River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1895-05-16
with a pail Of whitewash between his

with pail of whitewash between his
feet one morning as she went out, and
she stopped to talk a little.
There isn't thing can fssten on
him, Miss Hannaford said, N despair,
''and If there was, what more could l
do?7
Il know" said Jim Bill. sympathiz-
ingly. Just how peslxy a young one
can be. and You can't catch him.
neither lie dipped his brush Z. the
whitewssh meditatively. as if he knew
there was an idea in the bucket that
he might stir up.
II know Just as well as want TO
that Jim Shines mother put ladder
up TO the loft window and got Jim
into the schoolhouse the night before
school began. Elnathan Royals worked
at the widows ten or twelve years.
and he stands by her pretty well, but
he's fond of joke, and he's limited as
much TO me, though he won't come out
square and say so. But / can't prove
anything. and IL ] could can't lick
Jim for his mothers actions, and |
can't thrash a woman. so there tbs"
Jim Bill scratched his nose. and
looked at Miss Hannaford inquiringly.
All the chivalry in his soul was reused
as he realized what a slender little
creature she was
faint YOU she's fighting. Miss Han
naford. it's me- he said, by way of
Offering some comfort.
u seem to be the one HIT" she said.
That's so" said Jim Bill, "and the
worst of il is | can't seem TO do thing
TO help you"
He fell to stirring his whitewash
again, but nothing new came up
THE fact is, 'Vangy, that's the
Widow Slime, she holds a grudge
against me for Strengthening the line
between us. That's her field joins on
our garden. Strengthening the line
took in that pear-tree. 1t come up it.
self, and ! grated il, but we never
get any pears. One year they was
picked when they wasn't much big
germ bullets. and once they was all
shook off n spoiled. Everybody knows
who does it, but nobody gets caught.
Inns year Shc Bot AcH hohuAC W
turn"
You've saved the pears, at any
rate" said Miss Hannaford, smiling.
"They amt gathered yet" returned
Jim Bill. dryly. Now, If little Jim
won't mind" ne went on. after little,
I'VE can call in the committee"
Mind interrupted Miss Hannaford;
hes the essence of obedience. but his
obedience is an insult. It's an original
case" she continued, grimly.
Jim Bill went to Goshen that after
noon to buy a yoke of oxen of his
uncle, who lived there, and while con-
Quoting the negotiations stepped
through a hole in the barn floor and
broke his leg. He sent word to his
wife to stay at home and take care of
the schOolma'am while he lay ON Aunt
Loviny's lounge and waited impatient
Is until he could come home.
The gathering trouble at the school
became the village talk. Miss Hanna
ford grew nervous, knowing she fought
an ambushed foe. Mrs. i'm Bill tried
To argue the matter with Uncle Silas
when he complained of notions, no.
lonesome folks was allus stirrin' up
notions
''But hOws the world going ahead,
Uncle Silas." demanded Mrs. Jim Bill,
fie-cely, IF nobody has notions?'
Don't want to go ahead" returned
Uncle Silas, promptly. Let things
stay where they be-
Then Mrs. Jim Bill said. in despair:
IF hogs had the road. she didn't know
but decent folks might as well climb
the fences"
But Miss HannafOrd still kept the
road. After school one night she
dressed herself in her best and called
upon Mrs. Simon. The handsome
home. its handsome mistress and her
fiattering reception veXed her. She
felt her hostess fingers at her throat
while she slipped the rosy shrub and
nibbled the golden pound-cake brought
out for her feasting. She tried to talk
about her school. Mrs. Mason was OIL
uble on every other subject. but from
that she slid away so easily that the
visitor could hardly keep ner own foot
| ing. She asked Mrs Simon's advice
about managing Jim. The widow
smiled and generalized- Miss Hanna
ford pressed hard, and at last brought
her to her guns.
Its too bad" said the widow,
amiably; young ones will act % when
| they know they can. I'm told you
don't believe in whipping, Miss Hanna
ford?r
Not in whipping boy as tall as /, $
she said, as lightly as the choking in
/ her throat would let her.
Its pity you're so little" returned
her tormentor; land since You as good
as mentioned it, may as well tell you
plainly-Tm one of the frank, out
spoken ones. Miss Hannaford. | believe
in Pumping everything right out
there ought to be a man to keep the
winter school / tell every body that.
/ When anybody runs to me with com
plants, ''Taint the teachers fault;
she's doing the best she can, says |,
but brains amt bigness.
Miss Hannaford reasoned, argued
and said, 50 frankly that her knees
trembled, that Jim Slime was her only
| trouble Then she was fairly washed
away by the food of agreeable words
/ the widow poured over her. Mrs.
| Simon talked her out OF her chair into
/ the hall, and stood in the door urging
her to come soon and take tea, when
she said good night and walked away,
/ indignant
After she had laughed over her call
with angry Mrs. Jim Bill, Miss Hanna
| ford told herself she would leave at the
end of the next week Jim Sine,
backed and encouraged by his mother,
was rapidly demoralizing her school.
She thought of a saying of DR. SeS Vey's
nj the normal school: Experience is
not faiinre;" but the sting was strong
Just then.
Saturday Mrs. Jim Bill drove over TO
| Goshen. and Miss Hannaford, who con
soled herself in her worst troubles by
taking photographs, went out with her
camera TO get two or three views she
wished to take with her. Coming home
/ late in the afternoon, she stopped o.