The Kevin review. [volume] (Kevin, Mont.) 1922-1929, 1923-12-27
CHAPTER xxIl-Continued.

CfCly iCdQCl VI HlStOlS- SiCOC-ld1O,
"schoolmanse''-and it seemed to hin
that they signifed the return of many
old things lost in Merrie England
lost in New England, lost all over
the English-speaking world, when the
old publicly-paid clergyman ceased tC
be so far the servant of all the PEG.
pie hat they refused to be taxed for
his support. Was not the new kind
of rural teacher to be a publicly-paid
leader of thought, of culture, of prog
manse, his glebe-land, and his "liv-
ing?" And all because, like the old
clergyman, he was doing a work in
which everybody was interested and
for which they were willing to be
taxed. Perhaps 1t was not so high
a status as the old; but who vas to
say that? Certainly not Jim Irwin,
the possessor of the new kind of "liv-
ing" with its "glebe-land' and its
"schoolmanse." He would have rated
the new as at least quite as high as
the old.
From the brow of the promontory, a
light concrete bridge took the pretty
little gorge in the leap of a single
arch, and landed the eye at the bot
tom of the front yard of the school
house. Thus the new institution of
life was In full view of the school
manse %veranda, and yet shut off from
it by the dry moat of the brook and
It's tiny meadow of bluegrass.
Across the road was the creamery,
with its businesslike unloading plat
form, and its addition in process of
construction for the reception of the
machinery for the cooperative laun-
dry. Not far from the creamery, and
also across the road, stood the black
smith and w~heelwright shop. Still
farther down the street were the barn,
poultry house, pens, hutches and yards
Of the little farm-small, as were all
the buildings save the schoolhouse it.
self, which was builded, as it should
have been, for the future.
And even the schoolhouse, when one
thinks of the uses to which it was to
be put-kitchen, nursery, kindergar-
ten, banquet hall, theater, moving pic
hall, classrooms, manual training
rooms, laboratory and counting room
and what not, was wonderfully small
Woodruff said far too small
though it was necessarily so large
as to be rather astonishing to the un-
axpectant passer-by.
The unexpectant passer-by this May
lay, however, would have been espe-
struck by the number of motor
,ars, buggies and Surveys parked in
he yard back of the creamery, along
he roadside, and by the driveway
'unning to the schoolhOuse. People in
numbers had arrived by five o'clock in
he afternoon, and were still coming.
They strolled about the place, exam
ming the buildings and grounds, and
with the blacksmith and the
Gradually they drew into the school
like a swarm of bees into a hive
by the queen. None of them,
went across the concrete
ridge to the schoolmanse, save Mrs.
,imms, who crossed, consulted with
IRIS. Irwin about the shrubbery and
and went back to Buddie and
innie, who were good children but
atchally couldn't be trusted with SO
lany other young ones withouten some
They're coming! They're coming"
This was the cry borne to the people
/ and about the schoolhouse by that
Ians Hansen who would be called
[ans Nilsen. Hans had been to the
)p of the little hill and had a look
ward town.
Like a crew manning a rigging, or
crowd having It's picture taken, the
crystallized into forms de-
by the chances of getting a
impse Of the bungalow across the
ivine-on posts, fences, trees and
A motor car came over the hillock,
N down the road TO the driveway to
Ie schoolmanse and drew up at the
>or. Out of it stepped Mrs. Woodruff
Id the colonel, their daughter, the
'unty superintendent of schools, and
Jim Irwin. Jennie was dressed in
very well-tailored travelling costume,
Id Jim in a moderately well-tailOred
lsiness suit. The fact that when
reached the threshold Jim picked
up in his arms and carried her
will enable any good detective to
It one and one together and make a
(which ONE pretty neal telling
e whole story.
BY this time it was nearly seven.
d Calista Simms came across the
bridge as a dispatch-bearer, f.
wing that if Mr.. Jim and Miss Jen- t
e didn't mind, dinner would be
lived right 500 1t was cooked I
'out right, and the folks was gettin' {
.ht hungry-an' such a crowd! t
lere we're fifteen in the babies room, |
Id for a while they thought the |
ungest Hamm young one had swal-
we'd a marble. She would tell 6
q they would be right over; good-by. t
There was another cheer as the
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