The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1924-01-11
The Brown Mouse

bow. should adorn the homer"
: "Boshl" sneered Jennie, rattle
pleased, all the same, suppose sn,
Isn't fair, and hasn't any home I"
This question OF adjoining a HON,
was no nearer settlement with Jenni,
than II had ever been, though In
creasingly a matter of speculation
There We're two or three men-rathel
good catches, too-who, II they were
encouraged-but what was there to
any Of them7 This is what Jennie
asked her paper-weight as she placed
II on a pile of unfinished examination
papers. And the paper-weight echoed,
mot thing out of the ordinary I"
And then, said Jennie, "WelI you little
simpleton, who and what are you so
out OF the ordinary that you should
sheer at Wilbur Smythe and Beckman
Fifield and such men?" And echo an
swered, 'sWhat ?"-and then the mail
carrier came in.
Down near the bottom of the pile
she found this letter, signed by a
southern state superintendent of
schools, but dated at Kirkville, Mis-
souri,:
Il am member of a party of south
ern charlottesville superintendent
in the main-en tour of the country
to see what we can find of an instruc-
tive nature in rural school work.
Professor Withers of Ames suggests
that we visit your schools. and especial
ly the rural school taught by young
man named Irwin, and | wonder II you
will be free on next Monday moaning,
II we come to your Office to direct us
to the place? If you could accompany
us on the trip, and perhaps show US
some of your other excellent schools,
we should be hOnored and pleased"
And then came the shock-a party
OF state officials were coming into the
county TO study Jim Twins school
They would never come to study VIII
bur Smythe's law practice-never In |
the world-or her work as county
Observation-Disclosures land Jim was |
getting seventy-five dollars a month, /
and had mother to support. But
there could be no doubt that there was
to Jim-the man was out
- ettN Ahd WASH mat JUST
what she had been looking for in her
mind?
Jennie wired to her southerner for
the number of his party, and secured
automobiles for the trip. She sent a
note to Jim Irwin telling of the
visitation. She would show
all concerned that she could do some
Kings, anyhow, and she would send
hese people on with a good impress
zion of her county.
She was glad of the automobiles the
lext Monday morning. when at nine
hirty the train discharged upon her
dozen very alert, very up-to-date,
cry inquisitive southerners, male and
emale, most OF whom seemed to have
eft their ''r's" in the gulf region. 1t
7as eleven when the party parked
heir machines before the schoolhouse
DOR.
There are visitors here before u.s."
aid Jennie.
Seems rather like an educational
hrine," said Doctor Brathwayt of
How does he accommo-
ate so many visitors In that small
1ifice?" {
hat he has been In the habit OF re-
Giving so very many from outside the |
strict. Well, shall we go IMP" D
Once inside. Jennie felt a queer re- I
i'm of her old aversion to Jim's
ethods-the aversion which had
fused her to criticize him so sharply =
l the occasion of her first visit. The :,
ason for the return of the feeling =
y In the fact that the work going on :,
as the same sort but of more in :.
nse character II was so utterly I'M .
Re a school as Jennie understood the :
ord, that she glanced back at the =
CUP of educators with a little blush. y
ne school was in a sort of uproar.
II that uproar of boredom and mis- q
ief of which most of us have famiI- q,
: memories, but sort of eager up. N,
ar, in which every child was in Al
lsely interested In the same thing; ri
d did little rustiing things because
this interest; something like the
M at a football game or a dog be-
hit. m
On one side OF the desk stood Jim ra
vim, and facing him was a smooth pl
anger of the old-fashioned lightning W
i-agent type-the shallower and lax to
cert of salesman Of the kind whose eA
e business Is to get signatures on
, dotted line. and let some one else
the rest. In short, he was a A
nrer." ri
'tNrGing back of him in evident dis Ia
SIS vas Mr.. Cornelius Bonner, and m
upcd about were Columbus Brown, ca
b. damm, Ezra Bronson. A b. ev
cott aud two or three others from
side ihe Woodruff district. With
elopes Ia their hands and tne light nd
battle IN their eyes stood Newton III
'nson, Raymond Simms. Bettina Ju
nsen. Mary Smith and Angie Tai Ju
/. the boys filled with delight. the tn
$ rather frightened at being en- OF
ed in something like debate with lie