The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1923-10-26
CHAPTER vi
Jim Talks the Weather Cold.

SUH iafH8 kH0 WCdlnCT O0lQ.
~Going to the rally. James7'
Jim had finished his supper, ant
yearned for a long evening In his attic
den with his cheap literature. But al
the district schoolmaster he was tc
some extent responsible for the pro
lection Of the school property, and
felt some sense of duty as to exhibit
Ing an interest in public affairs.
II guess I'll have to go, mother" he
replied regretfully. II want to see Mr..
Woodruff about borrowing his Bah
cock milk tester, and I'll go that way.
I guess Til go on to the meeting"
He kissed his mother when he went
"a habit from which he never devil
ated, and another Of those personal
peculiarities which had marked him as
different from the other boys Of the
neighborhood. His mother urged his
overcoat upon him In vain-for Jim's
o%vercoat was distinctly a bad one.
while his best suit, now worn every
day as a concession to his scholastic
position, still looked passably well
after several weeks of schoolroom
duty. 1t seemed more logical to as
sumo that the weather was milder
than 1t really was, on that sharp Octo-
Der evening. and appear at his best,
albeit rather aware of the cold. Jen-
ME was at home, and he vas likely
to see and be seer of her.
you can borrow that tester" said
the colonel, "and the cows that go
with it, If you can use 'em. They
amt earning their keep here. But
how does the milk tester fit into the
curriculum of the school7 A decora-
tIon?'
1--WE want to make a few tests of
the cows In the neighborhood," an
swered Jim. Just another of my fool
notions"
"AlI right" said the colonel. Take
1t along. Going to the speakin'r'
Certainly, he's going" said Jennie,
entering. "This is my meeting, jim"
surely. I'm going" assented Jim.
"And l think I'll run along"
81 wish we had room for you In the
car" said the colonel. But I'm going
by Bronson's to pick up the
speaker, and I'll have a chuck-up
load"
mot so much of a load as you
said Jennie. I'm going with
Jim. The walk viii do me good"
Amy candidate warns to her voting
just before election but
Jennie had a special kindness for Jim.
was no longer a farm hand. The
fact that he IA coming to be a center
Of disturbance in the district, and that
she quite failed to understand how his
eccentric behavior could be harmo-
nized with those principles of teach
Ing which she had Imbibed at the state
school In itself lifted him
nearer to equality with her. A public
nuisance Is really more respectable
han a %nonentity.
She gave Jim q thrill as she passed
through the gate that he opened for
her. White moonlight on her white
'urs suggested purity, exaltation, the
,ssence of Misunderstanding far
liner In the woman Of twenty-seven
han the glamour thrown over him by
he school girl of sixteen.
Jim gave her no thrill; for he
ooked gaunt and angular in his
ready-made suit, too short in
egs and sleeves, and too thin for the
eason. Yet. as they walked along.
Inn grew upon her. He strobe on with 1
immense strides, made slow to accom- Z
iodate her shorter steps, and embar- :
her by his entire absence of !
fort to keep step. Fol all that, he
fled his face to the stars, and he c
ointed out the great open spaces in 0
Milky Way, wondering at their v
nptiness and at the fact that no n
,lescope can find stars In them s
They stopped and looked. Jim laid q
Is hard hands on the shoulders Of her a
fur collarette. "
whats the use OF political meet L
gs," said Jim, when o and l can G
and here and think our way out, G
en- beyond the limits Of our uni Il
a
"A wonderful Journey" said she, not b
lite understanding his mood, "but is
nile we roam beyond the Milky Way, b
; aren't getting any votes for me for
unity superintendent" 81
Jim said nothing. He was quite n
established on the earth. In
Don't o want me to be elected, tr
So
jim seemed TO ponder this for some dS
ne-a period Of taking the matter dc
der advjsement which caused Jennie en-