I
Tuesday, February 19, 1924
THE HEPPNER HERALD, HEPPNER, OREGON.
Page Three
giiiiinnniinmnmniniiiniimininintf
BROWN
MOUSE
By HERBERT QUICK
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(Ceprright by Th Bobbi-Merrill Company)
SYNOPSIS
CHAPTER I. Jennie Woodruff con
temptuously refuses to marry Jim Ir
win, young Carm hand, because of his
financial condition and poor prospects.
He Is intellectually above his station,
and has advanced Ideas concerning the
Jossibillties of expert school teaching,
or which he Is ridiculed by many.
CHAPTER II. More as a Joke than
otherwise Jim Is seleoted as teacher of
the Woodruff district school.
CHAPTER IIL Jim, Inlils new posi
tion, sets out to make Btanch friends
of 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 soientllic methods of
farming, as well as "book learning,"
is condemned.
CHAPTER V Jennie Woodruff is
nomlnted 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, esifecially Newton
ronson.
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
bis prospects.
CHAPTER IX. In the evening Jim,
as well as he knows how, courts Jen
nie, without, however, making much
Srogress, though she is quickly losing
er poor opinion of hlra.
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 ha left. Jim U visited
by Colonel Woodruff, who strongly
urge blm to refuse to resign, and
offers to back blm. Jim agree to
tick, (or while at least
meeting of the
cheol board, which had been gathered
to "get? Jim, 1 confronted by Jennie
who upholds hlra. He conduct h ex
amination of hi pupil at the Sett
ing, to prove that be I not neglectinc
tbir "book learning" by (he- introduc
tion of other Mifcjeota which he con
aider of Importance. The (plendld
nhowlng mad by the children oonvert
many, who had doubted, to hi view.
CHAPTER XII. The novel Ideas
which Jim ha Introduced have been
talked about outside the county, and
be i visited by Professor Withers, ex
tension lecturer at the tat university,
who Invite him to deliver an address
at the next annual meeting of the
Farmer' institute,
CHAPTER Xltl Professor Withers
1 Impressed by many of the Innova
tions made by Irwin, and sn Informs
Colonel Woodruff nd Jennie, some
what to the astonishment of both. Th
colonel suggest to Jim that he (th
colonel) seek election to the school
board, replacing Cornelius Bonner, im
placable enemy of Jim Irwin.
CHAPTER XIV. Feigning sickness.
Newton Bronson, youngster whom Ir
win ha redeemed from Idleness and
fnllv and set on the rlxht oath, and
who almost worships the teacher, keeps i
hi rather irom voting at tne school
board election. Bronson Is a frlsnd of
Bonner, and would have voted for him.
A It Is, Colonel Woodruff Is chosen
for the position, owing to Bronson
absence.
CHAPTER XV. Jim convinces th
farmer of the district of the advan
tages to be derived from a co-opratlve
creamery, and it Is agreed to establish
one. His rise to a position of leader
ship In the community, and high re
sponsibility, has made a distinct differ
ence in Jennie's feelings toward Jim,
which she Is forced to acknowledge to
herself.
CHAPTER XVI
'v
Jim Goes to Ames.
Jim had never felt more the upstart
uneducated farm-hand than when he
was Introduced to that audience at
Ames by Professor Withers, nor more
completely disgraced than when he
concluded his remarks. Even the ap
plause was to him a kindly effort on
the part of the audience to comfort
him in his failure. His only solace
was the look In Jennie's eyes.
"Young man," said an old farmer
who wore thick (lasses and looked
I Want to Have Talk With You.'
like Dutch burgomaster, "I want to
have little talk with you."
"This is Mr. Hofmyer of Pottawato
mie county," Mid the dean of the col
lege. Tm glad to meet you." said Jim.
"I can talk to yon dow."
"No." said Jennie. 1 know Mr.
Horniyer wiu excuse you uiuu murr
dinner. We have a little party for
Mr. Irwin, and we shall be late If we
don't hurry."
"Where can I see you after supper T'
asked Mr. Hofmyer.
