Tuesday, January
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BROWN
MOUSE
By HERBERT QUICK
niiiiiiiiiimiiiimmiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiim;
(Copyright by Th BobU-Merrill Company)
" SYNOPsTi
CHAPTER I. Jennie Woodruff con
temptuously refuses to marry Jim Ir
win, young farm hand, because of hia
financial condition and poor prospects.
He Is Intellectually above his station,
and has advanced Ideas concerning the
possibilities of expert sohool teaching,
lor whloh he la ridiculed by many.
CHAPTER H. More as a Joke than
otherwise Jim is selected as teacher ot
theJWoodruft district school.
CHAPTER III JlmTTn his new1 posi
tion, sets out to make stanch friends
of his pupils, especially two boys, New
ton Bronson and "Buddy" Simms, th
latter the son of a shiftless farmer.
Colonel Woodruff, Jennie's father, has
little faith in Jim's ideas of improving
rural educational methods. He nick
names him the "Brown Mouse," In Il
lustration of an anecdote.
CHAPTER IV. Jim's conduct of the
school, where he endeavors to teach
the children the wonders of nature
and some of the scientific methods of
farming, as well as "book learning,"
u condemned.
CHAPTER V. Jennie Woodruff Is
nominted for the position of county
superintendent of schools. The school
board grows bitter in its opposition
to Jim and his innovations.
CHAPTER VI. At a public meeting
Jim roundly, condemns the methods of
teaching in the rural schools, and
makes no friend thereby.
CHAPTER VII. A delegation of
prominent women condemn Jim's meth
ods of teaching, but he is stoutly de
tended by his pupils, especially Newton
Bronson.
CHAPTER VIII. Jim has Christmas
dinner at Colonel Woodruff's, and lis
tening to him, Jennie begins to do some
thinking concerning his ability and
his prospects.
CHAPTER IX. In the evening: Jim,
as well as he knows how, courts Jen
nie, without, however, making much
progress, though she is quickly losing
her poor opinion of him.
CHAPTER X. Jennie, elected county
superintendent of schools, receives so
many complaints from people of the
district concerning Jim's methods of
teaching that she finds herself com
pelled formally to ask for his resigna
tion. After she has left, Jim Is visited
by Colonel Woodruff, who strongly
urges him to refuse to resign, and
offers to back him. Jim agrees to
tick, for a while at least.
CHAPTER XI. A meeting of the
school board, which had been gathered
to "get" Jim, Is confronted by Jennie,
who upholds him. He conducts an ex
amination of his pupils at the meet
ing, to prove that he is not neglecting
their "book learning" by the Introduc
tion of other subjects which lie con
siders of Importance. The splendid
snowing made by the children converts
many, who had doubted, to his views.
The Chicago papers had a news Item
which covered the result of the ex
aminations; but the grunt sensation of
the Woodruff district lay in the Sun
day feature carried by one of them.
It had a picture of .Tim Irwin, and
one of Jennie Woodruff the latter au
thentic, and the former gleaned from
the morgue, and apparently the por
trait of a lumber-jack. There was
also a very free treatment by the car
toonist of Mr. Simms carrying a rifle
with the intention of shooting up the
school board in case the decision went
against the schoolmaster.
"When It became known." said the
news story, "that the schoolmaster had
bet his job on the proficiency of his
school in studies supposed and alleged
to have been studiously neglected, the
excitement rose to fever heat. Local
sports bet freely on the result, the
odds being eight to five on General
Proficiency against the field. The field
was Jim Irwin and his school. And
the way those rural kids rose In their
might and ate up the textbooks was
simply scandalous. When the fight was
over, and the dead and wounded cared
for, the school board and the county
superintendent were forced to admit
that they wished the average school
could do as well under a similar test.
"The local Mr. Dooley is Cornelius
Bonner, a member of the 'board.' When
asked for a statement of his views af
ter the county superintendent had de
cided that her old sweetheart was to
be allowed the priceless boon of earn
ing forty dollars a month during the
remainder of his contract, Mr. Bonner
said, 'Aside from being licked, we're
all right. But we'll get this guy yet,
don't fall down and fergit that !'
" 'The examinations tind to show,'
said Mr. Bonner, when asked for hlg
opinion on the result, 'that in or-r-rder
to larn anything you shud shtudy
somethin' Use. But we'll git this guy
yit !' '
"Jim," said Colonel Woodruff, as
they rode home together, "I'm Just be
ginning to understand what you're
driving at. And I like being a wild-eyed-reformer
more and more."
