Tuesday, January 29, 1924
THE HEPPNER HERALD, HEPPNER, OREGON
Page Three
(v
We
BROWN
MOUSE
By HERBERT QUICK
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(Croyrlgtt by The Bobbe-Merrlll Company)
1" SYNOPSIS
CHAPTER I Jennie Woodruff con
temptuously refuses to marry Jim Ir
win, young farm hand, because of his
financial condition and poor prospects.
He Is intellectually above his station,
and has advanced ideas concerning the
possibilities of expert school teaching,
lor which he la ridiculed by many.
CHAPTER II. More as a Joke than
otherwise Jim la selected as teacher of
the Woodruff district school.
CHAPTER III. Jim, In his new posi
tion, sets out to make stanch friends
cf his pupils, especially two boys, New
ton Bronson and "Buddy" Simms, the
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
arming, as well as "book learning,"
Is 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
fended 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
hie prospects.
CHAPTER IX. In the evening Jim,
as well as he knows how, courts Jen
nie, without, however, making much
progress, though Bhe 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
atick, 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 he con
siders of Importance. ' The splendid
showing made by the children converts
many, who had doubted, to his views.
CHAPTER XII. The novel Ideas
which Jim has Introduced have been
talked about outside the county, and
he is visited by Professor Withers, ex
tension lecturer at the state university,
who invites him to deliver an addresi
at the next annual meeting of the
Farmers' institute.
CHAPTER XIII. Professor Withers
Is Impressed by many of the innova
tions made by Irwin, and so informs
Colonel Woodruff and Jennie, some
what to the astonishment of both. The
colonel suggests to Jim that he (the
colonel) sek election to the school
board, replacing Cornelius Bonner, Im
placable enemy of Jim Irwin.
, CHAPTER XIV
A Minor Casts Half a Vote.
March came In like neither a lion
nor a lamb, but was scarcely a week
old before the wild ducks had begun to
score the sky above Branson's slew
looking for open water and badly
harvested cornfields. Wild geese, too,
honked from on high as If In wonder
; that these great prairies on which thelj
I forefathers had been wont fearlessly
' to alight had been changed into a dis
' gusting expanse of farms. Colonel
I Woodruffs hired man, Pete, stopped
'Newton Bronson and Raymond Simms
as they tramped across the colonel's
pasture, gun in hand, trying to make
themselves believe that the shooting
was good.
1 "This ain't no country to hunt in,"
said he. "Did either of you fellows
ever have any real duck-shooting?"
"The mountings," said Raymond,
"air poor places for ducks."
"Not big enough water," suggested
Pete. "Some wood-ducks, I suppose?"
"Along the creeks and rivers, yes,
seh," said Raymond, "but nothing to
depend on."
"I've never been nowhere," said
Newton, "except once to Minnesotu
and and that wasn't In the shooting
season."
A year ago Newton would hare
boasted of having "bummed" his way
to Faribault. His hesitant speech was
a proof of the embarrassment hli new
respectability sometimes Inflicted upon
him.
"I used to shoot ducks for the mar
ket at Spirit Lake," said Pete. "I know
Fred Gilbert just as well as I know
you, BntThat'j all over, now. You've
'gotto go fur now To el
shootfngwhere the farmers won't drive
you off, that It costs nine dollars 1o
"I think we'll have" fine shooting on
the slew in a few days," said N'ewton.
"Humph l" scoffed Pete, "t give you
my word, if I hadn't promised the
colonel I'd stay with him another year,
Id take a side-door Pullman for the
Sand Hills of Nebraska or the Devil's
lake country tomorrow if I had a j
gun.
"If it wasn't for a pasel of things
that keep me hyeh," said Raymond,
"I'd like to go, too."
"The colonel," said rete, "needs me.
ne neeus uie iu me cmnuu lumuuv,
What's the matter of your ol man,
Newt? What for does he vote for that
Bonner, and throw down an old neigh
bor 7
"I can't do anything with him !" ex
claimed Nesvton Irritably. "He's all
tangled up with Peterson and Bonner."