Easy It was to satisfy Mr. Hofmyer ;
and Jim was carried off to a dinner
given by County Superintendent Jen
nie to Jim, the dean, Professor With
ers, and one or two others and a
wonderfully select and distinguished
company it seemed to Jim. Jennie
seised a moment's opportunity to say,
"You did beautifully, Jim; everybody
says so."
"I failed!" said Jim. "You know
I fulled. I couldn't remember my
speech. I can't stay here feasting. I
want to get out in the snow."
"You made the best address of the
meeting; and you did It because you
forgot your speech," Insisted Jennie.
"Ooes anybody else think so?"
"Why, Jim! You must learn to be
lieve in what you have done. Even
Con Bonner says it was the best. He
says he didn't think you had it in ye !"
This advice from her to "believe In
what you have done" wasn't there
something new in Jennie's attitude
here? Wasn't his belief in what he
was doing precisely the thing which
had made him such a nuisance to the
county superintendent? However, Jim
couldn't stop to answer the question
which popped up in his mind.
"What does Prof essor Withers say?"
he asked.
"He's delighted silly !"
"Silly!" How wonderful It was to
be called "silly" in that tone.
"I shouldn't have forgotten the
speech if it hadn't been for this darned
boiled shirt and collar, and for wear
ing a cravat," urged Jim in extenua
tion. "You ought to 've worn them around
the house for a week before coming,"
said Jennie. "Why didn't you ask my
advice?"
"I will, next time, Jennie," said Jim.
"I didn't suppose I needed a bitting
rig but I guess I did !"
Jennie ran away then to ask Nils
Hansen and Bettina to join their din
ner party. She had a sudden access
of friendliness for the Hansens. Nils
refused because he was going out to
see the college herds fed; but at Jen
nie's Urgeflt request, reinforced by
pats and hugs, Bettina consented. Jen
nie was very happy, and proved her
self a beaming hostess. The dean de
voted himself to Bettina and Jim
found out afterward that this inquir
ing gentleman was getting at the men
tal processes of a specimen pupil in
one of the new kind of rural schools,
in which he was only half inclined to
believe. He thanked Jim for his
speech, and said it was "most sugges
tive and thought-provoking," and aa
the party broke up slipped into Jim'a
hand a check for the honorarium. It
was not until then that Jim felt quite
sure that he was actually to be paid.
Mr. Hofmyer waa waiting to give
Jim the final convincing proof that ha
haa produced effect with his
speech.
"Do you teach the kind of school
you lay out In your talkr he asked.
"I try to," said Jim, "and I believe I
do."
"Well," said Mr. Hofmyer, "that's
Ctie kind of education I b'lleve in. I
kep' school back In Pennsylvany fifty
years ago, and I made the scholars
measure things, and weigh things, and
apply their studies as fur as I could."
"All good teachers have always don
that," said Jim. "f'roebel, PestaloaxI,
Colonel Parker they all had the Idea
which la at the bottom of my work;
learn to do by doing,' and connecting
up the school with life."
"M'h-m," grunted Mr. Hofmyer, "I
hain't been able to see how Latin con
nects up with a high-school kid's life
unless he can find a Latin settlement
som'eres and git job clerkln' In
store."
"But It used to relate to life," aald
Jim, "the life of the people who made
Greek and Latin a part of everybody
else's education as well as their own.
Latin and Greek were the only lan
guages In which anything worth much
was written, you know. But now'
Jim spread out his arms as if to take
In the whole world "science, the mar
velous literature of our tongue In the
last three centuries! And to make a
child learn Latin with all that, a thou
sand times richer than all the litera
ture of Latin, lying unused before
him !"
"now any Latin?" asked Mr. Uot-
mjer. . .,.
Jim blushed, as one caught In eon
demning what he knows nothing about
"I I have studied the grammar,
and read 'Caesar,'" he faltered, "but
that Isn't much. I had no teacher, and
I had to work pretty hard, and It
didn't go very well."
"I've had all the Latin they gave In
the colleges of my time," aald Mr. Hof
myer, "if I do talk dialect; and I'll
agree with you so far as to say that
It would have been a crime for me to
neglect the chemistry, bacteriology,
physics, engineering and other science
that pertain to farmln' If there'd been
any u eh science! when! wu get tin
my schooun'." .
