The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1923-09-06

The creek bed was a withdrawn
room In which to retire from thu
eternal black soil and level cornheld.
of Iowa.
The soil was so poor, In compari
son with those black uplands. that the
owner of the old wood-lot could find
no renter but it was better thar the
soil in the mountains, and suited the
lonesome Simmses much more thar a
better farm would have done. They
were not of the Iowa people anyhow,
not understood, 0 their equals-they
were pore" and expected to stay
"pore"-while the Iowa people all
seemed to be either well-to-do. or ex-
pecting to become so.
Jim Irwin asked Old Man Simms
about the fishing in the creek, and
whether there was n duck shooting
spring and fall.
"We git right smart of these little
panish," said Mr.. Simms, IAN Calista
done shot two butterball ducks about
'tater-plantin' time
Calista blushed-but this stranger,
so much like themselves, could not see
the rosy suffusion. The allusion gave
him a chance to look about him at the
family. There was a boy of sixteen,
a girl-the duck-shooting Calista-
younger than Raymond-a girl of
eleven, named Virginia, but called
Jinnie-and a smaller lad who re-
joiced in the name of McGeehee. but
was mercifully called Buddy.
Calista squirmed for something to
say. Raymond runs a line O. traps
when the fur's prime" she vol~-
teered.
Then came a long talk on traps and
trapping, shooting, hunting and the
joys of the NOTWITHSTANDING which
Jim noted the ignorance and poverty
Of the Simmses. The clothing Of the
girls was not decent according to local
standards; for while Calista wore a
skirt hurriedly slipped on. Jim was
quite sure-and not without evidence
to support his views-that she had
been wearing when he arrived the
same regimentals now displayed by
Jinnie-a pair of ragged blue overalls.
Evidently the Simmses were wearing
what they had and not what they de-
sired. The father was faded, patched,
gray and earthly, and the boys looked
better than the rest solely because we
expect boys to be torn and patched.
Mrs. Simms was invisible except as a
prory h1t1r hAx1Nn1 xha pntx. ~ r~Al - 2
the midst of which her pipe glowed
with a regular ebb and flow of embers.
On the next rainy day Jim called
again and secured the services of Ray
mOnd to help him select seed corn. He
was going to teach the school next
winter, and he wanted to have a seed
corn frolic the first day, instead of
waiting until the last-and you had to
get seed corn while it was on the stalk,
II you got the best.
No Simms could refuse a favor to
the fellow who was SO much like them
selves, and who was so greatly inter
in trapping, hunting and the
mountains-so Raymond
vent with Jim, and with Newt Bron-
ION and five more they selected Colo
1el Woodruff's seed corn for the next
rear, under the colonel's personal
;uperintendence.
In the evening they looked the grain
,ver On the Woodruff lawn, and the
'olOnel talked about corn and corn Sc
ection. They had supper at half past
tx, and Jennie waited ON them-hav-
ng assisted her mother in the cook
ng. 1t was quite a festival.
Jim Irwin was the least conspicuous
erson in the gathering, but the colo
ell, who was a seasoned politician,
bserved that the farmland had be-
a fisher of men, and was angling
Or the souls of these boys, and their
lterest in the school. Jim was care
IL not to flush the covey, but every
received from the next winters
,acher some confidential hint as to
ans, and some suggestion that Jim
relying on the aid and comfort of
lat particular boy.
Newt Bronson, especially, was
,aned on as a strong staff and a very
help in time of trouble. As
n Raymond Simms, it was clearly
est to leave him alone. All this talk /,
{ corn selection and related things
as new to him, and he drank 1t in i,
He had an ineStimable adj !
over Newt in that he was ;
arved, while Newt was surfeited :
18th advantages for which he had :
D use.
Jennie said Colonel Woodruff,
ter the party had broken up, I'm ]
sing the best hand | ever had, and
We been sorry"
'I'm glad he's leaving you" said
,nnie. He ought to do something ex- t
pt work in the field for wages" e
1--WE had no idea he could make Il
'od as a teacher-and what is there q
1t If he does?"
what has he lost If he doesn't?" a
Joined Jennie. And why can't he n
axe good?" o
1.-THE school boards against him, for n
thing" replied the colonel. They'll al
him If they get a chance. They're IL
---y