The Kevin review. [volume] (Kevin, Mont.) 1922-1929, 1923-12-13
The Brown Mouse

"Bosh!" sneered Jennie, rather
pleased, all the same, suppose she
isn't fair, and hasn't any homer"
This question of adjoining a home
was no nearer settlement with Jennie
than it had ever been, though in
creasingly a matter of speculation.
There were two or three men-rather
good catches, too-who, if they were
encouraged-but what was there to
any of them? This is what Jennie
asked her paper-weight as she placed
it on a pile of unfinished examination
papers. And the paper-weight echoed,
not a thing out of the ordinary I"
And then, said Jennie, well, you little
simpleton, who and what are you so
out of the ordinary that you should
sneer at Wilbur Smythe and Beckman
Fifield and such men?' And echo an
swered, HWhat?'-and then the mail
carrier came in.
Down near the bottom of the pile
she found this letter, signed by a
southern state superintendent of
schools, but dated at Kirkville, Mis-
souri,:
Il am a member of a party Of south
ern charlottesville superintendent
in the main-en tour of the country
to see what we can find of an instruc-
tive nature in rural school work.
Professor Withers of Ames suggests
that we visit your schools, and especial
ly the rural school taught by a young
man named Irwin, and | wonder if you
will be free on next Monday nr'ening.
if we come to your office, to dirert us
to the place? If you could accompany
us on the trip, and perhaps show US
some of your other excellent schools,
we should be honored and pleased"
And then came the shock-a party
of state officials were coming into the
county to study Jim Twins school!
They would never come to study vii
bur Smythe's law practice-never in
the world-or her work as county
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES land Jim was
getting seventy-five dollars a month,
and had a mother to support. But
there could be no doubt that there was
something to Jim-the man was oui
of the ordinary. And wasn't that just
what she had been looking for in hel
mind?
Jennie wired to her southerner for
the number of his party, and secured
automobiles for the trip. She sent a
to Jim Irwin telling of the
prospective visitation. She would show
all concerned that she could do some
things, anyhow, and she would send
these people on with a good impress
sion Of her county.
She was glad Of the automobiles the
next Monday morning, when at nine
thirty the train discharged upon hei
dozen very alert. very up-to-date,
very inquisitive southerners, male and
most Of whom seemed to have
eft their IRIS" in the gulf region. Ii
was eleven when the party parked
heir machines before the schoolhouse
door.
There are visitors here before u.s."
said Jennie.
Seems rather like an educational
said Doctor Brathwayt of
Mississippi. How does he com
late so many visitors in that small
officer"
II am not aware" said Jennie,
that he has been in the habit of re-
so very many from outside the
district. Well, shall we go in?"
Once inside, Jennie felt a queer re-
urn of her old aversion to Jim's
nethods-the. aversion which had
her to criticize him so sharply
the occasion Of her first visit. The
eason for the return of the feeling
ay in the fact that the work going on
the same sort, but of a more in
ense character. 1t was so utterly I'M
ike a school as Jennie understood the
Vord, that she glanced back at the
roup Of educators with a little blush.
he school was in a sort of uproar.
that uproar of boredom and mis-
hief of which most Of us have famil-
ar memories, but a sort of eager up
oar, in which every child was in
enSely interested in the same thing;
nd did little rustling things because
f this interest; something like the
at a football game or a dog
ght.
On one side OF the desk stood Jim
irwin, and facing him was a smooth
of the Old-fashioned lightning
type-the shallower and lax
r sort of salesman Of the kind whose
Die business is to get signatures on
he dotted line, and let some one else
0 the rest. In short, he was a
Standing back of him in evident dis
'ess was Mr.. Cornelius Bonner, and
rouped about were Columbus Brown.
/. B. Hamm, Ezra Bronson, A. B.
alcOtt and two or three others from !
itsIde the Woodruff district. With
lvelopes in their hands and the light
battle in their eyes stood Newton
ronson, Raymond Simms, Bettina
ansen, Mary Smith and Angie Tai
the boys filled with delight, the |
r1c rotbor frirbtonod % bo;np on 1