"And yet." laid Jim, "soma people
want tti to guide ourselves by th
folirses of Study mad before these
sciences existed."
"I don't, by hokeyl" laid Hofmyer.
"I'll be dag-goned if you ain't right I
wouldn't 'a' said so before I beard that
speech but I say so now."
Jim's face lighted ap at this, the
first convincing evidence that b had
cored.
"I b'lleve, too," went on Mr. Hof
myer. "that your Idee would please
our folks. I've been the standpatter
In our parts mostly on English and
say German. What d ye say to comln
down and teach hY ovr school? We
Wot a two-room affair, and t waa msano
cowiuiuee or one to nnoa teacnerv"
"I I don't see how " Jim stam
mered, all taken aback by this new
breeze of recognition.
We can't pay much," said Hofmyer.
You have charge of tbe dls-clp-llne
In the whole school, and teach In Num
ber Two room. Seventy-five dollars a
month. Does It appeal to ye?"
Appeal to him ! And yet, how about
the Simmses, Colonel Woodruff, the
Hansens and Newton Bronson, now
just getting a firm start on the up
ward path to usefulness and real hap
piness? How could he leave the little,
crude, puny structure on which he had
been working on which he had been
merely practicing for a year, and re
move to the new field?
'I'm afraid I can't," said Jim Irwin,
'but"
If you're only 'frald you can't,"
said Mrv Hofmyer, "think It over. I've
got your post office address on this
program, and we'll write you a formal
offer. We may spring them figures a
little. Think it over."
"You mustn't think," said Jim, "that
we've done all the things I mentioned
In my talk, or that I haven't made any
mistakes or failures."
"Your county superintendent didn't
mention any failures," said Mr. Hof
myer. "Did you talk with her about my
work?" Inquired Jim, suddenly very
curious.
: am
M'h'm."
Then I don't see why you want
roe," Jim went on.
"Why?" asked Mr. Hofmyer.
"I had not supposed," said Jim,
that she had a very high opinion of
my work."
"I didn't ask her about that," said
Mr. Hofmyer, "though I guess she
thinks well of it. I asked her what
you are try In to do, and what sort of
a fellow you are. I was favorably Im
pressed ; but she didn't mention any
failures."
"We haven't succeeded In adopting
a successful system of selling our
cream," said Jim. "I believe we can
do It, but we haven't."
Wal," said Mr. Hofmyer, "I d'know
as I'd call thut a failure. The fact
that you're tryin' of it shows you've
got ttie right Idees. . .Well write ye,
and mebbe pay your way.jsewn .to look
us over. We re a 'ttfettr ffoofl'erowa.
the neighbors think'1
CHAPTER XVII
Think of It.
Ames was an Inspiration. Jim Irwin
received from the great agricultural
college more real education In this on
trip than many students get from
four years' course in it hails; for bs
bad spent ten rears In getting ready
for the experience. Th great jhrm i
hundred of acres, all under' the mai
agement of experts, th beaut lfnj cam
pa, the commodlotM classrooms and
laboratories, and especially th barn.
th greenhouses, gardens, herds and
fl'SSs tylwl JjWwita a sort of apos
tolic Joy.
"Every school" said b to Professor
withers, "ought to be doing a good
deal of the work you have to do here."
"I'll admit," said the professor,
that much of our work In agriculture
Is pretty elementary."
"It's intermediate school work," said
Jim. "It's wrong to force boys and
girls to leave their homes and live in
a college to get so much of what they
should have before they're ten years
old."
-meres sometmng m what yoa
say," said th professor, "bat som
experiment station men seem to think
that agriculture in th common schools
will take from the young men and
women the felt need, and therefore tit
desire to come to the college."
"If you can't give them anything
better than high-school work," said
Jim, "that will be so; but If the sci
ence and art of agriculture t what I
think it is, It would make them hungry
for the advanced work that really
can't be done at home. To make tbe
children wait until they're twenty It
to deny them more than half what the
college ought to give them and make
tbem pay for what they don't get."
" think you're right," said the pro-
ressor.
