Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1941-06-06


them that Minnie was their commun-
ity responsibility and they must not
give up as there was great salvage
there.
Mr.. Hertzmeyer ate his supper alone
in the restaurant and he thought about
this afternoons session and tried to
weigh fairly in his mind the value of
the clinic. They had received definite
help for the two little boys who could
not speak plainly. That was so percent!
He felt that the clinic was Justified
But he was still most unhappy about
Minnie The affair of Minnie was no
longer Just an impersonal problem in
Psychology. The warm eager little girl
with her affectionate nature and her
good mind and her prodigious mag
nation had become important to Mr..
Hertzmeyer for her human value. He
set his jaw. He wouldn't give up He
wouldn't allow Minnie to be dismissed
as hopeless.
On the way back to his rooming-
house Mr.. Hertzmeyer stopped at the
drug store and bought new magazine
which bore on its cover the name OF
/ his favorite author. In his room he
took off his coat and tie and settled
down to read. But he had scarcely
spread the book out on his table when
| the idea that had been nagging him nit
him full force.
/ He jumped up with a yell and the
chair flew over backwards, but Mr..
HertZmeyer didn't know it. He was out
of his room and down the stairs and in
five minutes he was knocking at Mrs.
Gantz'S door. The widow came to the
door with red eyes and asked him in.
He realized then that he was without
his hat, coat, or tie, but he went in
anyhow. Minnie was doing homework
at the dining room table and she had
been crying too. Surely they needed
help, these two. II was only matter
of time until the weight OF community
dlsapproval penetrated even MmnieS
buoyancy. Mr.. HertzmeyerS heart was
beating hard as he said:
Minnie, l am going to give you a
special assignment. ! had notice to-
day OF prize that is going TO be given
for the best short story written by a
grade school pupil III this school dis
trlct. have selected you out OF School
Nine to try for it.
4 want you to write a story about
little girl and a watch. Make it good
and perhaps you will win the prize and
go to the state contest
Gee, Mr.. Hertzmeyer I never wrote
a story"
Your English is the best in school
and so is your writing and spelling
said Mr.. HertZmeyer. i am sure You
can do it. And Mrs. CAN'T, you go Oh to
bed now and let Minnie work alone
as late as she wants to work tonight
Back III his own room he was TOO eX-
cited to read. He could hardly wait I'M
I'll morning. When the class assembled
Minnie flounCed up to his desk and
laid some folded theme paper on 1t.
He thanked her and put the paper in
the drawer OF his desk. She was dis
appointed that he did not read it a.
once, but Mr.. Hertzmeyer called the
class to order and started the days
work. He was as eager as Minnie, and
as the seventh grade filed out for re-
cess he opened the folded sheets and
read as follows:
once there was little girl. She
went to see a friend OF hers called
GuSSle. GuSSle had rich old grand
mother. She was sick in bed. She called
the little girl in her room and told
her to shut the door. The grandmother
said look in my buro drawer and you
will find a purple box. Give it to me.
So the little girl did. The grandmother
opened 1t and took out a watch. She
gave it to the little girl. She said, Your
grandfather gave me this watch when
We were young and SweetheartS. 1t
cost one hundred dollars and I was
too mean to give it back to him when
We Quarreled. would like to give it to
you but my datter is stingey and she
would not want ME to give it away so
Just keep it and don't tell anyone SO
the little girl kept the watch and ev-
eryone thought she had stolen it but
she had not. Only she would not tell
where she got it because it was a secret
So she told lies and almost got put in
Jail but she didn't care. Moral: DO not
steal or tell lies. The end
Mr.. Hertzmeyer wiped the sweat off
his forehead. He took this literary eff
fort to Miss WEIGH. She read it in 81
lence and looked up at him and he
explained.
You know of course you must get up
contest now" she said and he nodd-
ed. He had thought of that. He had it
planned. Miss WEIGH was thoughtful.
Gussie would be Augusta Mann"
she said. Her grandmother's name was
Lizzie Lang. The old lady has been
bed-ridden q long time and it Is true
that Augustus mother IS quite-well