The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-10-03
HIS CURIOSITY
BY MILDRED l. DAVIDSON.
Copyright, 1918. by the Mcclure Newsps
per Syndicate.)

= The new principal of Elmtown
| grammar school was no longer new in
any sense of the word, but he was still
| the most talked OF man in that little
village. 'Schoolmaster's" methods OF
! punishment and his ideas on various
matters were of never-ending impOr-
lance TO the village gossips.
Not only about the dinner table OF
many a country farm was the school
master discussed. For although Rich
ard Brown had been teaching in Elm
town nearly a year, he was still re-
garded with lively interest by his asso-
! ciates at the district school.
| The greatest cause of this interest
lay in the fact that Mr.. Richard Brown
had never been known to ask an IN
necessary question, nor to display the
! least interest in any question under
discussion. Village gossips said THAT
| there Mr.. Brown is lacking in a nat'raI
sense of curiosity
Jessie bearing the primary teacher,
who possessed a good sense of humor,
was very much amused by this man,
and determined to have a good time in
making him show the curiosity which
| S&4S was SO1S WIS
/ Miss Bearings opportunity to test
Mr.. Brown came sooner than she an
ticipated.
A wealthy farmer in Elmtown had,
upon his death, left Elmtown high
school q substantial library. Richard
Brown thought that this library
should be catalogued, and so asked
Miss bearing and Miss Barton, his as
sistants at the school, to assist him.
They consented, and the next Saturday
was decided upon as a good day to do
the work.
When Miss bearing awOke on Sat
urday she found that it was raining
steadily, but being a good sport as
well as a healthy girl, this did not dis
turb her in the least.
Ten o'clock found Richard Brown,
Miss bearing and Miss Barton at work
in the school library.
At noon they stopped work and went
home to lunch, Miss bearing and Miss
Barton going to q nearby farm, and
Mr.. Brown driving back to his board
ing place.
!. Mr.. Brown said that he would be
back at one O'Clock, but when Miss
bearing and Miss Barton returned at
quarter after one, he had not arrived.
AS the schooImaster had the key to the
school, there was no way for the girls
TO get in.
Miss bearing thought that this
would be a fine opportunity to make
Mr.. Brown display his curiosity, if
they could get in. Miss Barton
agreed, but could see no way Of get
ting in.
After some time Miss bearing ran
over to the next farmhouse and Dor
rowed a screwdriver. Unscrewing
several OF the iron bars which crossed
the basement windows, she was able to
open the window and squeeze in. It
was very easy then to replace the bars
and run upstairs to let Miss Barton
in.
Miss Bearings next thought was to
return the screwdriver, but as she
opened the door she was confronted
by Mr.. Richard Brown.
81 was just looking to see If it were
still raining" she said, dropping the
screwdriver behind her and not noting
that it fell into her umbrella.
Miss bearing was very angry with
Mr.. Brown as we'll as herself, and it
did not decrease her passion to find
that Mr.. Brown had no intention Of in
curing how she and Miss Barton had
gotten into the schoolhouse. Instead
he went quickly to his work without a
question.
{ It was quite dark when the cata-
1oguing was finished, and Mr.. Brown
announced his intention of walking
home with Miss bearing, who lived
some distance from the school.
It had stopped raining during the
afternoon, but just as Miss bearing
and Mr.. Brown started up the street
1t began again. Miss bearing raised
her umbrella and, to her horror, out
dropped the screwdriver which she
had entirely forgotten.
Mr.. Brown picked uE the offensive
article and put it into his pocket with
out word. Neither did Miss bearing
Of the way home.
When they reached Miss bearings
gate Mr.. Brown took the screwdriver
from his pocket and, looking at it,
8 said:
Jessie, I suppose you have heard
that ridiculous story about my lack
: Of curiosity, and are wondering why
. did not ask how you and Miss Barton
got into the schoolhouse."
AS Miss bearing did not reply, be
continued.
"WelI, once made up my mind, just
as an experiment, that should not
ask unnecessary questions. Just g
whim, suppose one would call it, but
not bad one after all. 7 really have
a good bump Of curiosity, and just now
am wondering what a certain young
lady by the name Of Jessie Dearing
thinks Of a man named Richard
Brown. VIII she tell met"
JeSsie's answer must have been sat
isfactory. because it was some time
later, in spite Of the rain, that Rich
ard said:
"Shan we keep the screwdriver tt
: use In the Cottage OF Roses mex
year?"
Diplomacy.
ST told VIII 1 would like to see hin