The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1923-09-20
CHAPTER VIII

Jennie Arrangcs a Christmas Party
Miss Jennie Woodruff of the Wood,
ruff district was a sensible country
girl. Being sensible, she tried tc
avoid uppishness. But she did feel
some little sense of increased impor-
lance as she drove her fathers little
runabout over the smooth earth roads,
in the crisp December weather, just
before Christmas. The weather itself
was stimulating, and in the little car,
visiting the one hundred or more rural
schools soon to come under her super
vision, she rather fancied the picture
of herself, clothed In more or less au-
thority and %queening 1t over her little
army Of teachers.
Mr.. Haakon Peterson was phlegmat-
Ically conscious that she made rather
an agreeable picture, as she stopped
her car alongside his top buggy to talk
with him. She had bright blue eyes,
fluffy brown hair, a complexion
whipped pink by the breeze. and she
smiled at him overwhelmingly.
Don't you think father is lovelyT'
said she. HE is going to let me use
the %runabout when | visit the schools"
That Will be good" said Haakon.
ut will save you lots of time. l hope
you make the county pay for the gaso-
line
II haven't thought about that" said
Jennie. "Everybody's been SO nice to
mel want to give as well as receive"
why" said Haakon. you will yust
begin to receive when your salary be-
gins in january"
ooh, mol" said Jennie. "rve re
ceived much more than that now You
don't know how proud feel. So many
nice men never knew before, and all
my old friends like you working for
me In the convention and at the polls,
just as II l amounted to something"
And you don't know how proud /
feel" said Haakon, ito have in county
office a little girl | used to hold on my
lap"
Haakon was a rather richie man
than the colonel, and not a little proud
of his ascent to a%fiuence. A mild
spoken, s~oft-voiced Scandinavian, he
was quite completely Americanized,
and his influence was always worth
fifty to sixty Scandinavian votes In
any county election. He was a good
party man and conscious of being en-
titled to his voice in party matters.
This seemed to him an opportunity for
exerting a bit of political influence.
"Yennie," said he, this man Vim
Irwin needs to be lined up"
Lined upl What do you mean?'
'The way he is doing in the
school," said Haakon, lis all wrong.
If you can't line him up, he will make
you trouble. We must look ahead.
Everybody has his friends, and Vim
Irwin has his friends. If you have
trouble with him, his friends will be
against you when we want to nom
mate you for a second term. The
county is getting close. If we go to
convention without your home delega-
ion it would weaken you, and if we
nominate you, every piece of trouble
like this cuts down your vote. You
ought to line him up and have him DO
right"
But he is so funny" said Jennie.
HE likes you," said Haakon. You
can line him up"
Jennie blushed, and to conceal her
slight embarrassment, got u for the
of cranking her machine.
'But if 1 cannot line him up?' said
she.
II tank" said Haakon, IF you can't
line him up, you will have a change
to revoke his certificate when you
take office"
Jennie thought of Mr.. Peterson's
suggestion as to lining up" Jim Irwin
as so thoroughly sensible that she
it a good deal of thought that
DAY. To be sure, everybody had al
ways favored more practical educa-
tion," and inns farm arithmetic.
farm physiology, farm reading and
contrasting exercises. seed
ANALYSIS, corn clubs and the tomato.
and pig clubs he proposed to
In operation the next summer,
highly practical; but to Jen-
MES mind, the fact that they intro
duced dissension In the neighborhood
and promised to make her official life
eemed ample proof thai