The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1923-10-04

get down among the people. It's the
only way / have of getting the truth"
She descended from the bench,
shook hands with everybody near her,
and sat down by the attorneys table.
"Now," said she, this is no formal
proceeding and we will dispense with
red tape. II we don't, l shall get all
tangled up in 1t Where's Mr.. 1rwfnf
Please come in here, Jim. Now, /
know there's some feeling In e
things-there always seems to be;
but | have none. So I'll just hear
why Mr.. Bronson, Mr.. Peterson and
Mr.. Bonner think hat Mr.. James X.
Irwin isn't competent to hold q certih-
cate"
Jennie was able to smile at them
now, and everybody felt more at ease,
save Jim Irwin, the members Of the
board and Wilbur Smythe. That In
dividual arose, and talked down Mt
Jennie.
Il appear for the proponents here"
said he, land l desire to suggest GER
tain principles of procedure which /
take 1t belong indisputably to the con-
duct of this hearing"
Have you a lawyer" asked the
county superintendent of the respond
emit.
"A whatr' exclaimed Jim. mo
body here has q lawyerT"
"Well, what do you call Wilbur
SmytheY' queried Newton Bronson
from the midst of the crowd.
"He amt lawyer enough to hurtl'
said the thing which the dramatists
call A Voice.
There was a little tempest Of laugh
ter at Wilbur Smythe's expense,
which was quelled by Jennie's rap
to feel the mouth of the situation.
There is nothing in the school
laws, as I remember them" said Jen-
ME, giving the parties any right to
be represented by counsel. You may
advise your clients all you please, but
I'm not going to waste time in listen
ing to speeches, or having a lot of
lawyers examine witnesses"
II protest" said Mr.. Smythe.
well, you may file our protest In
writing" said Jennie. I'm going to
talk this matter over with these old
friends and neighbors of mine. |
don't want you dipping into 1t, l say"
Jennie's voice was rising toward
the scream-line, and Mr.. Smythe rec
Ognized the hand of fate. There was
a little wrangling, and a little pro
test from Con Bonner, but Jennie
ruled with a rod of iron, and adhered
to her ruling. When the hearing was
resumed after the noon recess, the
proceedings consisted mainly in a con
ference of the principals grouped
about Jennie at the big lawyers table.
They were talking about the methods
adopted by Jim in his conduct of the
Woodruff school-just talking. The
only new thing was the presence of a
couple of newspaper men, who had
Queried Chicago papers on the story,
and been given orders for a certain
number of words on the case of the
farmland schoolmaster on trial be
fore his old sweetheart.
By the time at which gathering
darkness made it necessary for the
bailiff to light the lamps, the parties
had agreed on the facts. Jim admit
ted most of the allegations. He had
practically ignored the textbooks. He
had burned the district fuel and worn
out the district furniture early and
late, and on Saturdays. He had in
troduced domestic economy and man
ual training, to some extent, by send
ing the boys to the workshops and the
girls to the kitchens and sewing-rooms
Of the farmers who allowed those
privileges.
He had used up a great deal of time
in studying farm conditions. He had
induced the boys to test the cows OF
the district for butterfat yield. He
was studying the matter of a co-opera-
tive creamery.
He hoped to open to the boys and
girls the wonders of the universe
which are touched by the work on the
farm. He hoped to make good and
~contented farmers of them, able to
get the most out of the soil, to sell
what they produced to the best advan-
tage. and at the same time to keep up
the fertility Of the soil itself AAo