CHAPTER XII
At the Farmers' Institute.
Every Iowa county has Its Farmers'
Institute. Usually It ts held In the
county seat, and Is a gathering of
farmers for the purpose of listening
to improving discussions and addresses
both instructive and entertaining. The
Woodruff district was Interested In
the institute, however, because of the
fact that a rural-school exhibit was
one of its features that year, and that
Colonel Woodruff had secured an
urgent invitation to the school to take
part in It.
Cnoh otMi!1c uro nnir i common
22; 1924
that it is not worth while lor us to
describe it; but then, the sight of a
class of children testing and weighing
milk, examining grains for viability
and foul seeds, planning crop rota
tions, judging grains and live stock
was so new in that county as to be the
real sensation of the institute.
Two persons were a good deal em
barrassed by the success of the ex
hibit. One was the county superin
tendent, who was constantly In receipt
of undeserved compliments upon her
wisdom in fostering really "practicul
"Come and Tell Us About Those
Things."
work In the schools." The other was
Jim Irwin, who was becoming famous,
and who felt he had done nothing to
deserve fame. Professor Withers, an
extension lecturer from Ames, took
Jim to dinner at the best hotel In the
town, for the purpose of talking over
with him the needs of the rural
schools.
"You've got to come down to our
farmers' week next year, and tell us
about these things," said he to Jim.
"Can't you?"
Jim's brain reeled. He go to a gath
ering of real educators and tell his
crude notions! How could he get the
money for his expenses? But he had
that gameness which goes with su
preme confidence in the thing dealt
wllh.
"I'll come," said he.
"Thank you," said the Ames mnn.
"There's a small honorarium attached,
you know."
Jim was staggered. He tried to re
member what an honorarium is. Was
he obliged to pay an honorarium for
the chance to speak before the college
gathering? Well, he'd save money and
pay It.
"I I'll try to take care of the hon
orarium," said he. "I'll come."
The professor laughed. It was the
first joke the gangling Innovator had
perpetrated. ,
"It won't bother you to take care of
it," said he, "but if you're not too ex
travagant it will pay your expenses
and give you a few dollars over."
Jim breathed more freely. An hon
orarium was paid to the person receiv
ing the honor, then. AVhat a relief I
"All right," he exclaimed. "I'll be
glad to come!"
"Let's consider that settled," said
the professor. "And now I must be
going back to the opera-house. My
talk on soil sickness conies next.' 1
tell you, the winter wheat crop has
been "
But Jim was not able to think much
of the winter wheat problem as they
went back to the auditorium. He was
worth the appreciation of a college
professor, trained to think on the very
matters Jim had been so long mulling
over in isolation and blindness!
Callsta Simms thought she saw
something shining and saint-like about
the comely face of her teacher ns he
came to her at her post In the room
In which the school exhibit was held.
Callsta was in charge of the little chil
dren whose work was to be demon
strated that day, and was in a state
of exaltation to which her starved be
ing had hitherto been a stranger. Per
haps there was something similar In
her condition of fervent happiness to
that of Jim. She, too, was doing some
thing outside the sordid life of the
Simms cabin. She yearned over the
children in her care, und would have
been glad to die for them and besides
was not Newton Bronson In charge of
the corn exhibit, and a member f the
corn-Judging team?
To the eyes of the town girls who
passed about among the exhibits, she
was poorly dressed ; but if they could
have seen the clothes she had worn on
that evening when Jim Irwin first
culled at their cabin they could per
haps have understood the sense of
well-being and happiness In Calista's
soul at the feeling of her dress, and
the "boughten" cloak she wore and
any of them, even without knowledge
of this, might have understood Cnlls
ta's Joy at the knowledge that Newton
Bronson's eyes were on her from his
station by the big pillar
"Hello, Calista!" said Jim. "How
are you enjoying it?"
"Oh !" said Calista, and drew a long,
long breath. "Ah'm enjoying niyse'f
right much, Mr. Jim."
"Any of the home folks coming In
to see?"
"Yes, geh," answered Callsta. "All
the school board have stopped by this
morning."
Jim looked about him. There they
were now, over In a corner, with their
heads together. He went toward them,
his face still beaming with that radi
ance which had shone so plainly to
the eyes of Calista Simms, but they
saw in It only a grin of exultation over
his defeat of them at the hearing be
fore Jennie Woodruff. When Jim had
drawn so close as almost to call for
the extended hand, he felt the repul
sion of their attitudes and sheered off
on some pretended errand to a dark
corner across the room.
