Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1941-06-06
The Pen Is Mightier = = By Margaret a:t,, Weymouth
copyrtght: 1871 By News Syndicate Co. Ii
IN TWO PARTS-PART TWO

IN A"o ThhIS-fAkI TWO
But the next time he took Minnie to
Miss welch's room there was a large
and most formidable policeman. He
looked so stern it was almost as though
he wore false face Lewis felt that
this was all wrong but he could not
blame Miss WEIGH who was quite wor-
ried by now. The policeman proceeded
to make mince-meat o. Minnie.
How would you like TO spend night
in jail?" he hollered. How would you
like 10 go TO the reform School?" Min
ME considered this and Mr.. Hertz
meyer suspected that she wouldn't mind
at all but she knew better than to
say SO.
Lying is it?" he demanded harsh
ly. And stealingr
I'll tell the TRUTH I'll tell the TRUTH"
cried Minnie. please don't arrest me
Think OF my poor mother. Please don't
put me in jail. IL tell where l got the
watch"
Nothing fancy now" growled the
policeman, lust the straight stuff
Mr.. HertZmeyer in agony and then
looked at Miss WEIGH.
DO you want Mr.. Hertzmeyer to
leave the room?"
Please" whispered Minnie. So Lewis
vent out politely and he could hear
sobs and groans and goings-on. The
policeman's loud voice was interspersed
with Minnie's agony and Miss Welch's
concern. Presently Minnie came out of
the office and fled past him and he
went in. The policeman was extremely
pleased with himself.
Anytime you've got mean kid. Just
ell me-" he told Miss WEIGH. II can
shake the truth out Of them"
What did she say?" asked Mr..
Hertzmeyer.
"She swiped it from OIL Miz Bell"
said the policeman. She got in the
house one day and went through the
dresser and found the box in a top
drawer and took the watch out Of 1t.
Just plain entering and stealing"
Il don't believe it," said Lewis. In
fact have come to the conclusion that
she didn't steal the watch at all. Walt a
moment" and he took the principals
telephone and called Mrs. Bell and
asked her II she had owned or lost an
formed him tartly that the only watch
she had ever owned was on her wrist
at that moment. She denied any knowl-
edge of any other watch. The police
man was quite debated.
Il think I'll pick up the little fibber
anyhow and take her to the station"
he threatened, but Mr.. Hertzmeyer
said:
You can't, without complaint. You
have no proof the watch Is stolen. No
one has come forward to claim it."
But she says she stole it," protested
Miss WEIGH and Lewis Hertzmeyer an
You told me yourself not to believe
a word she said
But began the others and stop
ped. So they agreed to advertise for the
owner of the lost watch. The ad ran
for three days and nobody came to
claim a watch from Miss WEIGH. Under
pressure Minnie told, In all, seven sep
purest fabrications. After that Miss
WEIGH and Mr.. Hertzmeyer decided to
let the matter rest for the moment and
see what developed. the watch mean
while reposing in Miss Welch'S strong
box. It was almost time for the annual
psychiatric clinic sent out by the State
Board of Education to visit School
Number Nine. Perhaps they could I'M
riddle Minnie.
Mr.. Hertzmeyer looked forward to
the clinic and he was quite shocked at
the cynical attitude toward 1t taken by
Mrs. Hennesy, the lady member of the
school board.
That's all right" she told him in
her rough and ready fashion. You're
young-and innocent. You're Just out of
school. You believe in all his hocus-
pocus. But I've been through all this
before. They come down mere, these
high-powered pSychiatristS and psy-
biologists and they get case histories
for their books and material for lee
lures and they tell us stuff we already
know about Sunday School and sports
and the Boy Scouts and then they go
their way and we still have the ornery
children to cope with
IF even one child is helped, the clinic
is Justified ,o. = oo-.. .,o
Il doubt it-not when. It costs the
taxpayers 500 a day, which is what 1t
costs, YOU know 1t has always seemed
particularly Objectionable to me to have
a scientist who does not believe in re-
ligion recommend Sunday School as
therapeutic for disorganized children.