"Give us the kind of school I ask
for," cried Jim, "and I'll fill a college
like this In every congressional district
In Iowa, or Til force you to tear this
down and build larger,"
More nearly happy, and rather short
er of money than be had recently been,
jim journeyea uome among me com'
fianlons from his own neighborhood,
n ?renzy of planj Sr tt future. Mr.
Hofmyer had dropped from his mind,
until Con Bonner, his old enemy, drew
him aside In the vestibule of the train
and spoke to him in the mysterious
manner peculiar to noililclani.
"What kind of a proposition did that
man Hofmelster make you?" be In
quired. "He asked me about yon, and
I told him you're a crackerjack."
"I'm much obliged," replied Jim.
"No use In back-cappln' a fellow
that's tryln' to make somethln' of him
self," said Bonner. "That ain't good
politics, nor good sense. Anything to
blm
'He offered me a salary of rnty
five dollars a month to take charge of
bis school," said Jim.
"Well," said Con. "we'll b sorry to
lose yeh, trat yon can't turn down any
thing Ilk that"
"I don't know," said Jim. "I haven't
decided."
Bonner scrutinised his fac sharply,
as If to find out what sort of game be
was playing.
"Well," said he, at last, "I hop you
can stay with us, o course. I'm licked,
and I never sqneaL If the riot of the
district can stand your kind of thrlcks,
I can. And say, Jim" her be grew
atfll nor mysterious "if jot do stay,
: iMM.of a wsnad Ilk U bat ra b
nougn or a Democrat to go mm me
next convention f r county superin
tendent" 'Why," replied Jim, "I never thought
of such a thing I"
"Well, think of It." said Con. "The
county's close, and wid a pop'lar young
educator an' a farmer, too, It might
be done. Think of It"
Jim was almost dazed at the num
ber of "propositions" of which he was
now required to "think" and Bon.
ner's did not at first Impress him as
having anything back of It but blarney.
He was to find out later, however, that
the wily Con had made up his mind
that the ambition of Jim to serve the
rural schools In a larger sphere might
be used for the purpose of bringing to
earth what he regarded as the soaring
political ambitions of the Woodruff
family. To split the forces which had
defeated Mr. Bonner In his own school
district, with the very instrument used
by the colonel at the last school elec
tion that, to Mr. Bonner, would be
a fine thing.
Jim had scarcely taken his seat in
the car, facing Jennie Woodruff and
Bettina Hansen in the Pullman, when
Columbus Brown, pathmaster of the
road district and only across the way
from residence In the school district,
came down the aisle and called Jim
to the smoking-room.
"Did an old fellow named Hoffman
from Pottawatomie county ask you
to leave us and take his school?" he
asked.
"Mr. Hofmyer," said Jim, " yes, he
did."
"Well," said Columbus, "I don't want
to ask you to stand In your own light,
but I hope you won't let him toll you
We're Proud of You, Jim."
off there among strangers. We're
proud of you, iim, an w don't want
to los you."
Proud of blm 1 Sweet music to the
underling's ears ! Jim blushed and
stammered.
.:Th8 Set la," said Columbus, "I
know that Woodruff district job hain't
big enough for yon any roor; but we
can make It bigger. If yonll stay, I
believe we can poll off a Oca) to con
solidate torn of them districts, and
make you bos f th whole sluooting
match."
1 appreciate thiV dumb," said
"but I dont believe you can do
"Well, think of it," Mid Columbus,
"And don't do anything till yoa talk
with me and a few of th other boys.
"Think of It" again I
A fin home-coming It was for Jtm,
with the colonel waiting at the station
with a double sleigh, and th chance
to ride into the snowy country In the
tame seat with Jennie a chance which
was blighted by th colonel's placing
Bettina and Nils Hansen In th broad
rear seat, and Jim In front with himself.
The colonel would not allow blm to
get out and walk when he could really
bar reached horn mors quickly by
doing oj no, a set th Eapasnt
down at their door, took Jennl noma,
and then dfOT th lightened sleigh
merrily to to fitunbi cabin of th
raraer exatM young tcnoounajKer.
"Did yon make any deal wtft those
people down In the western part of
tbe state?" asked th colonel. "Jennie
wrote me that yotfv got an offer.1
"No," aald Jim, and he told tt
colonel about the proposal of air.
