The Brown Mouse
CHAPTER XVIII
JIM GOES TO AMES
The boat tipped over, and Jim Irwin was left struggling in the water. Itwas in the rapids just above the cataract--and poor Jim could not swim astroke. Helpless, terrified, gasping, he floated to destruction, andJennie Woodruff was not able to lift a hand to help him. To see any humanbeing swept to such an end is dreadful, but for a county superintendent towitness the drowning of one of her best--though sometimes it must beconfessed most insubordinate--teachers, under such circumstances, isunspeakable; and when that teacher is a young man who was once that countysuperintendent's sweetheart, and falls in, clothed in a new made-to-ordersuit in which he looks almost handsome despite his manifest discomfort inhis new cravat and starched collar, the experience is something almostimpossible to endure. That is why Jennie gripped her seat until she musthave scratched the varnish. That is why she felt she must go to him--anddo something. She could not endure it a moment longer, she felt; and therehe floated away, his poor pale face dipping below the waves, his sad,long, homely countenance sadder than ever, his lovely--yes, she mustconfess it now, his eyes were lovely!--his lovely blue eyes, so honest andtrue, wide with terror; and she unable to give him so much as a cry ofencouragement!
And then Jim began to swim. He cast aside the roll of manuscript which hehad held in his hand when the waters began to rise about him, and struckout for the shore with strong strokes--wild and agitated at first, butgradually becoming controlled and coordinated, and Jennie drew a longbreath as he finally came to shore, breasting the waves like Triton, andmaster of the element in which he moved. There was a burst of applause,and people went forward to congratulate the greenhorn who had really madegood.
Jennie felt like throwing her arms about his neck and weeping out her joyat his escape, and his restoration to her. Her eyes told him something ofthis; for there was a look in them which reminded him of fifteen yearsago. Bettina Hansen was proud of him, and Con Bonner shook his hand andsaid that he agreed with him. Neither Bettina nor Con had noticed thecapsizing of the boat or saw the form of Jim as it went drifting towardthe cataract. But Jim knew how near he had been to disaster, and knew thatJennie knew. For she had seen him turn pale when he came on the platformto make his address at the farmers' meeting at Ames, had seen him beginthe speech he had committed to memory, had observed how unable he was toremember it, had noted his confusion as he tried to find his manuscript,and then his place of beginning in it--and when his confusion hadseemingly quite overcome him, had seen him begin talking to his audiencejust as he had talked to the political meeting that time when he had sodeeply offended her, and had observed how he won first their respect, thentheir attention, then apparently their convictions.
To Jennie's agitated mind Jim had barely escaped being drowned in theocean of his own unreadiness and confusion under trying conditions. Andshe was right. Jim had never felt more the upstart uneducated farm-handthan when he was introduced to that audience by Professor Withers, normore completely disgraced than when he concluded his remarks. Even theapplause was to him a kindly effort on the part of the audience to comforthim in his failure. His only solace was the look in Jennie's eyes.
"Young man," said an old farmer who wore thick glasses and looked like aDutch burgomaster, "I want to have a little talk with you."
"This is Mr. Hofmyer of Pottawatomie County," said the dean of thecollege.
"I'm glad to meet you," said Jim. "I can talk to you now."
"No," said Jennie. "I know Mr. Hofmyer will excuse you until after dinner.We have a little party for Mr. Irwin, and we shall be late if we don'thurry."
"Where can I see you after supper?" asked Mr. Hofmyer.
Easy it was to satisfy Mr. Hofmyer; and Jim was carried off to a dinnergiven by County Superintendent Jennie to Jim, the dean, Professor Withers,and one or two others--and a wonderfully select and distinguished companyit seemed to Jim. Jennie seized a moment's opportunity to say, "You didbeautifully, Jim; everybody says so."
"I failed!" said. Jim. "You know I failed. 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 youforgot your speech," insisted Jennie.
"Does anybody else think so?"
"Why, Jim! You must learn to believe in what you have done. Even ConBonner 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 theresomething new in Jennie's attitude here? Wasn't his belief in what he wasdoing precisely the thing which had made him such a nuisance to the countysuperintendent? However, Jim couldn't stop to answer the question whichpopped up in his mind.
"What does Professor 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 darnedboiled shirt and collar, and for wearing a cravat," urged Jim inextenuation.
"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 abitting-rig--but I guess I did!"
Jennie ran away then to ask Nils Hansen and Bettina to join their dinnerparty. She had a sudden access of friendliness for the Hansens. Nilsrefused because he was going out to see the college herds fed; but atJennie's urgent request, reinforced by pats and hugs, Bettina consented.Jennie was very happy, and proved herself a beaming hostess. The deandevoted himself to Bettina--and Jim found out afterward that thisinquiring gentleman was getting at the mental processes of a specimenpupil in one of the new kind of rural schools, in which he was only halfinclined to believe. He thanked Jim for his speech, and said it was "mostsuggestive and thought-provoking," and as the party broke up slipped intoJim's hand a check for the honorarium. It was not until then that Jim feltquite sure that he was actually to be paid for his speech; and he felt agood deal like returning the check to the conscience fund of the State ofIowa, if it by any chance possessed such a fund. But the breach made inhis financial entrenchments by the expenses of the trip and therespectable and well-fitting suit of clothes overcame his feeling ofgetting something for nothing. If he hadn't given the state anything, hehad at least expended something--a good deal in fact--on the state'saccount.