"Well," said Pete, "If he'd just stay
at home it would help some. If he'
votes for Bonner, it'll be just about
a stand-off."
"He never misses vote 1" said
Newton despairingly.
"Can't you cripple him some way?"
asked Pete jocularly. 'iDarned funny
when a boy o' your age can't control
his father's vote! So long!"
"I wish I could vote!" grumbled
Newton. "I wish I could! We know
a lot more about the school, and Jim
Irwin bein' a good teacher than dad
does and we can't vote. Why can't
folks vote when they are interested In
an election, and know about the is
sues. It's tyranny that you and I
cun't vote."
"I reckon," said Raymond, the con
servative, "that the old-time people
that bxed it thataway knowed best."
"Rats !" sneered Newton, the icono
clast. "Why, Callsta knows more
about the election of school director
than dad knows."
"That don't seem reasonable," pro
tested Raymond. "She's prejudyced,
I reckon, in favor of Mr. Jim Irwin."
"Well, dad's prejudiced against htm
er, no, he hain't either. He likes
Jim. He's just prejudiced against
giving up his old notions. No, he
hain't neither I guess he's only
prejudiced against seeming to give up
some old notions he seemed to have
once! And the kids in school would
be prejudiced right, anyhow !"
"Paw says he'll be on hand prompt,"
said Raymond. "But he had to be
p'swnded right much. Paw's proud
and he can't read."
"Sometimes I think the more people
read the less sense they've got," said
Newton. "I wish I could tie dad up!
I wish I could get snakebit, and make
him go for the doctor!"
The boys crossed the ridge to the
wooded valley in which nestled the
Simms cabin. They found Mrs. Simms
greatly exercised In her mind because
young McGeehee had been found play
ing with some blue vitriol used by
Raymond in his school work on the
treatment of seed potatoes for scab.
"His hands was all blue with it,"
said she. "Do you reckon, Mr. New
ton, that it'll plzen him?"
"Did he swallow any of it?" asked
Newton.
"Nah !" said McGeehee scornfully.
Newton reassured Mrs. Simms, and
went away pensive. Jim Irwin's meth
ods had already accomplished much In
preparing Newton and Raymond for
citizenship. He had shown them the
fact that voting really has some re
lation to H'e. At present, however,
the new wine In the old bottles was
causing Newton to forget his filial
duty, and his respect for his father.
He wished he could lock hira up in
the bam so he couldn't go to the
school election. He wished he could
become 111 or poisoned with blue
vitriol or something so his father
would be obliged to go for a doctor,
He wished well, why couldn't he get
sick? Newton mended his pace, and
looked happier.
"I'll fix him !" said he to himself.
"What time's the election, Ez?"
asked Mrs. Bronson at breakfast.
"I'm goiii' at four o'clock," said
Ezra. "And I don't want to hear any
more from any one" looking at New
ton "about the election. It's none of
the business of the women an' boys."
Newton took this reproof In an un
expectedly submissive spirit. In fact,
he exhibited his very best side to the
family that morning, like one going on
a long Journey, or about to be married
off, or engaged in some deep dark
plot.
"I s'pose you're off trampin' the
slews at the sight of a flock of ducks
four miles off as usual?" stated Mr.
Bronson clinllenglngly.
"I thought," said Newton, "that I'd
get a lot of raisin bait ready for the
pocket-gophers In the lower meadow.
They'll be throwing up their mounds
by the first of April."
"Not them," said Mr. Bronson, some
what mollified, "not before May.
Where'd you get the raisin Idee?"
"We learned It in school," answered
Newton. "Jim had me study a bulletin
on the control and eradication of
poclcet-gophers. You use raisins with
strychnine in 'em and it tells how."
"Some fool notion, 1 s'pose," said
Mr. Bronson, rising. "But go ahead
If you're careful about handlin' the
strychnine."
Newton spent the time from twelve
thirty to half after two In watching
the clock ; and twenty minutes to
three found him In the woodshed, pen
knife In hand, a small vial of strych
nine crystal before him, a saucer of
raisins at his right hand, and another
exactly like It, partially filled with
gopher bait raisins into whU-h a min
ute crystal of strychnine had Ieen In
serted on the point of the knife.
