Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1900-01-12
HER BIGGEST PUPIL.

Mr.. Jim ThraSher nerV0uSly await
ing her, his stalwart form perched on
the edge of an easy chair.
As she enters his eye brightens, he
smiles, and dropping his broad brim-
med hat on the floor he rises.
Mary-You wished to see me?
Jim-Yes, Miss Mary. Gle eagerly
puts out his hand. She takes it in
hesitating manner) You don't know
me. l was afraid you wouldn't. Fif-
teen years, and a beard, and any num-
Der of hard knocks do change a man.
But yOu-why, you've scarcely altered
particle. Can't you guess who it is?
Mary-You remind me-something in
your voice-in your smile-reminds me
of-of boy l once knew.
Jim, delightedly-Tm the boy.
Mary-Not-not Jim Thrasher?
Jim--The very identical.
Mary-I'm so glad to see you. (She
takes his hand impulsively) Sit down,
please. 1t is so kind of you to hunt
me up. I've thought about you many
times and tried to wonder what you
Ntlt tlul w nat yOu lldu DGtOlle.
Jim-That's very good of you, Miss
Mary. l hardly supposed you'd cher
ish such pleasant remembrances for
your biggest pupil. What a gawl1 l
was! l can't imagine how you had any
patience with me. Let me see.
was just 20 that last winter in the old
red school house and head taller than
you-and two years older, wasn't |?
What an awkward problem l must
have been for you! Too old to learn
and too big to whip.
Mary-Ah, but you never needed
whipping. You were my right hand
man, my prop, my encouragement. |
. don't know what l would have done
with those big boys from down the
creek if it hadn't been for your strong
muscles.
Jim-Do you remember how you talk
ed to me the first day / came to school?
l had come with those very creek boys
TO make trouble. My mother died when
was very young, and no other woman
had ever talked kindly to me. When
you appealed to my honor, and putting
your hand on my shoulder begged NE
not to bury the good that was in me,
something seemed to swell in my
breast, and from that moment l re-
solved to be a mana man whom you
would one day be proud to say you
knew.
Mary-You make me very happy. 1t
is wonderful pleasure to feel that my
poor efforts were not all wasted. 1t
makes life worth living.
Jim-Life, then, hasn't always--but
tell me something about yourself.
Mary-There is very little to tell. Ny
mother died the summer after you went
West, and l had to return home and
Keep house for father. In year or
TWO his health failed, and after long,
long sickness he died My brother and
l were alone, and after he found a sit
uation on the railroad we moved here.
When the war broke out brother en-
listed, and died at Tampa of fever.
jim, after n pause-And so you have.
no ties to keep you here?
Mary-None.
Jim-And may ask
Mary-How support myself? have
live little pupils whom l am teaching
the rudiments, and do some fine sew
Ing. | get along very well-only there
Is always the fear of sickness. Now
tell me about yourself.
Jim-One moment. / want to say to
you, Miss Mary, that I've been trying
to find you out for a long time. i
wrote to the old neighborhood, asking
Tor you, but they answered that nobody
knew where you had gone. wouldn't
nave traced you down here If 1t hadn't
been for Joe Slater. You remember
little red-headed Joe, the scamp of the
school? Well he came out to Montana,
looking for work, and gave him job,
and, one day, in recalling old times, he
said he was sure he saw you in this
town. That's how l came to be here
About myself? Well, whatever | am,
1t Is you that gave me the start. fancy
I've done pretty well. I'm something
OF a mine owner and something of a
capitalist, and I've served term in
Congress and could have gone back.
I've got q nice house in Helena, and
there's enough idle cash lying around
to enable me to travel as much and as
far as please. You understand I'm
not blowing my trumpet for the per-
sonal qualification there Is in it-and
wet it is personal qualification to blow
1t before you. I'm accounting, as II
We're, for the use I've made of those
talents you called my attention to fif-
teen years ago.