They resumed their talk.
"And as I wag sayln'," went on
Bonner. "I want to get this guy. Jim
THE HEPPNER HERALD,
IfWin, An uciu tnc cause ox uia git
tin 'the school, I'd like to be on the
board to kick him off; but if you fel
lers would like to have some one else,
I won't run, and if the right feller is
named, I'll line up what friends I got
for him."
"You got no friend can git as many
wotes as you can," said Peterson. "I
tank you better run."
"What say, Ez?" asked Bonner.
"Suits me all right," said Bronson.
"I guess we three have had our fight
out and understand each other."
"I don't like the way Colonel Wood
ruff acts," said Bonner. "He rounded
up that gang of kids that shot us all
to pieces at that hearing, didn't he?"
"I tank not," replied Peterson. "I
tank he was yust interested In how
Yennle managed It."
"Well," said Bonner, "he seems to
take a lot of interest In this exhibition
here. I think we'd better watch the
colonel. That decision of Jennie's was
crooked."
"Veil," said Haakon Peterson, "talk
of crookedness wit' Yennie Woodruff
don't get wery fur wit' me."
"Oh, I don't mean anything bad,
Haakon," replied Bonner, "but It
wasn't an all-right decision, I think
she's stuck on the guy."
The caucus broke up after making
sure that the three members of the
school board would be as one man in
maintaining a hostile front to Jim
Irwin and his tenure of office. It
looked rather like a foregone conclu
sion, in a little district wherein there
were scarcely twenty-five votes. The
three members of the board with their
Immediate friends and dependents
could muster two or three ballots each
and who was there to oppose them?
CHAPTER XIII
The Colonel Takes the Field,
Jim stood apart and alone with his
thoughts after his rebuff by the cau
cusing members of the school board.
"I don't see," said a voice over
against the cooking exhibit, "what
there Is in this to set people talking.
Buttonholes ! Cookies ! Humph !"
It was Mrs. Bonner who had clearly
come to scoff. With her was Mrs.
Bronson, whose attitude was that of
a person torn between conflicting in
fluences. Her husband had Indicated
to the crafty Bonner and the subtle
Peterson that he was still loyal to the
school board, but while consorting
with the censorious Mrs. Bonner she
evinced restiveness when the school
and its work was condemned. Was not
her Newton in charge of a part of this
show? Was he not an open and de
fiant champion of Jim Irwin, and a
constant and enthusiastic attendant
upon, not only his classes, but a vari
ety of evening and Saturday affairs?
And had not Newton become a better
hoy a wonderfully better boy?
Mrs. Bronson's heart was filled with
resentment that she also could not be
enrolled among Jim Irwin's supporters.
And when Mrs. Bonner sneered at the
buttonholes and cookies, Mrs. Bronson,
knowing how the little fingers had
puzzled themselves over the one, and
young faces had become floury and red
over the other, flared up a little.
"And I don't see," said she, "any
thing to laugh at. I'd like to help
them."
Mrs. Bonner was far too good a
diplomat to be cornered in the same
enclosure with a rupture of relations.
"And quite right, too," said she.
"The little things ought to be helped
at home and by their mothers."
"Well," said Mrs. Bronson, "take
them Simms girls, now. They have to
have help outside their home."
"Yes," agreed Mrs. Bonner, "and a
lot more help than a farm-hand can
give 'em in school. I shouldn't wonder
if there was a lot we don't know about
why they come north."
"As for that," replied Mrs. Bron
son, "I don't know as it's any of my
business so long as they behave them
selves." Again Mrs. Bonner felt the situa
tion getting out of hand.
"Ain't It some of our business?"
she queried. "I wonder now! By the
way Newtie keeps his eye on that
Simms girl, I shouldn't wonder If It
might turn out your business."
"Pshaw!" scoffed Mrs. Bronson.
"Puppy love!"
"You can't tell how far it'll go," per
sisted Mrs. Bonner. "I tell you these
schools are getting to be nothing more
than sparkin' bees, from the county
superintendent down."
"Well, maybe," said Mrs. Bronson,
"but I don't see sparkin' in everything
boys and girls do as quick as some."