"Well" said the colonel, "in my
capacity of wUd-eyd reformer, rv
mud up my mind that th first fork
miles in th trip is to make the rural
teacher's job a bigger Job. It's got
to be a man's sis, woman's sis Job,
or we cabH get real men and real
women to stay In th wort ", t
-1 CVaft T statesmanlike
formulation of It," taM Jim.
"Well," said the colonel, "dont tor
down the Pottawatomie county job
nntil w have a etiano to s what
w can do. ru get torn kind of a
meeting together, and what I want
yon to do Is to ns this offer aa a crab
ever this helpless school district
Wh.it 1 heed 1 to be held np. Do
the Jesse James act, Jim I"
fie yesce James act,
"1 cant c3ona)l",
Tea, yoa can, too. Will yon try ttr
"I want to treat Trybodr fairly,'
said Jim, Including Mr, Bofmys.
dont know what to do. hardly."
"Wall, fu t to meeting together,"
said th colonel, "and la th mnn-
Hro. think of what I've said,
Another tains tit thick rfl 31b
Job Printing
SEE US
When in need of any
thing in the line of neat
and attractive Printing.
rusnea into in nous ana surpnaea
his mother, who had expected him to
arrive after a slow walk from town
through the snow. Jim caught her in
his arms, from which she was re
leased a moment later, quite flustered
and blushing.
Why, Jamea," said she, "yon seem
excited. What's happened?"
"Nothing, mother" he replied, "ex
cept that I believe there's just a pos
sibility of my being a success in tbe
world !"
"My boy, my boy!" said she, laying
her hand on his arm, "If you were to
die tonight, you'd die the greatest
success any boy ever waa if your
mother Is any judge."
Jim kissed her, and went up to his
attic to change his clothes. Inside
the waistcoat was a worn envelope,
which he carefully opened, and took
from It a letter much creased from
many foldings. It was the old letter
from Jennie, written when the com
ical mistake had been made of mak
ing him the teacher of the Woodruff
school. He read only the sentence In
which Jennie had told of her father's
interest In Jim's success, ending with
the underscored words, 'Tin for you,
too."
'I wonder," said Jim, as he went
out to do the evening's tasks, "I won
der If she Is for me 1"
(To be continued)
LINCOLN SAYING
iiTF YOU once forfeit the con's-
fldence of your fellow cit
izens," Lincoln said to a caller
at the White Huose, "you can
never regain their respect and
esteem. It is true that you may
fool all the people some of the
time ; ynu can even fool some of
the people all the time ; but you
can't fool all of the people all
the time."
W
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 il) keeps its own. Rent a Safe Deposit
Box today, for the number now vacant is
limited. t .'. . t
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
The SIMPLICITY
of. the
WASHINGTONS
ALTHOUGH the inauguration cere
monies and festivities were well
over when Mrs. Washington reached
New York, and the house furnished,
there remained for her and her hus
band the difficult task of arranging the
social functions of the executive man
sion. While those about them were'
discussing the question of the title to
be used In addressing the new presi
dent, whether it should be His High
ness, His Serene Highness, His High
mightiness, or simply His Excellency,
and whether the reception of the presi
dent and his wife should be surround
ed by the ceremony of a court or be
characterized by the simplicity suited'
to a republic, the Washington quietly ;
and unostentatiously mapped out their
social duties according to their own
ideas of propriety.
Washington, to whom nothing con
nected with his office seemed small or
unimportant, and who realized that
this was naturally a period for the
establishment of precedents, gave
much time and thought to the proper
adjustment of social as well as of po
litical etiquette; In all of which ar
rangements he was as-slsted by his
former aide-de-camp, Colonel Hum-'
phreys, who had recently been secre
tary of legation in Paris. Mrs. Wash
ington warmly seconded her husband's
efforts to combine republican simplicity
with the form and ceremony befitting
the dinners, levees, and receptions of
the chief executive. Thus, although
the president simply bowed to each
guest as he was introduced to him at
his Tuesday afternoon livees, making
it very evident that the more familiar
handshake was to be omitted, at his
wife's Friday evening receptions he
chose to be considered simply as "a
private rcntlemnn."
THE HERALD ADS