At three-thirty Newton went Into
the house and lay djjwn 05 the Jiorje
najr sofa, faying to his mother 'that he
felt kind o' ifunny and thought he'd lie
down i while. At three-forty he
heard his father's voice in the kitchen
and knew that his sire was preparing
to start for the scene of battle,
A groan Issued from" S'ewton's lips
a gruesome groan. But his father's
voice from the kitchen door betrayed
no agitation. He was scolding the
horses as they stood tied to the hltch-ing-post,
in tones that showed no
knowledge of ' his son's distressed
moans.
"Whafa the matter T
It was Mewton's little sister who
asked the Question. Even though re-
garuea as a pure tuaner vi mna.tr
belleve, such sounds were terrible.
"Oh, sister, sister I" howled Newton,
"run and tell 'em that brother's dy
ing!" Fanny disappeared In a manner
which expressed her balanced feelings
she felt that her brother was mak
ing believe, but for all that, something
awful was the matter. So she went
rather slowly to the kitchen door, and
casually remarked that Newton was
dying on the sofa In the sitting-room.
"You little fraud!" said her father.
"Why, Fanny!" said her mother
and ran into the sitting-room whence
In a moment, with a cry that was al
most a scream, she summoned her hus
band, who responded at the top of his
speed.
Newton was groaning and in con
vulsions. Horrible grimaces contorted
his face, his Jaws were set, his arms
and legs drawn up, and his muscles
tense.
"What's the matter?" His father's
voice was stern as well as full of anx
iety. "What's the matter, boy?"
"Oh !" cried Newton. "Oh 1 Oh I
Oh !"
"Newtle, Newtle!" cried his mother,
"where are you in pain? Tell mother,
Newtle!"
"Oh," groaned Newtie, relaxing, "I
feel awful!"
"What you been eating?" interro
gated his father.- .
"Nothing," replied Newton.
"I saw you eatin' dinner," said his
father.
Again Newton was convulsed by
strong spasms, and again his groans
filled the hearts of his parents with
terror.
"That's all I've eaten," said he when
his spasms had passed, "except a few
raisins. I was putting strychnine In
'em"
"Oh, heavens!" cried his mother.
" "Heavens! He's Poisoned!"
"He's poisoned 1 Drive for the doctor,
Ezra I Drive !"
Mr. Bronson forgot all about the
election forgot everything save anti
dotes and speed. He leaped toward
the door. As he passed out, he shout
ed, "Give him an emetic!" He tore
the hitching straps from the posts,
jumped Into the buggy, gave the spir
ited horses their heads, and fled toward
town. Just at the town limits, he met
the doctor in Sheriff Dllly's automo
bile, the sheriff himself at the steer
ing wheel. Mr. Bronson signaled
them to stop, Ignoring the fact that
they were making similar signs to him.
"We're just starting for your place,"
said the doctor. "Your wife got me
on the phone."
"Thank God!" replied Bronson.
"Don't fool any time away on me.
Drive !"
"Get In here, Ez," said the sheriff.
"Doc knows how to drive, and I'll come
on with your team. They need a slow
drive to cool 'em off."
"Why didn't you phone me?" asked
the doctor.
"Never thought of It," replied Bron
son. "I hain't had the phone only a
few years. Drive fuster 1"
"Isn't your mother here, Jim?" she
asked. "I've been looking all over
the crowd and can't see her.".
"She isn't here," answered Jim. "I
was In hopes that when she broke loone
and went to your Christmas dinner she
would stay loose but she went home
and settled back Into her rut."
"Too bad," said Jennie. "She'd have
had a nice time if she had come."
"Yes," said Jim, "I believe she
would."
"I want help," said Jennie. "Our
hamper is terribly heavy. Please!"
It was rather obvious to Mrs. Bonner
that Jennie was throwing herself at
Jim's head, but that was an article of
the Bonner family creed since the de
cision which closed the hearing at the
court house. It must be admitted that
the young county superintendent
found tasks which kept the school
master very close to her side.