"I wonder," said Mrs. Bonner, "If
Colonel Woodruff would be as friendly
to Jim Irwin if he knew that every
body says Jennie decided he was to
keep his certlf-klt because she wants
him to get along in the world, so he
can marry her?"
"I don't know as she Is so very
friendly to him," replied Mrs. Bron
son ; "and Jim and Jennie are both of
age, you know."
"Yes, but how about our schools
bein' ruined by a love affair?" Interro
gated Mrs. Bonner, as they moved
away. "Ain't that your business and
miner
Instead of desiring further knowl
edge of what they were discussing,
Jim felt a dreadful disgust at the
whole thing. Jennie was against him,
he believed, and as for her being in
love with him to hear these women
discuss It was intolerable. He felt his
face redden as at the hearing of gome
horrible Indecency. And while he was
raging Inwardly, paying the penalty of
a publicity to which he was not yet
hardened, he heard other voices. Pro
fessor Withers, County Superintendent
Jennie and Colonel Woodruff were
making an Inspection of the rural
gchool exhibit.
"I hear he hag been having gome
trouble with his school board." the
HEPPNER, OREGON
I'HMrs-sor was s;iyuiu;.
"Yes," said Jennie, "he has. Pro
ceedings before me to revoke his cer
tificate." "On what grounds?"
"Incompetency," answered Jennie.
"I found that his pupils were really
going very well In the regular course
of study which he seems to be neg
lecting." "I'm glad you supported him," said
the professor. "I'm glad to find you
helping him."
"Really," protested Jennie, "I don't
think myself "
"What do you think of his notions?"
asked the colonel.
"Very advanced," replied Professor
Withers, "Where did he Imbibe them
all?"
"He's a Brown Mouse," said the col
onel. "A phenomenon in heredity per
haps a genius."
"Ah, I see," replied the professor, "a
Mendellan segregation, you mean?"
"Certainly," said- the colonel. "The
sort of mind that Imbibes things from
Itself."
"Well, he's rather wonderful," de
clared the professor. "I had him to
lunch today. He surprised me. I have
Invited him to make an address at
Ames next winter during farmers'
week."
"He?"
Jennie's tone showed her astonish
ment. Jim the underling. Jim the off
ox. Jim the thorn In the county super
intendent's side. Jim the country
teacher! It was stupefying.
"Oh, you mustn't judge him by his
looks," said the professor. "I really
do hope he'll take some advice on the
matter of clothes put on a cravat and
a different shirt and collur when he
comes to Ames but I have no doubt
he will."
"He hasn't any other," said the col
onel. "Well, it won't signify, If he has the
truth to tell us," said the professor.
"Has he?" asked Jennie.
"Miss Woodruff," replied the pro
fessor earnestly, "he has something
that looks toward truth, and some
thing we need. Just how fur he will
"I Have Invited Him to Make an
Address.1
go, Just what he will nmount to, It is
impossible to say. But something must
be done for the rural schools some
thing along the lines he is trying to
follow. He is a struggling soul, and
he is worth helping. You won't make
any mistake if you make the most of
Mr. Irwin."
Jim slipped out of a side door and
fled He started home, on foot as he
had come. A mile or so out he was
overtaken by the colonel, driving
briskly along with room in his buggy
for Jim.
"Climb In, Jim 1" said he. "Dan and
Dolly didn't like to see you walk."
"They're looking fine," said Jim.
There Is a good deal to say when
ever two horse lovers get together.
But when Jim had alighted at his own
door, the colonel spoke of what had
been in his mind all the time.
"I saw Bonner and Haakon and Ez
doing sojne caucusing today," said he.
"They expect to elect Bonner to the
board again."
"Oh, I suppose so," replied Jim.
"Well, what shall we do about it?"
asked the colonel.
Jim was silent. Here was a matter
on which he really had no Ideas ex
cept the broad and general one that
truth Is mighty and shall prevail but
that the speed of its forward march is
problematical.
"I think," said the colonel, "that it's
up to us to see that the people have a
chance to decide. It's really Bonner
against Jim Irwin."
"What you need Is a man to take
that office away from Bonner."
"Well, I'm free to say I don't know
that any one can, but I'm willing to
try. I think that In about a week I
shall pass the word around that I'd
l!l;e to serve my country on the school
board."
Jim's face lighted up and then
darkened.
"Even then they'd be two to one,
Colonel."
"Muybe," replied the colonel, "and
maybe not. That would have to be
figured on. A cracked log splits easy."
