The Bemidji pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Beltrami County, Minn.) 1896-1917, 1900-09-13
CHAPTER I.
The Sign on the House.

| GI1hE IEh /. f
/ The Sigu on the House.
It was an everyday occurrenceto see
Simon Grey standing on the street cor
ners of Boonsyille, making wild ges
lures with his hands. Ii the one he
was eonversing with was on the Oppo-
site side in politics, Simon was always
In a state OF excited earnestness. .Po
litica1 Simon, he was often called. Il
any one wished to be posted on any
| political question OF the day, he was
ever ready to explain the subject, ana
you could see, by the all-Wise and self.
confident expression Of his face, that he
enjoyed himself in so doing.
In his household politics Was still his
topic. He was ever talking to the fam
| lily OF the free and unlimited coinage
of silver at the ratio Of is to T. till his
children began to think that anythixS
SO grand and good must coEae fro (
God.
'Pars gettiny happy agafn,''S shouted
his little son Jimmie, aseae pass I'd out
of the door one day with q paint brush
We shall learn later what he did witt
the brush. Simon Grey die not notice
him, so absorbed were his thoughts in
the man who was to be the next Presl-
dent of the United States = Cynthia,
Simon's wife. was so busy peelin'
apples and listening to her better half
that she also failed to notice Jimmie
and the brush.
Cynthia was proud of her husband.
She knew he had an uncomfortable
temper; yet his wisdom o'erbalanced
that defect. Her daughter Winnie was
highly educated, and most everyone
said she was NATURALLY smart and
then 1t was invariably added, ashe
takes after her father"
1t was the talk in Brownsville that
Winnie Grey would be nominated for
County Superintendent of Public
Schools In Marble County. Simon said
if she was nominated he would lection
Ieer for her from morning till night,
every day tim election; that no Repub-
lican hurmbug would ever defeat her.
Simon had already been trying. to prove
to the people Of Boonsville that his
daughter Winnie was the one Marble
|tCounty needed for uperintendent She
shad been away to college; had taught
Sschool in MARBLE County for three sue
scessiya years, and the citizens Of
Brownsville knew her by Experimental
sknowledge'' to be q good teacher. She
was now instructor Of the grammar de-
spartment of the Boonsyille city schools,
|tand many claimed she should have the
high school though the young profess
sor, Glen Harrington, was, well liked. !"
It seemed evident that Winnie would
receive the. nomination; but as Cynthia
said, You can never tell; DON'T count
yoan chickens before they're matched"
.sKou always look on the. dark side,
Cynthia said Simon. WISH / had a
wife with more cheerful disposition,
and a better knowledge of Nae questions
that so concern our welfana /"
Well I guess as long as bake your
bread, mend your socks, and make your
apple pies, and as long rs you have
enough wisdom for tMos we can get
along all right.
Their conversation was here inten.
rupted by Winnie entering the room.
She had just returned from school.
Winnie Grey was indeed pretty.
Whenever she came home her smile
seemed to make the old home brighter.
This evening disgust was depicted ON
her usually bright countenance.
Father" she said, Il was ashamed
| of my home tonight. For the first time
| in my life felt humiliated when
| came in sight OF the house"
| seyinnie," said her father, is ii posi-.
| BILE that because the young professor
Glen Harrington, has been paying at
tentions to you for some time, and be,
cause he is sort of well-off, that YOU
cherish hopes of so much better resi-
dance that you are ashamed Of your
! homer
81 am astonished!" said Winnie
aWhoever thought of such ridiculous
/ idea! What made me ashamed of my
home was the word Bryan" in big
black letters. over the front door. How
did it happen to be there?'
II knew nothing about 1t, Winnie
You must be mistaken
Indeed, / am not. II you know
nothing about it, then Jimmie must bs
4 the perpetrator of the crime"
| "Crimer' repeated Simon. "Woul6
you consider that a crime? II he hat
have painted Mckinley there vol
might so consider it. but such noble
name as Bryan looks well any place
/ 1t will show to the world that we ar
/ on the side Of right.
DIT is disgrace" said Winnie. "Wha
will the Republicans think of MS, ant
even the Democrats and Popnlists vii
know that is not the place for his name
Z AS far as showing that we are on tn
side of right. time may prove that W