The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1900-01-19
HER BIGGEST PUPIL.


cottage in which Miss Mary Brewster
boards. oo,+
~. linn Thrasher nervously await |
,nn bar his stalwart form perched on
The edge of an easy chair.
AZ she enters his eye brightens' he
soiIes and dropping his broad brim-
mod hat on the floor he rises.
varv-You wished to see mef
Tm.Yes. Miss Mary. Gle eagerly
,1+s ont his hand. She takes 1t in
besitoting manner0 You don't know
mo was afraid you wouldn't Fif-
taen years. and a beard. and any num-
Nor If hard knocks do change man.
Rnt vou-why, you've scarcely altered
a narticle. Can't you guess who 1t Isl
Narv-You remind me-something in
vonr voice-in your smile-reminds me
,f-of a boy once knew.
lin. delightedly-Im the boy.
NTarv-Not-not Jim Thrasher2
Jim-The very identical.
Mary-Im so glad to see you. (She
takes his hand impulsively0 Sit down,
nlease. 1t is so kind Of you to hunt
me I'D. I've thought about you many
fines and tried to wonder what you
were doing and what you had become.
Jim-Thats very good of you, Miss
Mary. I hardly supposed you'd cher
lsh such pleasant remembrances for
your biggest pupil. What a gawk
was! l can't imagine how you had any
patience with me. Let me see. |
was lust 20 that last winter In the old
red school house and a head taller than
vou-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. l
don't know what 1 would have done
with those big boys from down tue
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 schoolF
| 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 me
not to bury the good that was In me,
something seemed to swell in my
breast. and from that moment 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 a wonderful pleasure to feel that my
poor efforts WIRE not all wasted. 1t
makes life worth living.
Jim-Life, then, hasn't always-but
tell me something about yourself.
Mary-There is very l'ttle to tell. My
mother died the summer after you went
West, and l had to return home and
keep house for father In a year OF
two his health failed. and after a long
long sickness he died. My brother and
We're alone and after he found a sit
uatiou on the railroad we moved here
When the war broke out brother en-
listed, aud died at Tampa of fever.
Jim, after a pause-And so you have
no ties to keep you here?
Mary-None.
finland may ask
Mary-HOw l support myself? have
hye little pupils whom l am teaching
the rudiments, and do some fine sew
Ing. get along very well-only Their,
Is always the fear Of sickness. Now
tell me about yourself.
Jim-One moment l want to say t.
you, Miss Mary, that I've been tryin,
TO md you out for a long time
wrote to the old neighborhood, askin,
Tor you, but they answered that nobod,
knew where you had gone. l wouldn'
nave traced you down here If it hadn'
been for Joe Slater You remembe
little red-headed Joe, the scamp of tn
school! Well, he came out to Montana
looking for work, and | gave him a job
ana one day, in recalling old times, h
SAID he was sure he saw you in thi
iowa. That's how | came to be here
About myself? Well. whatever an
Is you that gave me the start. | fame,
We done pretty well. I'm sOmethin
OIL mine owner and something Of
capitalist and I've served a term i
congress and could have gone bacl
We got nice house in Helena. an
'heres enough idle cash lying aroun
10 enable me to travel as much and a
Tar as l please. You understand II
not blowing my trumpet for the pc
sonai qualification there is in lt-an
YET 1t rs a personal qualification to bio,
II before you. I'm accounting. as
We're for the use I've made of thos
talents you called smy attention to ii
teen years ago.
Mary-lm very glad to hear of you
success knew you had it in YOU
lou have made the day very brigf
for me.
JIM am not yet quite sure whethe
u VIII be a bright day for me or no
l ne fact is, II want to ask you
favor, Miss Mary.
Mary-A favor, Jim7
Jim-Yes, a great favor. II war
10 De your biggest pupil againl
Mary-I-l don't understand.
Jim-AndIw antto beyour only pup
ueed your help. They're talking {