"Sit down, Jim," said Mrs. Woodruff,
"you've earned a bite of what .we've
got. It's good enough, what there Is of
it, and there's enough of it, such as It
jar:
"I'm sorry," said Jim, "but I've
prior engagement."
"Why, Jim 1" protested Jennie. "I've
been counting on you. Don't desert
mer
"I'm awfully sorry," said Jim, "but
I promised. I'll see you later."
One might have thought, Judging by
the colonel's quizzical smile, that he
was pleased, at Jennie's loss of ber
former swain.
"We'll have to Invite him longer
ahead of time," said he. "He's getting
to be in demand."
Jim seemed to be In demand a fact
that Jennie confirmed by observation.
He received a dozen invitations as he
passed the groups seated on the grass
one of them from Mrs. Cornelius
Bonner, who saw no particular point
In advertising dlsgruntlement The
cnuuren rau w uiu, wu uuu w
bands; young girls gave him sisterly
smiles and such trifles as chicken
drumsticks, pieces of cake and like tid
bits. His passage to the numerous
group at a square table under a big
burr oak was quite an ovation an
ovation of the significance of which he
was himself quite unaware.
But Jennie the daughter of a poli
tician and a promising one herself
Jennie sensed the fact that Jim Irwin
had won something from the people of
the Woodruff district in the way of
deference. Still he was the gangling,
Llncolnlan, Ill-dressed, over-stricken
Jim Irwin of old, but Jennie had no
longer the feeling that one's standing
was somewhat compromised by asso
ciation with him.
He had begun to put on something
more significant than clothes, some
thing which he had possessed all the
time, but which became valid only as
it was publicly apprehended. He was
clearly the central figure of his group,
in which she recognized the Bronsons
those queer children from Tennessee,
the Simmses, the Talcotts, the Han
sens, the Hamms and Colonel Wood
ruffs hired man, Pete, whose other
name Is not recorded.
Jim sat down between Bettlna Han
sen, a flaxen-haired young Brunhilde
of seventeen, and Callsta Simms
Jennie saw him do It, while listening to
Wilbur Smythe's account of the ex
acting nature of the big law practice
he was building up and would have
been glad to exchange places with
Bettlna.
The repast drew to a close ; and over
by the burr oak the crowd had grown
to a circle surrounding Jim Irwin.
"He seems to be making an ad
dress," said Wilbur Smythe.
"Well, Wilbur," replied the colonel,
'you had the first shot at us. Suppose
we move over and see what's under
discussion."
As they approached the group, they
heard Jim Irwin answering something
which Ezra Bronson had said.
"You think so, Ezra," said he, "and
It seems reasonable that big cream
eries like those at Omaha, Sioux City,
Des Moines and the other centrallzer
points can make butter cheaper than
we would do here but we've the fig
ures that show that they aren't eco
nomical." "They can't make good butter, for
one thing," said Newton Bronson cock
lly. "Why can't they?" asked Olaf Han
sen, the father of Bettlna.
"Well," said Newton, "they have to
have so much cream that they've got
to ship it so far that it gets rotten on
the way, and they have to renovate It
with lime and other ingredients be
fore they can churn it."
"Well," said Raymond Simms, "I
reckon they sell their butter fo' all It's
wuth; an' they cain't get within from
foah to seven cents a pound as much
fo' It as the farmers' creameries in
Wisconsin and Minnesota get fo'
theirs." .
"That's a fact, Olaf." said Jim.
"I'm Sorry,"- said Jim, "but I've a
Prior Engagement."
"I want to cet there, or I would,"
answered the doctor. "Don't worry.
From what your wife told me over the
phone I don't believe the boy's eaten
any more strychnine than I have and
probably not so much."
"He was alive, then?"
"Alive and making an argument
against taking the emetic," replied the
doctor. "But I guess she got It down
hlin."
Thus reassured,. Mr. Bronson was
calm, even If somewhnt tragic In calm
ness, when he entered the death cham
ber with the doctor. Newton was sit
ting up, his eyes wet, and his face
pale. His mother had won the argu
ment, and Newton had lost his dinner.