"Anvhow." Jirn went on. "what'g the
Job Printing
SEE US
When in need of any
thing in the line of neat
and attractive Printing.
use? l 8,nan t oe oistnrnea tins jeui
and after that what's the use?"
"Why, Jim," said the colonel, "you
aren't getting short of breath are you?
I thought you good for the mile, and
you aren't turning out a quarter horse,
are you? I don't know what all it is
you want to do, but I don't believe
you can do it In nine months, can
you?"
"Not In nine years!" replied Jim.
"Well, then, let's plan for ten years,"
said the colonel. "I ain't going to be
come a reformer at my time of life as
a ' temporary Job. Will you stick If
we can swing the thing for you?"
"I will," said Jim, In a manner of a
person taking the tows In some sol
emn initiation.
'All right," said the colonel. "We'll
keep quiet and see how many votes
we can muster up at the election. How
many can you speak for?"
Jim gave himself for a few minutes
to thought. It was a new thing to
him, tills matter of mustering votes
and a thing which he had always
looked upon as rather reprehensible.
The citizen should go forth with no
coercion, no persuasion, no suggestion,
and vote his sentiments.
"How many can you round up?"
persisted the colonel.
"I think," said Jim, "that I can
speak for myself and Old Man Simms !"
The colonel laughed.
"Flue politician !" he repeated. "Fine
pqjitician! Well, Jim, you round up
yourself and Old Man Simms and I'll
see what I can do I'll see what I can
do!"
' (To be continued)
Hitching Horseless Buggies.
Because of being pestered by motor
thefts a small town in California has
get up a row of concrete hitching
posts on the main street for the use
of motorists. When the farmers drive
In for their Saturday shopping now
they drive the car up to the hitching
rail, as In bygone days, and chain the
wheels to tbe nearest nost.
IT PAYS TO READ
iIliHSfta3 issfc" l issfc'il '"" 'I'1 Ssfc T " jsjjaj-
Forehanded
People
Inside of the vault of the bank are located
the individvual Safe Deposit Boxes main
tained for those forehanded people who want
the BEST OF PROTECTION for their
valuables. Bonds, stocks, insurance policies,
mortgages, records, receipts, jewelry, trink
ets, etc, deserve better protection than they
receive when kept in an office safe, tin box
or hidden away somewhere.
This bank has these Safe Deposit Boxes
for rent at the rate of two dollars a year and
up, according to the size of the box.. It offers
you the opportunity to keep your valuables
where it? keeps its own. Rent a Safe Deposit
Box today, for the number now vacant is
limited.
Farmers and Stockgrowers
National Bank
HEPPNER, OREGON
Thomson Bros.
OUR STORE is head
quarters for seasonable
merchandise.
We can feed and clothe the whole
family from soup to nuts and
from hats to shoes
See our line of
Suits and Overcoats
for Men and Boys
Page Three
Deep Human Touch to
German Children's Fund
The Altrua club of Oswego,
Or., had $15 in its treasury and,
after hearing of the pitiful condi
tion of millions ot German chU
drep, officially confirmed b
American agents, voted unarjj
moualy to give the money to tlje
fund being raised in Portland by
the American committee fdf re
lief of German children,
Anton Mell, a young maj)t$nV
perarlly working in PendjjEon,
read of the situation and s?nt
his pass book on the VOHed
States National bank in Port
land, with an order to pay ISO
frjm hie savings account toward
the fund. He had but few,
dollars left. '
The Meat-cutters' union b!
Portland Toted ?900 fro.jn Its
treasury. J
Many other similar Instances
could be cited.
First Leviathan Was Failure
The first attempt to provide trans
atlantic travelers with a vessel that.
In size and magnificence, would be a
floating hotel, was made In the build-1
lng ot the Great Eastern. The launch
ing of this huge ship, for some tlma
called the Leviathan, was commenced
November 2, 1857, but owing to the
difficulty of moving the enormous
weight, the vessel was not finally
afloat until early In 1858.
The secret of managing go large a
liner had not yet been learned, and
the Great Eastern was from the first
a white elephant to her owners. Her
only real service was in the laying of
Atlantic cables. She made her last
voyage 35 years ago, and was then
disposed of as Junk. The pioneer
Leviathan had a length of 692 feet
and a tonnage of 27,000. Detroit,1
News.
THE HERALD ADS
1' sfc gsw f j " ' ""f n"" "V sssi