Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1945-04-20

Someone must do the work I had
been doing; some way must be pro-
vided to get me back and forth,
six miles twice a day. When I had
gone to Uncle Will Sewell's to visit,
it had been twelve miles, a tre-
mendous distance. Now must trav-
ell that far each day.
| Ma drove in to town with me to
see the professor and was enrolled.
AS the day approached I became
more and more concerned. Could I
hold up my end among the smart
city boys? On top of this was an
other milestone: all my life I had
been shy and self-conScious and I
had the feeling that all the country
boys in our section had: inferiority.
And l was awkward and i'll at ease
and gulpy-throat when I met new
people.
There was the problem Of clothes.
And the problem of money to buy
them with. "You can wear my Sum
day pants, Homer"
protested and yet I did want to
wear them.
"You 60 ahead and wear them.
I've been thinking of getting a new
pair, anyway"
Pa must have sensed the violent
change that was coming into my
life. Homer, I'll drive you in Mon
day morning and bring you back.
I've got some things I want to do
in town."
knew that was a polite lie, but It
made me like Pa. Sometimes he
seemed so Indifferent and imper-
sonal and hard-driving that I al
most hated him; then he would do
something that made a warm flash
come in my heart.
He drove me up in front of tho
schoolhouse and climbed down out
of the hack. 'I'll be up around the
Square at noontime." Then he shook
the lines and drove slowly away.
did not speak to a soul I didn't
have to. was taller and older than
the boys in the freshman class, as
I soon discovered, and knew moth
ing about the ringing of the class
room bells and the constant march
ing here and there. At noon one of
the teachers sat down at a piano
and played for us to march out.
thought I had just about reached the
top in education.
Pa was standing in front of the
grocery where we always met. How
did you fare, son."
"All right, guess"
"Well, I guess we'd better eat.
Well 60 to the short order today"
No eating in the back of the gro
Gerry today.
1t was where the farmers went
and where we felt at home. He
said proudly to one of the men, my
sons just startin' a term of school,"
The man looked me over. "Ain't
he goin' to be farmer?"
Sure he is" said Pa confidently.
At the end of the meal he said,
"You needn't hurry when school dis
misses. I'll be around the grocery.
There he was, when school was out,
patiently waiting.
The next day was on my own. In
my ill-fitting clothes, I moved about
in this new and complicated world
in sort of daze. When I arrived
each morning hated to go in, and
when school dismissed I darted
away to where l had my horse sta
bled and clunked off for home as fast
as I could.
Mornings were worst. AS 1 rode
in on old Dave, would have to pass
students on the way to school. I
| felt horribly ashamed of big-footed
Dave who had a way of making dis
tressing noises. I was the only one
who had to clump in on horseback
and when Dave rumbled by, the stu
dents would turn their eyes on us,
and it seemed to me 1 would die.
| I soon discovered the streets most
frequented, and veered my course
so I wouldn't be seen by so many
students. Now and then a boy would
come out of his home, fresh from
breakfast, and fall in with friends on
the way to school. 1t seemed to me
the very epitome of luxury to be
| able to 1--we IN town, get up late,
and have gay friends to walk to
school with.
At noon the boys and girls went
to their homes, but l went to the
widows stable where kept Dave. I
would water him and put his feed in
his box, then sit down near him and
the two of us would eat.
The barn was SO gloomy and fly
| filled that wanted to take my pa
| per-wrapped lunch somewhere else.
| But there was the problem of the
other students who always seemed to
be smiling at me.
I began putting my lunch in my
| pocket and going behind the Meth
odist Church. But now and then
someone would come through the al
ley and stare. Finally I hit on a
poxu plan Tbera yuaS an oraom,u