Haakon Peterson occupied an arm
chair. "What's all this?" asked the doctor.
"How are you feeling, Newt? Any
pnln?"
"i iii all rljrlit," sold Newton. "Don't
give me any more o' that nasty stuff I"
"No," said the doctor, "but if you
don't tell me Just what you've been
eating, and doing, and pulling off on
us, I'll use this" and the doctor ex
hibited a huge stomach pump.
"What'll you do with that?" asked
Newton faintly.
Job Printing
SEE US
When in need of any
thing in the line of neat
and attractive Printing.
"i ii put iiiis aown into your hold,
and unload youi that's what I'll do."
"Is the election over, Mr. Peterson?'
asked Newton.
"Yes," answered Mr. Peterson, "and
the votes counted."
"Who's elected?" asked Newton.
"Colonel Woodruff," answered Mr.
Peterson. "The vote was twelve to
eleven."
"Well, dad," said Newton, "I s'pose
you'll be sore, but the only way I could
see to get In half a vote for Colonel
Woodruff was to get poisoned and
send you after the doctor. If you'd
gone, It would 'a' been a tie, anyhow,
and probably you'd 'a' persuaded some
body to change to Bonner. That's
what's the matter with me. I killed
your vote. Now, you can do whatever
you like to me but I'm sorry I scared
mother."
Ezra Bronson seized Newton by the
throat, but his fingers failed to close.
"Don't pinch, dud," said Newton. "I've
been using that neck an' it's tired."
Mr. Bronson dropped his hands to his
sides, glared at his son for a moment
and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Why, you darned Infernal little
fool," said he. "I've a notion to take
a hamestrap to you ! If I'd been there
the vote would have been eleven to
thirteen I"
"There was plenty wotes there for
the colonel, if he needed 'em," said
Haakon, whose politician's mind was
already fully adjusted to the changed
conditions. "Ay tank the Woodruff
district will have a junanlmous school
board from dls time on once more.
Colonel Woodruff Is just the man we
have needed."
"I'm with you there," said Bronson.
"And as for you, young man, if one or
both of them horses is hurt by the run
I give them, I'll lick you within an
Inch of your life Here conies Dilly
driving 'em now I guess they're all
right. I wouldn't want to drive a good
team to death for any young hoodlum
like him All right, how much do I
owe you. Doc?"
(To be continued)
IT PAYS TO READ
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,
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
t
See our line of
Suits and Overcoats
for Men and Boys
GERMAN RELIEF WORK
Funds Co veted Will Be Spent
In America, Says Major 1 ,
GeMAllefT !
Official word from MajorgfJefjl
Henry T. Allen, riat'(gal cWr$djL jt.
tpe American committee ir rww 01
German M!4re9. ZS$2&&
week at headquarters, 715 Corbetfr
building, PorUanj., i that all money
collected in this c6u5try will be used
to buy foodstuffs in AQoerioa for ship
ment to Germapy. There the mater
ials will be distributed by the Ameri
can Quakers, who have organised to
do this great work. '
General Allen also wirod the Oregon
headquarters that relief funds are be
ing collected in Berlin and Bremen
and other places for aiding women
and children. This is vouched for by,
American investigators thefe.
In Portland, the German-speaking
members of 26 churches of all denom
inations and of 28 societies, following
action taken at a mp meeting at
the outBet of this cafhpalgfi, hvve con
tributed Beveral thousand dollars to-'
ward this relief fund. It is also an
nounced that they have been collect
ing relief funds regularly for at least
three years to alleviate suffering in
their native land.
In a state-wide collection, authorized
by officials of the Catholic churches
to Oregon, a substantial sum waif feal
ir.ed on Sunday. Every Catholic church
In the state participated. j .
Portland labor unions have been
subscribing various sums, also, and
the Central council there has a spe
cial committee of union members
working on solicitation, fpUff&lp? for
mal indorsement of the ciffiptfigh.
THE HERALD ADS
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OREGON
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