotto to ship it so far that It gets rotten on the way and they have to renovate It with lime limo and other Ingredients before before before be be- fore they can churn It It Well VeIl said Raymond SImms I reckon they sell their butter fo all Its It's an they get within from to seven cents a pound as much fo to It as the farmers' farmers creameries In Wisconsin and Minnesota get fo theirs a fact Olaf Olat said Jim How do you kids know so darned much about It queried Pete Huh sniffed Bettina Weve Veve I been reading about it it and writing letters letters letters let let- about It and figuring percentages on It In school all winter Weve We've done arithmetic and geography and grammar grammar grammar gram gram- mar and I dont don't know what else on It It Well Im I'm agin any said Pete that makes kids smarter In farmin than their parents and their parents' parents hired men Gl Gi me another swig o 0 that lemonade Jim 1 You see said Jim to his audience meanwhile pouring the tile lemonade the lithe creamery creamery Is uneconomic In several ways It has to pay excessive transportation charges It has to pay excessive commissions to Its cream buyers It has to accept cream without without without with with- out proper Inspection and mixes the good with the bad It makes such long shipments that the cream spoils in transit and lowers the quality of ot the butter It cant can't make the best use of ot the buttermilk All these losses and leaks the farmers have to stand I Ican Ican Ican can prove prove and and so can the six or eight pupils In the Woodruff school who have been working on the cream question this winter winter that that we could make at least s six cents a pound on our butter If we had a operative co creamery and all sent our cream to It It Well Vell said Ezra Bronson lets start one Ill Til go in n said Olaf Olat Hansen Me too said Con Bonner There was Mas a general chorus of elf as as- sent Jim had convinced his audience Hes got the Jury said Wilbur Smythe to Colonel Woodruff Yes said the colonel and right here Is where he run rune Into danger Can he handle the crowd when Its It's with him 7 Well Yell said Jim I think we ought to organize one but Ive I've another proposition first Lets Let's get together and pool our cream By that I mean that well we'll all sell ell to the same creamery creamery creamery cream cream- ery and get the tho bet best we can out of ot the by tho the operative co method We Ve can save two cents a pound In that way and well we'll learn to cr co operate When hen we have havo found Just how well we can hang together well we'll be bo able to take up the co cooperative cooperative opera co-opera- opera operative tive creamery with less danger of ot falling apart and handle the pool inquired Mr rr Hansen Well handle It in the school an an- Jim Schools about done objected Mr Bronson Wont the cream pool pretty near pay the expenses of running the school all summer asked Bonner We ought to run the school plant all the time said Jim Its the only way to get full value of the Invest Invest- ment And weve we've corn-club corn work pig pig- club work poultry work and canning canning- club work vork which make It very desirable desirable desirable desira desira- ble to keep In session with only a weeks week's vacation If It you'll add the cream pool It will make the school the hardest working crowd In the dIstrict district district dis dIs- and doing actual farm work too I r like Mr Bonners Bonner's suggestion Well VeIl said Haakon Peterson who had Joined the group Ay tank we better hove have a meeting of ot the board and discuss It Well V ell darn It said Columbus Brown I want In on this cream pool and and I live outside the district I Well VeIl let you ou In Clumb said the colonel TO BE fiE CONTINUED |