Sioux County pioneer. (Fort Yates, Sioux County, N.D.) 1914-1929, 1919-05-15
HIS CURIOSITY
sy MILDRED 1. DAVIDSON.
Copyright. lSls. b. the Mcclure Nevspa,
Per 0yndicatA)

village. "SchOOlmaStere" 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 I'M un.
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'ral
sense Of curiosity"
Jessie Dearlng, the primary teacher,
who possessed q good sense Of humor,
was very much amused by this man,
and determined to have q good time In
;Maklng him show the curiosity which
she was sure was there.
Miss bearings opportunity to test
Mr.. Brown calue sooner than she an.
:icipated.
A wealthy farmer in Elmtown had,
upon his DEATH. left Elmtowp high
school substantial library. Richard
Brown thought that this library
should he catalogued, and so asked
Miss Denring 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 Dearing awoke ON Sat.
urday she found that 1t was raining
steadily, but being a good sport az
we'll 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 nearby farm, and
Mr.. Brown driving back to his board.
ing place.
Mr.. Brown said that he would be
back ut one O'Clock, but when Miss
bearing and Miss Barton returned at
quarter after one, he had not arrived.
As the schoolmaster had the key to the
school, there vas NO way for the girls
10 get In.
Miss bearing thought that this
would he fine opportunity to make
Mr.. Brown display his curiosity, II
they could get in. Miss Barton
agreed, but could see no way Of get.
Ding in.
After some time Miss bearing ran
over to the next farmhouse and Dor.
t"wed a screwdriver. Unscrewins
several Of the iron bars which crossed
the basement windows, she was able to
open the window and squeeze in. II
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.
II 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 well as herself, and II
did not decrease her passion to find
that Mr.. Brown had no intention Of in
luiring how she and Miss Barton had
gotten into the schoolhouse. Instead
be went quickly to his work without q
question.
1t was quite dark when the cata-
loguing was finished, and Mr.. Brown
announced his intention of walking
home with Miss bearing. who lived
some distance from the school,
1t had stopped raining during the
afternoon, but just as Miss bearing
and Mr.. Brown started up the street
Il began again. Miss bearing raised
her umbrella and. to her horror, out
dropped the, screwdriver which she
had entirely forgotten.
Mr.. Brown picked up the offensive
article and put Il into his pocket with.
out word. Neither did Miss Bearing
speak about the screwdriver the rest
u the way home. !,
When they reached Miss Bearings
gate Mr.. Brown took the screwdriver
from his pocket and. lacking at It,
said:
"Jessie. 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."
Az Miss Dearing did not reply, he
continued.
well, I once made up my mind, Just
% an experiment. that I should not
ask unnecessary questions. Just Z
whim, I suppose one would call IT, hut
not bad one after all. really have
good bump Of curiosity, and Just now
I am wondering what certain young
lady By the. name Of Jessie bearing
thinks Of q man named Richard
Brown. Will she tell NET"
Jesae's answer must have been sat.
isfactory, because It was some time
later. In spite Of the rain, that Rich.